Renowned magician David Copperfield held a Q&A on Reddit about a week ago. Here's what it's like to be him.
On doing two shows a night:
"I get a lot of energy from the audience. Fifteen shows a week is a lot, though. On the plus side, it allows for an amazing creative process. We constantly try out new material and new illusions in performances, and very quickly we find out what works and what doesn't."
On performing the same shows every night:
"To be honest, I've been guilty of [getting tired of performing the same routine]. Which is why putting new magic in the show — new illusions — is extremely exciting. At any one moment, my team and I are working on 20 new pieces, so we're constantly involved in the creative process and trying new things. Every show, though, is a bit different. The audience changes everything."
On his preshow ritual:
"I brush my teeth with a Sonicare toothbrush before every show."
On getting injured while performing:
"Most noteworthy was a show where I was doing a rope trick and using a really sharp pair of scissors. I wasn't being careful, and I wasn't looking, and I cut off the tip of my finger. When I looked down, the tip of my finger was sitting on top of the scissors. There was blood everywhere. I looked to the audience and said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I think I cut my finger off.' They began to applaud — they thought it was part of the show. I got rushed to the hospital, and Mike Tyson's plastic surgeon sewed it back on. It looks perfect today, thankfully! The ironic thing, I went over Niagara Falls in a raft, I hung over burning spikes, I escaped from an imploding building, but I try a simple rope trick, and I end up in the hospital."
On the most magical thing he owns:
"An island."
0 Comments