David Copperfield Delivers the Gooods

It’s that time of year. The wonder of Christmas. The miracle of the Hanukkah lights. The magic of David Copperfield.

Halloween may spring more readily to mind as the holiday most associated with the mysterious art of illusion, but at the end of “The Magic Is Back,” Copperfield makes it snow.

The white stuff--bubbles, actually--pours liberally first from a scarf, and then from the master magician’s fingertips. As the maestro himself is wont to say, “That was a goood trick!”

Copperfield, arguably the most famous and accomplished magician ever, opened a five-night stand Monday to an enthusiastic, overflow crowd at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Although he tested the audience’s faith by starting almost a half-hour late, once he sauntered onstage--part rock star, part bantering show host, part sentimental dreamer--all was forgiven. And then he showed why.

In a generous, two-hour performance of 17 illusions, Copperfield proved an extraordinary showman. His “tricks” are truly astounding, and they are rendered with unparalleled theatricality.

Sumptuous lighting, sweeping music, gorgeous women and Copperfield’s own wry, understated sense of humor add up to a show that goes way beyond expectations.

No rabbits, no hats. Instead: several illusions of bodies severed, with the separate body parts on opposite sides of the stage, waving to each other; a Kreskin-esque prediction of what randomly selected audience members would contribute to a wall graffiti; three really mind-boggling vanishing tricks, one in which Copperfield and his assistant trade places on stage instantaneously, another in which they walk through an enormous fan and appear out in the middle of the audience; and a couple of occult-ish sequences involving levitation and the spirits of the not-quite-departed.

Not everything, however, is high tech. Copperfield honors his roots in some devilishly simple-looking sleight-of-hand when he does the old interlocking rings trick, only instead of using his own props the way a street conjurer might do, he makes his magic with three rings taken at random from the audience.

He also pays homage to his grandfather, whom he credits with inspiring his career, by performing the card trick the old man taught him. As with all the intimate illusions, Copperfield’s long, expressive hands are captured on camera and projected onto a large screen so that nothing is missed.

The only thing we don’t get to see is how it’s all done, except in one comic sequence in which the onstage volunteer is the only person who can’t figure out where the egg goes when Copperfield lofts it behind her to his exuberant stage assistant.

There’s an overriding intelligence to “The Magic Is Back” that flavors not only the witty “which-came-first” chicken-egg sequence, but also wants to persuade us to believe that what can be dreamed can be realized.

Copperfield caps his show by flying, and by then, the persuasion of possibilities is so complete that this reviewer looked at him floating around up there, weightless and carefree, and forgetting wires and gimmicks and tech crew and all, thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful!?!”

Now, that’s a goood trick.

* “David Copperfield: The Magic Is Back,” Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Today and Thursday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., Friday at 2, 5:30 and 8:30p.m. Ends Friday. $15-$39.50. $7 discount for children 12 and under for all matinees. (714) 740-2000 or (213) 480-3232. Running time: 2 hours.