David Copperfield Biography

David Copperfield Biography

Posted by Unknown  |  at  10:31

Biography

david_copperfield Born in New Jersey as David Seth Kotkin, Copperfield began practicing magic at the age of twelve, and became the youngest person ever admitted to the Society of American Magicians. By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at New York University. At age 18, he enrolled at Fordham University, and was cast in the lead role of the Chicago-based musical The Magic Man (directed by Holland, MI's John Tammi) three weeks into his freshman year, adopting his new stage name "David Copperfield" from the Charles Dickens book of the same name. At age 19, he was headlining at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii.

David Copperfield played the character of Ken the magician in the 1980 horror film Terror Train. He also made an uncredited appearance in the 1994 film Prêt-à-Porter. Most of his media appearances have been through television specials and guest spots on television programs. His illusions have included making the Statue of Liberty "disappear", "flying", "levitating" over the Grand Canyon, and "walking through" the Great Wall of China.

In 1982, Copperfield founded Project Magic, a rehabilitation program to help disabled patients regain lost or damaged dexterity skills by using sleight-of-hand magic as a method of physical therapy. The program has been accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association, and is in use in over 1100 hospitals throughout 30 countries worldwide.

Copperfield was engaged to the supermodel Claudia Schiffer, but the couple parted ways in 1999 after a six-year relationship.

David Copperfield at one time was ready to open a theme restaurant called "Magic Underground." There were to be two locations, one in New York City and one in Walt Disney World (built in the shape of a Hidden Mickey). These locations would allow "D.A.V.I.D" (Digital Audio-Video Interface Device) to remotely interact with the guests in the restaurant. It was basically a high tech videophone system. Other things such as the very table you were sitting at might "Float" around the room and even the waiters were to be involved performing magic as they brought your order to you. Eventually the New York project ran into trouble and the Walt Disney World location was aborted.

In 1996, Copperfield joined forces with Dean Koontz, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury and others for "David Copperfield’s Tales of the Impossible," an anthology of original fiction set in the world of magic and illusion. A second volume was later published in 1997, called "David Copperfield's Beyond Imagination."

Copperfield has also attempted to preserve the history of the art of magic for present and future generations by providing a safe, permanent home for antiquarian props, books, and other historical ephemera related to conjuring. His vast collection, known as the International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, is housed in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Forbes Magazine reported that Copperfield earned $57 million in 2003, making him the tenth highest paid celebrity in the world. It also estimated that he made $57 million in 2004 (35th) and $57 million in 2005 (41st) in merchandise and tour revenue. Copperfield performs over 500 shows per year throughout the world.

According to Copperfield's official website, his tour schedule shows that throughout December 2007 he will perform at the MGM Hollywood Theater every night.

Achievements and Awards

David Copperfield's success has been recognized by a number of awards. The illusionist has been nominated 35 times for Emmy Awards and has won 21 times.

The Guinness Book of World Records has calculated that he has sold more tickets in his career than any other solo entertainer. Other Guinness World Records held by Copperfield include being the most awarded magician in history and being the first living magician to receive a star on the Hollywood 'Walk of Fame'.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London created a wax likeness of Copperfield.

David Copperfield has a French knighthood, received the Living Legend Award from the Library of Congress and appears on postage stamps in 6 countries.

He is the founder of The International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, the largest museum of its kind.

He starred in “Dreams and Nightmares," the Broadway show that set box-office records, including the most tickets sold in a week. He has been featured on the cover of Forbes, Architectural Digest, and Esquire.

David Copperfield Big Scale Magic

* Making a Lear Jet vanishdavid_copperfield_
* Causing the Statue of Liberty to disappear and reappear
* Escaping from a locked cell on Alcatraz
* Passing through the Great Wall of China
* Vanishing a train car
* Vanishing the Orient Express
* Flying on stage
* Survive from F2 Tornado of Fire
* Escaping from a burning raft before it plunged over Niagra Falls
* Challenging the Bermuda Triangle
* Teleporting anywhere in the blink of an eye
* Levitated a Ferarri
* Floated across the Grand Canyon
* Performing Laser Illusion, Death Saw
* And many more

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David Blaine Biography

David Blaine Biography

Posted by Unknown  |  at  10:19

david_blaine_003.jpeg David Blaine (born David Blaine White on April 4, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American illusionist and stunt performer. He made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic.

Early Life

His father was half Puerto Rican and his mother, Patrice Maureen White, was of Russian Jewish origin. Blaine grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He moved to New Jersey and attended Passaic Valley Regional High School in Little Falls. David Blaine was raised and adopted by his stepfather John A. Bukalo, and his legal name was changed to David Blaine Bukalo. He has a half-brother from his mother's marriage to John, named Michael James Bukalo.



Career

Television specials
David Blaine began his career by bringing street magic to the public, performing card tricks and illusions such as levitating and bringing dead flies back to life. His first television appearance was on Conan O'Brien, where he also performed card tricks, and promoted his Street Magic special. He used a small camera crew to record his act live in front of everyday people providing the basis for his television specials, David Blaine: Street Magic and David Blaine: Magic Man.

His first television special, David Blaine: Street Magic revolutionized the way magic is performed and portrayed on television.With its strong focus on spectators' reactions and showmanship, Blaine entertained unsuspecting pedestrians with standard sleight of hand magic props such as coins, cigarettes and a deck of cards.

Burried Alive

Main Article: Buried Alive

On April 5, 1999, Blaine began a stunt called "Buried Alive". He was entombed in an underground plastic box underneath a 3-ton water-filled tank for seven days.

An estimated 75,000 people visited the site on Manhattan's Upper West Side where Blaine was buried in a 6-foot-deep hole in the sidewalk. He was in a cramped plastic coffin offering six inches of headroom and two inches on each side.

He ate nothing and drank only two to three tablespoons of water a day. He emerged on April 13 after 7 days in the coffin.


Frozen in Time

Main Article: Frozen in Time

On November 27, 2000, Blaine began a stunt called "Frozen in Time," which was covered on a TV special. Blaine stood encased in a closet of ice located in Times Square, New York. He was lightly dressed and seen to be shivering even before the blocks of ice were sealed around him. A tube supplied him with air and water while his urine was removed with another tube. He was encased in the box of ice for 63 hours, 42 minutes and 15 seconds before being removed with chain saws. The ice was transparent and resting on an elevated platform to show that he was actually inside the ice the entire time. He was removed from the ice in an obviously dazed and disoriented state, wrapped in blankets and taken to the hospital immediately because doctors feared he might be going into shock. Blaine said in the documentary follow-up to this feat that it took "a month" before he was able to walk again and that he had no plans to ever again attempt a stunt of this difficulty.

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Criss Angel Biography

Criss Angel Biography

Posted by Unknown  |  at  10:15

criss_angel_001.jpg Criss Angel was born on December 19, 1967, raised in Long Island, New York and is of Greek descent. Angel grew up loving music, had a love for playing drums, and has always had an interest in magic. His parents are John and Dimitra Sarantakos. His mother hails from Mystra, Greece. He has two brothers, Costa and JD, as well as two cats, Minx and Hammie (short for Hamlet). One of Criss's biggest influences has been his father, who died from stomach cancer.

According to his interview with Larry King before Halloween in 2007 he was an altar boy in the Greek Orthodox Church as he was growing up, and he still believes strongly in God.

Criss Angel first became interested in magic at the age of 6, when his Aunt Stella showed him a magic trick. Two of his biggest magic influences are Harry Houdini and Aldo Richiardi. As a teenager, Angel performed at birthday parties, at night clubs, at home to entertain his family, and at private events. Early in his magic career, magician James Randi designed Angel's professional business card.

Angel played in an Industrial music band called AngelDust with friend Klayton Scott (Celldweller, Argyle Park) who produced, co-wrote, and helped arrange the music for his show, Mindfreak.

He married, in 2002, JoAnn Winkhart, an actress and daughter of Richard Winkhart; his wife filed for divorce in June 2007.

Magic Carreer

Angel performed World Of Illusion at Madison Square Garden in 1998. Criss then scored an off Broadway show titled "Criss Angel Mindfreak," which ran up until January 6, 2003 following a run of 600 performances at The World in The World Underground Theater in Times Square. He also starred in several television specials.

Criss Angel won the Academy of Magical Arts' Magician of the Year award in 2005 and the IMS Magician of the year in 2001 and 2004.

He has even revealed the methods for many of his tricks to viewers at home on TV and in videos, although the effects revealed are usually very simple such as making a toothpick disappear, picking a pocket, or making a Styrofoam cup float. Angel discusses magic and his life in Mindfreak: Secret Revelations (published April 24, 2007), which became a Los Angeles Times best seller.

Angel is scheduled to appear in a new illusion-based Cirque du Soleil production at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, with an expected opening date in August 2008. Although the countdown clock featured on Angel's official website continues to point to later and later dates. As of 1/8/07, the clock is counting down to September 30, 2008. Angel has recently stated that there are plans for this attraction to run for 10 years, including 4,600 shows with a possible 5 year renewal option of his contract.

In July 2007, NBC signed Angel and Uri Geller for Phenomenon, a show airing on October 24 that searches for the next great mentalist. Angel does not believe Geller has any paranormal abilities.

On the Penn Jillette Radio show, hosted by a fellow magician, Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller, Criss Angel stated that he does not have supernatural abilities, nor does he believe that anyone has supernatural abilities.

Other projects

Angel was the featured guest star on CSI: NY on February 28, 2007 in an episode titled "Sleight Out of Hand" as the character of Luke Blade, a famous magician whose assistants die in unusual ways that are strangely related to the illusions he performs in the episode. In the episode, he performed three illusions (being sawed in half, being set on fire, and a version of his "Submerged" illusion).

criss_angel_004.jpg Angel's more notable television appearances include but are not limited to Las Vegas, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as VH1's Rock Honors Awards performing and introducing legendary Honoree Ozzy Osbourne. In June 2007, Angel appeared on the cover of the DUB Magazine. He also appeared on CNN's Larry King Live on July 12, 2007 and October 30, 2007. On June 8, 2007, he stated on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson that Richiardi was one of his greatest influences.

Starting in October 2007 he appeared as a judge on "Phenomenon," and in a CNN interview about the show he told Larry King "no one has the ability, that I'm aware of, to do anything supernatural, psychic, talk to the dead. And that was what I said I was going to do with "Phenomenon." If somebody goes on that show and claims to have supernatural psychic ability, I'm going to bust them live and on television."

On the October 31, 2007 episode of the reality show Phenomenon, Paranormalist Jim Callahan performed a summoning, purportedly of author Raymond Hill, to help discover the contents of a locked box. Although fellow judge Uri Geller praised the performance, Angel called it "comical" and subsequently challenged both Callahan and Geller to guess the contents of two envelopes he pulled out of his pocket, offering a million dollars of his own money to whomever could do so. This led to an argument between Callahan and Angel, during which Callahan accused Angel of being an "ideological bigot", and after Angel rose from his chair and approached Callahan, the two were pulled apart as the show promptly went to a commercial break. Angel has since revealed the contents of one envelope and at the unveiling he challenged Geller one more time. Geller unsuccessful, and the envelope was revealed to contain an index card with the numbers "911" printed on it for September 11, 2001. Criss' explanation was this "if on 9-10 somebody could have predicted that 9-11 was going to happen, they could have saved millions of lives". The other envelope's contents will be revealed on the first episode of Season 4 of Criss Angel: Mindfreak.

Criss has just signed for a film version of the depression-era comic strip Mandrake The Magician. Written by Lee Falk, the story centers on a magician with hypnotic powers and a penchant for fighting mad scientists and criminal king-pins. Criss' role is Mandrake's father. He will be in estedica for the entire movie. Mandrake will start shooting in March of this year.

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