David Oliver's Copperfield comment

[Bob Klase]

In the review of Mrs. Brown's Kooky Kookie, Oliver mentions that he'd been told that David Copperfield kept a Dinamo standing by offstage to cover unexpected stage waits.

Not sure that anybody's interested, but in at least one show it was not only there, Copperfield used it.

I was at one of the tapings for his 1993 Fires of Passion TV special. At one point there was a glitch and things had to be reset. While the crew was resetting, Copperfield walked to the side curtain, reached offstage and brought out a Dinamo and performed it (although I thought it was Tenyo's What's Next- but I was in the last row of the theater so didn't have the best view).

Later in the show there was another unplanned delay. I don't remember his exact words, but after a short pause Copperfield said something like "well, I'm not sure what to do now... I already did the dot trick". For some that seemed much funnier to me than the rest of the audience.

[Guest]

I have seen David Copperfield perform "the dot trick" at least twice myself, not at tv tapings, but on his tours when something went wrong.

And both times, it was tenyo's "What's Next". It made me smile the first time i saw him do it. He did it well too.

One of the occasions was when his video of the statue of liberty vanish he was showing didnt work. He came out and did What's Next instead of the Statue:) lol.

I learned a lesson from that. I now also have a couple stand by routines always at the ready for when something unexpected goes wrong. One of countless showman tips I've learned over the years from watching the master at work.


Nicholas Carifo

[Guest]

I worked for David from 1981 - 1983 and can tell you that it was Tenyo's What's Next. He had 3 effects ready to go - what was referred to as, "savers". What's Next, Torn & Restored Kleenex and Linking Coathangers.

[Guest]

Anyone who does this for a living knows that Murphy's Law is almost a commandment. You must have something standing by in case the planned show goes awry. It's true no matter if you are working an illusion show or a Renaissance festival.

[Leonard Hevia]

I bought a Tenyo "What's Next?" many years ago but the routine that accompanied the trick was quite vague. Is the magician hiding actual spots, or is he pretending to hide non-existing spots, or is it both?

I also witnessed Copperfield perform this to cover a longer than expected stage wait at the Warner Theater in Washington D.C. back in 1985. He demonstrated that one can take a standard dealer item and make it into something...nice.

[Guest]

was Davids routine anything like Terry seabrokes? Just curious you understand..