Mishap at David Copperfield Show

Magic can be dangerous.

“During an illusion where David attempts to walk through the rotating blades of a 12-foot high industrial fan, the fan and its platform were being rotated by one of David’s illusion technicians,” a rep for the show told Usmagazine.com. “Just prior to David himself walking through the fan, [the assistant] was accidentally pulled into the vortex of the moving fan blades, causing injury to his arm and face.”

The incident was first reported by US Weekly.

The assistant, named Brandon (his last name is being withheld for his privacy), required extensive surgery to his arm and face, said the rep.

An audience member who attended Copperfield’s “An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion” told Usmagazine.com that “blood was everywhere, and the other assistants dragged the victim back.”

An eyewitness adds: “One of the assistants dropped to the floor. The curtain came down partially. Blood was everywhere, and the other assistants dragged the victim back. Then the curtain closed all the way.”

Shortly after, “Copperfield came out and said, ‘We have an emergency and we might have to end the show…please give me two minutes.’ He came back a minute later and said, ‘I’m sorry, the show is over…if you want your money back, refunds will be given,” says the audience member.

So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy — who happened to be in the audience that night — calls the moment “shocking.

“Everyone around me thought it was a joke; part of the show,” she was quoted . “But from my vantage point I could see clearly how serious it was. I pray that he is all right.”

According to Copperfield’s rep, Brandon is still in the hospital.

“The show will go on thanks to David’s amazing, hard-working crew, after rehearsing all day to fill in for Brandon,” Copperfield’s rep says.

“Many people assume that the death-defying illusions I do on stage are not dangerous,” Copperfield was quoted. “This unfortunate accident shows that couldn’t be further from the truth, and we’re just thankful that Brandon’s injuries weren’t worse.”

Copperfield’s 90-minute show, “An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion,” is scheduled to run through January.

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Tags: accident, brandon, can, copperfield, dance, david, fan, mary, mgm, mishap, murphy, performance, so, the, think, you