There was a time not so very long ago when the touring illusion show was a staple of American popular theatre and master magicians like Heller, Kellar, Thurston, Blackstone and Houdini were as well known as vapid film and pop music stars are today. These days the list of touring illusionists is pretty much reduced to one ‚ David Copperfield. And while he incorporates lasers, video, and other trappings of 21st century life into his effects, Copperfield is nevertheless the latest ‚ and possibly last ‚ in a long and distinguished line of performers apparently working miracles live, on stage, without computer animation.
That's why a Copperfield production is always worth seeing even when, as was the case this past Friday at the Fox, it's not quite up to the performer's usual high standards. The show started over twenty minutes late ‚ unusual even for the Fox, where held curtains have become increasingly common lately. When it finally did start, it took a while to get off the ground; pacing was slow and timing slightly off, and more than once Copperfield seemed to be simply vamping, stretching out less than stellar (and often rather juvenile) jokes to the breaking point. There were also fewer numbers than usual, leading me to suspect that some key pieces of apparatus had malfunctioned ‚ possibly those involved in his signature piece "Flying", which was conspicuous by its absence.
That said, most of the effects that were presented were stunners. The centerpiece of the evening, the "Portal" that gives the show its title, involves apparently transporting Copperfield and a volunteer from the Fox Theatre to the island of Bali, where we see them appear on the beach via a live video feed, and then bringing the magician back again to appear in the middle of the audience. It's a complex trick, with multiple bits of evidence (apparently assembled from randomly chosen audience members) transported to Bali as well, but the most impressive part of it for me was the actual disappearance, which takes place on a thin metal platform extended out over the heads of the first few rows of the audience. There's no apparent place for them to go except - well - Bali.
There's also a baffling effect in which Copperfield appears to have predicted six two-digit numbers chosen by randomly selected audience members, along with personal details about those audience members; an illusion in which the magician appears to not just penetrate but actually float upwards through a steel plate; the disappearance of thirteen audience members, who reappear seconds later at the rear of the house; a creepy card trick involving a live scorpion; and the return of the ever-popular Webster the Duck. In short, even when he's not at his best, David Copperfield still provides and evening of entertainment and wonder.
David Copperfield's Portal tour played the Fox Theatre this past weekend [April 19 - 21, 2002]. For information on this and future tours, check out his web site at dcopperfield.com. For information on what's next at the Fox, call 314-534-1111 or visit their web site at fabulousfox.com.