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What Might Have Been: Copperfield and Disney Team

 

Lady Liberty to Greet Diners

You will be greeted by the visage of Lady Liberty as you push through the throng of expectant diners crowding the foyer of David Copperfield’s Magic Underground.

The location is perfect for the theme restaurant at the corner of Broadway and 49th (about a block off Time Square) in the city so nice they repeated its name.

Mr. Copperfield’s partner is perfect for this type of creative and imaginative venture: Walt Disney Studios and David Copperfield and food! It does not get much better than this unless you can have Minnie perform close-up while feeding you peeled grapes like a harem girl.

Wow! Where did that come from? Sorry. I don’t really even like grapes and I’ve never dressed like a harem girl, per se.

The restaurant’s facade contains cracks and evidence of incredible structural pressure courtesy of the Disney Imagineering Crew. Mr. Copperfield wanted the interior to look like an 1880′s New York waterfront warehouse containing parts of the Statue of Liberty. Disney wanted it to be the first of many Magic Underground restaurants around the US and then the world.

Unfortunately, the chain of Copperfield’s Magic Underground never came to pass. Construction began on the first location at Broadway and 49th but was abandoned before the doors could open to the first customer.

Jim Hill Media has a wonderful photo essay on the started but uncompleted venue. He promises we’ll read why Disney and Mr. Copperfield abandoned the project in later issues of his fascinating website. Check out the story of what could have been by visiting his website.

Continue reading What Might Have Been: Copperfield and Disney Team

June 9th, 2005 | Category: Magic News | Leave a comment

Mike Clarke’s Motivational Magic

 

Mike Clarke

Bristol, England magician Mike Clarke brought together his skills and interests in forming his new show to entertain and educate the children of Bristol with his brand new show ?The Magic Inside.? The show uses magic to interest the children and talk with them about a variety of motivational subjects

Mr. Clarke has worked as a professional amongst us since 1996 and loves his work. His current offering brings stories about Thomas Edison, Harry Houdini, and Albert Einstein as well as personal stories all relating to the magic effects he presents. Mr. Clarke urges his audiences to not give up, learn from their mistakes, say no to drugs, and to set goals during the 40 minute assembly program.

“I love doing this show,” says the young (he’s 27) Mr. Clarke. “It energizes me every time I present it. I have to be an up, positive person in order to do my job correctly. I’ve written the show so that school children can hear positive messages more often than they currently do. Every time the kids turn on the television or radio, or pick up a paper, they’re told their generation is going to be worse off than the previous.”

Mr. Clarke argues against these negative messages. “I strongly disagree ? there is opportunity everywhere we look. Where else could someone make a good living presenting magic shows? Times are good and Britain is the best place on earth to be.”

Mr. Clarke is one of the southwestern UK’s leading family magicians and he’s recently written a book to help anyone planning an event of any kind. He is currently booking shows for the fall and seeks to motivate schools interested in signing-up with a discount of fifty percent to the first ten schools signing up.
Continue reading Mike Clarke’s Motivational Magic

June 9th, 2005 | Category: Magic News | Leave a comment