My experience with David Copperfield
Of all the magicians in the world, only a few have succeeded in creating an admiration among other fellow magicians. And all through my life, I have adored one magician more than any other, David Copperfield. It was during my collage days, way back in 1985, that a friend from abroad gifted me a very special Christmas present, a video cassette named ‘15 Years of David Copperfield’. I went through the tape the very same day as it lead me into a world of excitement, wonder and pure magic. It was the day I stated adoring the great magician David Copperfield. From that day till now, I have witnessed with awe, his spectacular magic several hundred times through DVDs as well as you tube. In him, I found a sense of timing, humor, body language and a love for details that excels any other magician. His magic always delivers an experience that equals the beauty of sweet poetry. His profound ability to explore the limitless possibilities of magic astonished me more than anything.
One of my biggest ambitions was that I should one day meet the greatest magician of my lifetime, David Copperfield. After watching him on screen for 26 years, that dream finally became fruitful during the December of 2011. It was a magical day gifted by my friend Hari Nair on our way to Huston for a magic show. It was Hari Nair who organized my ticket for the show as well as a meeting with the master magician thereafter. I impatiently kept shifting in my seat and occasionally kept pinching myself in disbelief during the trip from Huston to Las Vegas. My dream was about to come true and the excitement was far beyond comparison.
We were staying at MGM Grand, the same hotel that encloses the Hollywood Theater where David Copperfield was performing. From the airport to MGM grand, the billboards on either sides of the road flashed various scenes of the Copperfield show and it certainly didn't help me to hide my excitement. During daytime, we walked the streets of Vegas surrounded by people, mostly intoxicated by alcohol, some excited over their luck and others brooding over their losses at the casinos. By 6.30pm we occupied our table marked A6 in the front row. The stage was so close that we could touch it from our seats. On a simple looking stage, a screen flashed the victory saga of the king of magical entertainment and pretty soon the theater became full. Exactly at 7pm, the much soothing voice of Copperfield echoed the hall. In the short silence between his words, I could hear my heart pounding with excitement. Just when I thought that I could no longer hold back my exhilaration, 21 Emmy Award winning magician, David Copperfield appeared on a motorbike as if by real magic. I couldn't believe my eyes for the first time in my life. There on stage is the man I have seen only on TV screen, with the same walk, voice and naughty smile, armed with the magic to steal everyone’s heart. For the next one and a half hours, the stage filled with magic that words will fail to describe.
After the spellbinding show, as everyone walked out, some occasionally shaking their head refusing to accept what they have just witnessed, a person came to us and asked us to wait for a few minutes. After about 10 minutes, we were invited onto the stage, closer to the master of illusion. Then there followed a little introduction, a chat and photo session. I invited him to India. He acknowledged his interest to come and asked to mail the details.
Who told magicians rarely respect one another? Here is a legend who himself proves to be an admirable model of mutual respect and love, I thought.
As we walked out of the theater, I hugged my friend Hari Nair, thanking him for the wonderful moment he gifted me and behind him, I wiped the tiny tear of joy that somehow escaped irrespective of my earnest effort to prevent it from being seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment