David Copperfield, a man of magic and wonder, still has a few more tricks up his sleeve, plus a few jokes.

Asked "What is the difference between a magician and an illusionist?" he responded in an e-mail, "If you call yourself an illusionist, you get paid 20 percent more."

Copperfield's tricks will outshine his comedy Tuesday in "David Copperfield: An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion," which will be presented twice at Sangamon Auditorium in Springfield.

Copperfield began magic at an early age in his hometown of Metuchen, N.J. Though he was once a young ventriloquist, Copperfield found more satisfaction in magic.

"For me, being an illusionist has given me opportunities I could have only dreamed about. There really is nothing else I would rather have been," Copperfield said.

In the past, Copperfield has performed such illusions as making an airplane disappear in front of spectators and levitating across the Grand Canyon. He has also escaped from Alcatraz prison.

One of his greatest stunts was making the Statue of Liberty disappear before a live audience and a worldwide home television audience of 50 million, according to his Web site.

Copperfield said much of his new material comes from his dreams. He added he had new ideas he wanted to try, including putting a woman's face on Mount Rushmore, straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa and vanishing the moon.

"So, it looks like I have a busy schedule ahead of me," Copperfield said, noting the illusion of flying he has done took seven years to create.

Though flying is not a part of this show, he's offering a number of unique illusions.

In "Reunion," Copperfield takes a person who has longed to be reunited with a loved one and transports them across the globe to wherever the person's "dream" location is.

Copperfield will also perform a small feat by squeezing himself into a "bite-sized piece that could fit into a Prada shoe box."

"The Lottery" involves the entire audience as Copperfield shares his secret technique for predicting the winning numbers of the "The Lottery."

"Some of my favorite moments of the show are the interaction with the audience. And, oftentimes, this creates some of the more entertaining moments of the night, too," Copperfield said.

"Magic has certainly made my life very special and allowed me the chance to make many of my dreams a reality onstage."

WHAT: David Copperfield: An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion.

WHEN: 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21.

WHERE: Sangamon Auditorium, University of Illinois at Springfield.

TICKETS: $42.50, $37.50, $32.50 at the ticket office, 1-800-207-6960 or online at www.sangamonauditorium.org.

ON THE WEB: www.dcopperfield.com.

Alicia Spates can be reached at aspates@;herald-review.com or 421-6986.