I Can Make You Disappear Trivia Quiz

Answer: David Devant

Do you want to know how the trick was done? A black tube was placed on the back of the woman's costume. A mechanism connected the costume, which hung from wire supports in the shoulders, to the tube. Responding on cue, the woman covered her face with the wings of the costume and disappeared through a trap door in the floor beneath her.

The costume, still hanging by the wires, gave the audience the illusion that the woman was still on stage. With the tug of a cord, the costume collapsed into the black tube and disappeared through the trap door. Presto! The lady vanishes.

Answer: Proteus Cabinet

In 1865 John Henry Pepper created an illusion that used the Proteus Cabinet and the clever positioning of mirrors. The trick goes like this: a cabinet with open doors is wheeled onstage and appears to be empty except for a central post. The doors are closed then reopened to reveal a boy who has suddenly appeared, after which he moves on stage towards the audience.

After the audience applauds, the boy returns to the cabinet and closes the doors. Once they're opened again the boy has disappeared. The trick's success involves the use of two mirrors hinged to inside walls. Once the mirrors are pushed flat, the backs of the mirrors match the hinged walls.

In order to disappear, the boy pushes the mirrors toward the post, hiding behind them.

Answer: Harry Kellar

Kellar was so good at what he did he even performed for Queen Victoria. His rope tying stunts were one of many illusions in his bag of tricks. His most famous illusion was to seemingly grow a real rose tree right in front of the audience. Kellar knew how good he was and once remarked about himself: "A brass band playing at full blast could march openly across the stage behind me, followed by a herd of elephants, yet no one will realize that they went by."

Answer: David Copperfield

David Copperfield, born David Kotkin, is known for his spectacular stage productions. The disappearing Lady Liberty involved a seated audience and the clever positioning of curtains and use of lighting. Although Copperfield never revealed how he did the illusion, a possible explanation can be found on various websites.

In a nutshell, the Statue of Liberty momentarily disappeared behind the curtains because the audience, both seated and watching at home, wasn't aware that the stage had actually rotated just enough to hide the statue behind the curtains.

The bright stage lights, temporarily blinding the audience, played a part in making the statue "disappear."

Answer: Servais Le Roy

The secret to the Floating Princess illusion is this: as a silk cloth is draped over the assistant, dressed as a princess, she hides inside a table. A wire mesh in the shape of the assistant is moved under the cloth. The wire mesh is then raised, still under the cloth, using fine wires.

As the magician pulls away the cloth, the wire mesh is pulled up and out of sight. Voilà! The princess has vanished.

Answer: Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin

The "Light and Heavy Chest" trick was popular with audiences. The idea that a small box could be easily lifted one time and impossible to lift the next has to do with electromagnets in the floor. The bottom of the box was iron so when the magician turned on the magnet, the box could no longer be lifted.

Answer: David Blaine

David Blaine, like many magicians, became interested in magic at an early age. In May 2002 Blaine's endurance atop a pillar in Bryant Park, N.Y.C. lasted 35 hours. He was not harnessed but had two handles for balance had the weather turned windy. His "Frozen in Time" stunt, in which he was encased in a block of ice for over 63 hours, left him in such a bad state that he later announced that he would never again attempt such a difficult stunt.

Answer: Alexander, The Man Who Knows

Conlin had worked in Vaudeville so he was well-versed in performing, which he used to his advantage. As Alexander, The Man Who Knows, he styled himself as an Asian mystic complete with turban and silk robes. The turban wasn't just for show. It held an electronic device inside.

His assistant who remained backstage would tip him off about the information contained in secret envelopes submitted by the audience. Once the envelopes were smuggled backstage, the rest was easy. Alexander became a mind reader extraordinaire.

Answer: Mirage

The Mirage's former owner, Steve Wynn, hired Siegfried and Roy in 1990. For years they were one of the top draws in Las Vegas, earning millions in performances and product tie-ins. When Roy was gravely injured in 2003 after being mauled by his tiger, Montecore, the Mirage was faced with not only the huge loss of income but finding a replacement for the magicians. An interesting sidebar to this is that Terry Fator, a ventriloquist and winner of the TV show "America's Got Talent," is currently headlining at the Mirage.

Answer: The Great Lafayette

The trick itself told a story. A princess has to choose between marrying an evil king or being fed to a lion. She chooses the lion. Once she is in the cage, the lion, lying in wait, rears up to pounce. Suddenly the lion's skin slides to the floor to reveal the Great Lafayette inside.

The audience loved the act. How was it done? During the first half of the act, a real lion was used. The lion received electric shocks from the cage's metal floor, causing the animal to roar and pace. During the second half of the act, while the audience is distracted, the back of the cage is secretly opened and the unhappy lion is placed in another cage while The Great Lafayette takes his place on stage, dressed as a lion. Neuberger was later fined for animal cruelty.