David Copperfield
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David Copperfield
David Copperfield (born David Seth Kotkin on September 16, 1956 in Metuchen, New Jersey) is an Emmy Award-winning American illusionist described by Forbes in 2006 as the most commercially successful magician in history. Best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, Copperfield has so far sold 40 million tickets and grossed over $1 billion.Early years
Copperfield was born David Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, New Jersey, the son of Jewish parents, Rebecca, an insurance adjuster, and Hyman Kotkin, who owned and operated a men's haberdashery in Metuchen called Korby's. Copperfield's mother was born in Jerusalem, Israel, while his paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.Copperfield began practicing magic as "Davino, the Boy Magician", and at the age of 12, became the youngest person ever admitted to the Society of American Magicians. Shy and a loner, the young Copperfield saw magic as a way of fitting in and, later, as a way to get girls. As a teenager, Copperfied became fascinated with Broadway and frequently snuck into shows, especially musicals featuring Stephen Sondheim or Bob Fosse. By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at New York University.
Achievements and awards
* The hand prints of David Copperfield in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
* David Copperfield was nominated 5 times for Emmy Awards and has won once.
* Copperfield received a Living Legend Award from the Library of Congress.
* Copperfield is the first living magician to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
* Copperfield was knighted by the French government, receiving the Chevalier of Arts and Letters, the first one ever awarded to a magician.[15]
* He was named "Magician of the Year" in 1980 and 1987 by the Academy of Magical Arts.
* Forbes's "The Celebrity 100" for 2009 ranks Copperfield as the 80th most powerful celebrity, with earnings of $30 million.
Guinness World Records
Copperfield holds 11 Guinness World Records. They include:
1. Largest private collection of magic artifacts
2. Most tickets sold worldwide by a solo entertainer
3. Highest career earnings as a magician
4. Highest Broadway gross in a week
5. Largest Broadway attendance in a week
6. Largest international television audience for a magician
7. Most magic shows performed in a year
8. Largest work archive for a magician
9. Highest annual earnings for a magician
10. Largest illusion ever staged
11. Magician holding the most world records
Television specials
* The Magic of ABC Starring David Copperfield (1977) (With special guests Donnie Osmond and Marie Osmond)
* The Magic of David Copperfield (1978) (With special guests Orson Welles and Bernadette Peters)
* The Magic of David Copperfield II (1979) (With special guest Bill Bixby)
* The Magic of David Copperfield III: Levitating Ferrari (1980) (With special guest Jack Klugman)
* The Magic of David Copperfield IV: The Vanishing Airplane (1981) (With special guest Jason Robards)
* The Magic of David Copperfield V: Vanishing the Statue of Liberty (1983) (With special gests Morgan Fairchild and Eugene Levy)
* The Magic of David Copperfield VI: Floating Over the Grand Canyon (1984) (With special guest Bonnie Tyler theme Holding Out For A Hero)
* The Magic of David Copperfield VII: Familiares (1985) (With special guest Angie Dickinson)
* The Magic of David Copperfield VIII: Walking Through the Great Wall of China (1986) (With special guest Ben Vereen)
* The Magic of David Copperfield IX: Escape From Alcatraz (1987) (With special guest Ann Jillian)
* The Magic of David Copperfield X: The Bermuda Triangle (1988) (With special guest Lisa Hartman)
* The Magic of David Copperfield XI: Explosive Encounter (1989) (With special guest Emma Samms) Filmed at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California
* The Magic of David Copperfield XII: The Niagara Falls Challenge (1990) (With special guest Kim Alexis) Filmed at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Orange County, California
* The Magic of David Copperfield XIII: Mystery On The Orient Express (1991) (With special guest Jane Seymour) Filmed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida
* The Magic of David Copperfield XIV: Flying - Live The Dream (1992) (With special guest James Earl Jones) Filmed at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
* The Magic of David Copperfield XV: Fires Of Passion (1993) (With special guest Wayne Gretzky) Filmed in part at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida
* David Copperfield: 15 Years of Magic (1994) (With special guest Claudia Schiffer)
* The Magic of David Copperfield XVI: Unexplained Forces (1995) - Filmed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa Bay, Florida
* David Copperfield: The Great Escapes
* The Magic of David Copperfield XVII: Tornado of Fire (2001) (With special guest Carson Daly) - Filmed in at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee and live tornado stunt performed at Pier 94 in New York City, NY.
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