To Dine For with Kate Sullivan

- To me magic isn't about tricking people or fooling people; it's really about involving them.

Making them see infinite possibilities.

If it can inspire, that's the best kind of magic.

KATE SULLIVAN: He's known as a master of illusion.

David Copperfield has wowed audiences the world over.

With his innovative, mesmerizing, performances evoking wonder, offering escape, and constantly pushing the limits of possibility.

DAVID COPPERFIELD: It's about storytelling, it's about accomplishing goals that aren't supposed to happen.

KATE: Mhm.

DAVID COPPERFIELD: Moving the future forward.

If I do that, then I've done my job.

KATE: Today, we're heading to one of his favorite restaurants of all time.

The legendary L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon.

A place that offers not just an awe-inspiring meal, but a truly transformative dining experience.

DAVID: Wow.

KATE: Whoooa.

Ah!

We're here to hear the full story of how David Copperfield, born David Seth Kotkin, became the most successful magician of all time.

A boy from New Jersey who found passion at an early age, and through relentless persistence, brought about a brand of magic the world has never seen.

From flying across stage to walking through the Great Wall of China, his work is really an open invitation to go beyond limits, to pursue the impossible, and to begin by believing in the amazing power of your own magic.

DAVID: I've learned that impossible is temporary.

And those that are willing to think that things are possible, will make them possible.

KATE: What's better in life than a bottle of wine, great food and an amazing conversation?

My name is Kate Sullivan and I am the host of To Dine For .

I'm a journalist, a foodie, a traveler, with an appetite for the stories of people who are hungry for more.

Dreamers.

Visionaries.

Artists.

Those who hustle hard in the direction they love.

I travel with them to their favorite restaurant, to hear how they did it.

This show is a toast to them and their American dream.

KATE: To Dine For with Kate Sullivan is made possible by... ANNOUNCER: There are people in your life who count on you for what matters most.

American National agents are close to home and committed to our communities.

They'll help you find the right coverage for you, your family, even your farm and business.

You can learn more at americannational.com.

KATE SULLIVAN: Today we are in fabulous Las Vegas, on our way into a world-class restaurant: L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon.

I'm meeting one of the most famous magicians of all time.

I can't wait for you to meet David Copperfield.

DAVID COPPERFIELD: Welcome, welcome!

KATE: David!

It's so nice to meet you.

DAVID: Nice to meet you too.

KATE: Thank you for doing this.

DAVID: Thank you so much.

KATE: This is such a treat.

DAVID: My pleasure, my pleasure.

KATE: Wow, and this is your favorite spot.

DAVID: It is!

KATE: L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon.

Amazing.

Shall we go in?

DAVID: Absolutely.

After you.

KATE: Thank you!

L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon is so much more than just a restaurant.

JONATHAN DOUKHAN: I would say that it's more of an experience.

KATE: Executive Chef, Jonathan Doukhan, pours his passion into creating the ultimate dining experience.

From the elegant dcor, an open kitchen layout, to every exquisite bite of food, it is a culinary journey like no other.

And one that masterfully carries on the legacy of the late Jol Robuchon.

For many, Robuchon is regarded as the greatest chef of all time.

In 1989, he was named Chef of the Century by the French travel guide, Gault & Millau.

And in 2016, his restaurant group and upheld an astounding thirty-two Michelin stars.

the most any restaurateur has ever held.

JONATHAN DOUKHAN: He just had an open mind and was always questioning himself what can we do better, always trying to look for the best ingredients possible, and that's really the key.

KATE: Robuchon was known for his relentless attention to detail, especially his meticulous selection of only the highest quality seasonal ingredients.

But perhaps his greatest culinary legacy is the art of simplicity.

An astounding ability to elevate the simplest recipes to other worldly outcomes, and nothing showcases this more than the most famed Robuchon dish... JONATHAN DOUKHAN: The mashed potato.

KATE: Yes!

That's pretty amazing.

JONATHAN: The Robuchon mashed potato.

Yes.

JONATHAN: So the only real ingredients are potatoes, butter, and salt, and I know many people have told me that they've tried it with the potatoes that they buy at the store.

And just as a result, it's not there.

It's- you'll get something really good with that same recipe, but just, you need that quality ingredient.

KATE: From the pursuit of the absolute best produce, to executing each dish with perfection, for Chef Doukhan, continuing the amazing legacy at L'Atelier really boils down to one main ingredient.

JONATHAN: We have to be passionate about what we do, you know.

I just love peoples' reaction, peoples' feedback.

When I see people just like, taste something that we worked hard on and just look at each other and really be amazed by it.

KATE: Today we will be wowed with a taste of the renowned Robuchon magic, starting with a seasonal vegetable salad, served with sweet jam lettuce, mozzarella, and a truffle vinaigrette.

Followed by spaghetti Puttanesca with pine nuts, capers, and olives.

Then, the steak au poivre, made with Wagyu beef, black pepper sauce, chantarelle mushrooms, and served with a side of the famed Robuchon mashed potatoes.

For dessert, a lemongrass, coconut, and ginger sensation.

DAVID: Wow.

KATE: Whoaaa.

DAVID: See?

KATE: There really couldn't be a more perfect place to sit down with David Copperfield.

KATE: I'm gonna put you right here.

DAVID: Thank you so much.

KATE: Fantastic.

KATE: A master of illusion who dazzles audiences with an astounding 640 shows a year, he has set eleven Guinness Records, earned twenty-two television Emmy awards, and was named a "living legend" by the U.S. Library of Congress.

He is now an author, the owner of the largest collection of significant magic memorabilia, and the owner of an exclusive island resort in the Bahamas.

The most commercially successful magician of our time, with a relentless pursuit of excellence to turn his wildest dreams into transformative, awe-inducing experiences, all for the great hope of inspiring his audiences to do the same: to go beyond their limits.

For Copperfield, igniting that spark is when the magic really happens.

KATE: This is a stunning restaurant.

So first of all, thank you for bringing me here.

DAVID COPPERFIELD: My pleasure.

It's great to share something with such excellence.

KATE: There are so many restaurants in Las Vegas.

It really has become a culinary capital.

Why did you choose this restaurant of all the restaurants in Las Vegas?

DAVID: Well first of all, I knew Jol when he was alive.

KATE: Mhm.

DAVID: Um, he used to come to my show, he loved magic, you know.

He loved- he loved having it wash all over him.

You know magic a lot of times, an audience member will either have their arms folded and tryin' to figure stuff out, and the other half of the audience is there for the wonders, there to experience amazing things and he was one of those people.

He just kind of, just let it wash over him, the magic.

And I think that's what made him such an amazing chef, amazing kind of designer of food, designer of experiences.

And I do the same thing with my magic; my magic is very much that experience, and the visuals have to be right, the music has to be right.

You know he- he cared like that for his restaurants.

They're all impeccable, and the food is amazing.

KATE: So you grew up in New Jersey.

How would you describe your childhood?

DAVID: Fairly normal.

My parents were still together, you know, the whole time.

It was so normal that I was afraid I was never gonna have success.

KATE: Hmm.

DAVID: Um, every single one of my idols had horrible lives.

[laughs] DAVID: You know, all the people who did really great work came from a very troubled background.

I was like, am I ever gonna succeed at this because my life is too normal.

My parents love each other, my schooling was a normal schooling, you know, the kids were challenging sometimes but that's like that for everybody.

KATE: Ooo.

The first course.

KATE: Thank you.

DAVID: Look at how beautiful that is.

KATE: Chef, this is gorgeous.

KATE: I'm really fascinated as to how your love of magic really began.

I know that you were really, as young as ten years old, uh, doing magic acts.

But I'm wondering where- what happened?

Where was it that you really said this is something I want to do, this is something I enjoy?

DAVID: I think about trying to find a way to fit in, to feel a- feeling of self-worth.

You know, sports wasn't it for me, you know I could play baseball, but I wasn't as good as the other kids.

Uh I didn't really, um, find my way until I had ventriloquism.

KATE: Hm.

DAVID: You know, there was a guy on TV called Paul Winchell, who was the voice of Tigger in Cartoons- KATE: Okay.

DAVID: He was a ventriloquist, brilliant ventriloquist, he invented the artificial heart.

So he was an inventor too.

Incredible, I wanted to be him.

So my parents bought me a dummy [Kate laughs] which is like this ventriloquist figure.

And I did shows and the kids liked me.

And I said I knew I wasn't gonna be great at this.

So I said, maybe it's the dummy, maybe it's not me.

So we went to New York to find a better dummy, uh, and went to Macy's in New York.

And in Macy's, uh, they had a magic counter- KATE: Mmm.

DAVID: -and the guy named Danny, behind the counter, demonstrated some magic, and I kind of lost interest in ventriloquism and I went into magic.

And that was a transformation moment for me.

I think I felt special, I felt that I had a uh, something that I could really work on, excel in, and it was really easy for me- It's amazing, it came very easy.

I started inventing magic very, very young.

I would go to the library, and I would take out the library book on magic and I'd read the effect, what the audience would see.

But I wouldn't turn the page, cause on the next page it had the solution, the answer, the method behind the illusion.

So I would, um, read the effect and I'd try to think of myself, how I would accomplish that without reading the how-to part.

KATE: Oh, interesting.

And so it began.

By the age of twelve, he published his first magic trick.

And at sixteen, he was teaching magic classes at NYU, and at eighteen, Copperfield dropped out of college to take the lead role in the play, The Magic Man in Chicago.

A show that he created many of the illusions for.

From there, he was tapped to host television specials, each seemingly more impossible than the next, capturing imaginations and catapulting Copperfield to global fame.

KATE: I read that you described yourself as shy and introverted as a child.

Do you still feel that way as an adult?

DAVID: I think a part of me, a part of everybody, has a bit of insecurity, you know, they're searching for a way to to feel good about yourself.

KATE: But you're such a showman.

You're the consummate showman.

And and there's still that part of you that's a little introverted.

DAVID: I think it's true for just about everybody, you know, all the great comedians have, you know, they're hiding some insecurity of trying to overcome that.

I think it forces me to find every detail, to think of every single out strategy for anything that could go wrong or end up, be it right, sorry.

It actually, the insecurities, that uh, I have and we all have, have served me pretty well, you know.

KATE: Ooh that's interesting.

because that's gonna be very inspiring to people.

Because so often anxiety or insecurity holds people back.

But what I'm hearing you say is that you've actually, sort of made it a superpower in the sense that you've allowed you to be so detail oriented.

DAVID: I'm like a laser-beam I look at every little detail and drive my people crazy.

I've got a great crew they watch me make sure everything has to be exactly right.

Cause the audience may not understand it but they'll feel it, they'll feel the detail, they'll feel the level of uh of care behind it.

And with magic, you know, there's so much hard work that goes behind it, the end result has to be effortless has to look like it just happens, you know, by magic.

The audience votes, when they love something, you know you've done something correct.

It's always amazing what they like, things that they like you don't expect them to like.

KATE: Yeah.

DAVID: You overthink things sometimes, you overwrite a script or a piece of magic, and then we edit, edit back.

KATE: You're seeing how the audience responds and going with that.

DAVID: The best teacher in the world, they're really smart, you know, they're very smart, they'll tell you what you need to know.

And for me, you know, I just put enough out there that I get enough feedback, and I rewrite based on what the audience likes and dislikes.

KATE: Thank you.

You just made this appear.

DAVID: That's right.

KATE: Amazing, this looks incredible (laughs).

Wow, it's like the perfect twirl of spaghetti.

CHEF: Enjoy.

DAVID: Beautifully done.

KATE: Simple and beautiful.

Thank you, chef.

Amazing.

KATE: The name of your tour is "Live the Impossible."

What have you learned, after a lifetime of magic, about what is possible?

DAVID: I've learned that impossible is temporary.

KATE: Hm.

DAVID: And those that are willing to... think that things are possible, will make them possible.

KATE: Hmm, the power of the mind.

DAVID: The p- the power of just persistence.

Persistence.

You know in my show I talk about passion, preparation, and persistence being the big secret.

You know, you have to be really passionate about something and that's- for people it's hard to find something that you're really passionate about.

I was lucky to find something that I was, very, very young.

But after that, the preparation is really important.

I had to prepare something amazing and work at every single thing.

And that's not enough.

It's the persistence.

And even today, I have to be persistent to make things happen in a beautiful way.

To make sure it happens, there's so many obstacles against you.

So if you do those three things, it- it's worked for me.

KATE: It certainly has worked for you.

When you were first starting out, where did the persistence come in for you?

DAVID: There's obstacles every day.

You know, to this day... KATE: To this day?

DAVID: To this day, yeah.

KATE: But you're one of the most successful, not only magicians, but really, public figures and celebrities of all time.

DAVID: Thank you, well.

KATE: And you still get rejection.

DAVID: All the time.

KATE: Really?

DAVID: That's inspiring (laughs).

KATE: It is inspiring!

KATE: Mm.

DAVID: (laughs) Worth waiting for.

KATE: Wow.

That's a mouthful of heaven.

DAVID: (laughs) Pretty great.

KATE: That is delicious.

DAVID: Everybody, that I admire, still has obstacles- KATE: Hm.

DAVID: -to overcome to the very twilight of their career.

Still the same.

KATE: Yeah and- but no one talks about them, do they?

It's- it's easy to talk about them at the beginning because we all have them, but, I think, you know, the fact that you said that you still get rejections in different forms and fashions I mean, it's just part of life.

DAVID: If you do something unique or original- KATE: Mhm.

DAVID: -you're gonna find, you know, there's challenges.

I thought, I did my second or third TV special and it was really hard.

It was horrible getting permission, it was the Statue of Liberty, and uh really really lot of sleepless nights and crying on the floor in a fetal position.

Oh, the- the whole thing getting permission was hard, doing it was hard.

You know, affording it was hard.

You know, cause if you're doing something that's unique or different or groundbreaking, every single time is-is-it's a challenge.

The end result is glorious.

I call it "glorious torture."

KATE: The disappearing act of the Statue of Liberty was an example of Copperfield's "glorious torture."

A television special from 1984 that is still marveled about today.

A project that took Copperfield all the way to the office of President Ronald Reagan, to campaign for permission to work at the Statue of Liberty.

A true feat in the art of illusion and the art of persistence.

DAVID: You know, I really enjoy doing things that are really, really difficult.

And if you look at all of my career, it's always been about challenges, doing things that aren't supposed to work.

KATE: So that's what you're talking about when you're talking about limitless; it's really letting go of practicality and letting your mind think beyond what is possible and-and-and then going and having the courage to pursue that.

DAVID: And you know, it's not what's possible, it's like, it's the stuff that hasn't been done.

You have to really, really want something very, very badly and be willing to work hard, and have people look at you like, like you're crazy [laughs].

[Kate laughs] DAVID: But it's worth it.

You know, it is worth it.

KATE: What is it like being the man behind the green curtain?

Knowing, you know something that the audience doesn't, right?

And, as you said, you're trying to lead them into... a new realm of being, a new realm of possibility.

What is that experience like for you personally?

DAVID: It's a great opportunity for me.

I-I really uh, it's an honor for me to take the audience and make them think about life differently.

KATE: Hm.

DAVID: To me, magic isn't about tricking people or fooling people.

It's really about involving them.

Making them see infinite possibilities.

If it can inspire, that's the best kind of magic.

For the past thirty years, Copperfield has amassed the largest collection of magic memorabilia and housed it all in a secret museum in Las Vegas, open by invitation only.

The museum contains all of the stories and all of the secrets of the great magicians whose shoulders he stands on.

And this year, he put all of those stories into a book, an offering of his lifelong passion and another chance to inspire.

DAVID: Pretty awesome.

KATE: Incredible.

This is the Wagyu beef?

JONATHAN DOUKHAN: This is American Wagyu beef.

Tenderloin, filet mignon.

KATE: Ah, incredible.

Delicious.

JONATHAN: And of course- KATE: Aaah!

The famous mashed potatoes.

Jonathan: Bon apptit.

KATE: Thank you.

DAVID: You will love it.

KATE: I'm gonna start with the potatoes [laughs].

Ah.

DAVID: How is it?

It's heaven.

KATE: Heaven.

Wow.

That's incredible.

DAVID: Isn't it amazing the skill and the artistry when something's done really, really well- KATE: Yes.

DAVID: -it's... they can, put it into a book, they can tell you how to do it, you can watch it on a show, but this, there's a nuance about it that makes it different.

KATE: What do you want people to take from your journey just the way you have learned so much from some of the greats that have come before you?

DAVID: For me it's about taking what I do in, in their own lives.

You don't have to be magicians to get something out of my show.

It's about storytelling, it's about accomplishing goals that aren't supposed to happen.

KATE: Mmm.

DAVID: Moving the future forward; if I do that, then, I've done my job.

KATE: Accomplishing goals that aren't supposed to happen.

KATE: David Copperfield works harder today than he ever has.

His daily shows at the MGM Grand keep him working year-round.

Six hundred plus shows a year.

He is constantly working on his act, refining it, and pushing the boundaries of what he has done in the past.

DAVID: Right now, I'm working with physicists and scientists to do real stuff that's impossible.

That's what I'm doing.

KATE: So not magic?

DAVID: You know, it's- you can put up the Arthur C. Clarke quote, you know, "Every new piece of science, technology is indistinguishable from magic."

KATE: Hm.

DAVID: I've been prototyping the future my entire career.

I've been prototyping possibilities that shouldn't exist and making them look- look very real on stage.

Sometimes they are real.

I'm working with people who are just Nobel Prize Winners to try to make magical events happen for real, that can help push humanity forward.

KATE: And as mysterious as that statement is, it was matched by the mystery of our final course.

A lemongrass, coconut, and ginger dessert that appears to be a bowl full of rocks.

But wait.

DAVID: Wow.

KATE: Woooah.

DAVID: See?

KATE: Ah!

DAVID: Okay.

You can take over my show.

[laughing] KATE: This is just for you, David.

DAVID: Get ready.

KATE: Wow.

That is amazing.

DAVID: Add a fan machine, a wind machine, you've got my specials.

It's easy.

KATE: We're living the impossible, right here.

DAVID: We are doing that.

KATE: So we will eat these rocks?

DAVID: I don't know.

KATE: (laughs).

DAVID: We supposed to eat these rocks?

KATE: I'm-I'm assuming so.

Part of this- (laughs).

DAVID: Oh Jol, Talk to me.

Rocks for food?

Okay.

KATE: I'm assuming part of it is edible.

DAVID: Okay, I'm gonna go with this one first.

KATE: Alright.

DAVID: Yep.

Ah, look at that.

KATE: I-I hope we can eat these.

I hope the joke isn't on us.

DAVID: Mm (laughs) that's pretty great.

KATE: Oh, mm.

DAVID: But see- but see that?

That's great right?

That experience is great.

DAVID: So I live for that, I live to give that gift in my show, to watch people go (gasps).

KATE: Yeah.

DAVID: And that, that's my joy.

This is great to have it happen to me.

KATE: We talked about the concept of magic, and we've talked about entertainment.

But there's really another element to your acts and that is escapism.

And how people of all societies need a moment where they can forget about whatever troubles them.

And they can be completely immersed in another world.

DAVID: That's my goal, to take people and transport them away from all the challenges the world gives them.

I look at the audience and they really need to be there, it's funny.

You know, I'm just a guy from New Jersey tryin' to do my show.

But they look at you like "please take me away, please transport me."

And magic's the most profound escape because it's really taking Mother Nature and turning her upside down.

KATE: Right.

DAVID: And so, uh, it's a real good responsibility.

KATE: But do you think of yourself as just the guy from New Jersey?

Because you have led such a glamorous, exciting, adventurous, life.

Do you still think of yourself as just the guy from New Jersey?

DAVID: I do.

I'm a guy from New Jersey.

[chuckles] You know, and I think, ah, I know a lot of people that really believe the result of their hard work and usually it's a career ender.

But you can't take it for granted, you can't think you deserve it, ever you know?

I do shows and I work really hard at my shows.

But all the people that really have lasted think of themselves as the kid from New Jersey or the kid from the Bronx or from Cleveland, they remember that.

KATE: Mhm.

DAVID: And that keeps them grounded and it keeps you creatively moving forward, not, you know- keeps you hungry.

KATE: Keeps you hungry.

DAVID: Yeah.

Speaking of this.

I'm pretty full right now.

KATE: That's such an important part of this.

And that's what I'm getting from your story is that if you didn't have that quality, right, if you were a great magician who could do one act and keep doing it and doing it and doing it, that not only would ultimately fail but b) you personally wouldn't be satisfied because you wouldn't be moving the ball forward creatively.

DAVID: It would fail for me if I did the same thing over and over again.

If I wasn't growing.

KATE: When people hear the name David Copperfield, the magician, what do you want them to think?

DAVID: Somebody that's... pursuing excellence.

Yeah.

And hopefully doing amazing things.

Hopefully inspiring people to make the future better.

That would be it.

KATE: Cheers to you, cheers to that!

KATE: Cheers to a fantastic meal at a legendary restaurant.

It's now showtime, and we take a short walk through the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, one of the largest hotels in the world, to the David Copperfield Theater, his home away from home.

KATE: I'm really curious as to what advice you would give to a young magician.

DAVID: Listen.

Listen to the audience, listen to people who are directing you.

Always pay attention and listen.

KATE: Mm.

And learn what you can from how they respond.

DAVID: And you can get some of these.

KATE: Twenty-one Emmys [laughs].

[claps] KATE: I know you have to start your show very soon but I am so grateful for this time.

Thank you so much, David.

DAVID: My pleasure, my pleasure.

KATE: My meal with David Copperfield was in one word: magical.

David is clearly a true visionary and a master of illusion who has spent a lifetime pursuing a niche subject and redefining it for the world.

The funny thing is, the secret to his success is so grounded in reality.

That if you believe in the impossible and work tirelessly to achieve it, you in fact, create your own magic, your own luck, and your own possibilities.

KATE: If you would like to know more about the guests, the restaurants, and the inspiring stories of success, please visit todinefortv.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram at To Dine For TV.

We also have a podcast, To Dine For the podcast is available on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

To Dine For with Kate Sullivan is made possible by... ANNOUNCER: There are people in your life who count on you for what matters most.

American National agents are close to home and committed to our communities.

They'll help you find the right coverage for you, your family, even your farm and business.

You can learn more at americannational.com.