It was David Copperfield vs. Mr. Magic

It was a magical night of unexpected, off-the-record comedy from David Copperfield.

Copperfield was plenty droll Thursday on the State Theatre stage, but later at the Hard Rock Cafe he was even more comical, poking fun at Plymouth's Mr. Magic, who was just begging for it in a screaming pink, three-piece zoot. "The pink suit, it's coming back," Copperfield said, jokingly.

Sartorial abhorrence was forewarned in a text message: "Hi C.J. FYI ... we're both wearing Hot Pink tomorrow nite! C U 6p Manny's. Thanks." Mrs. Magic's patterned dress was fine, as far as everybody but her husband was concerned -- even when she put a black Copperfield T-shirt over it for warmth. "I don't think that goes with your dress," Mr. Magic complained.

The magician known to the IRS as Michael McKay doesn't have any room in his closet to criticize Terri McKay's clothing choices. That opinion was confirmed by the expressions worn by most of the people we passed by. Faces grew alarmed and heads snapped when Mr. Magic breezed by in his pink zoot only slightly more attention-grabbing than his blond mohawky-hedgehog haircut. Most people probably didn't notice he was carrying a briefcase that read "Got Magic?" which contained "presents for all of David's crew: whoopee cushions, disappearing ink and my trademark, 'Taxi Socks' I get from the Mall of America's Sox Appeal store. I knew David would love those."

During his show, Copperfield delighted his colleagues by saying their names and incorporating their slogan in his act: "I feel like Mr. and Mrs. Magic. I add life to life."

Once, when Copperfield inserted their names in his show, he pointed at them and said, "Now pay up!" That was the continuation of an inside joke that started a couple of weeks ago when the Magics performed a private show in Las Vegas for Copperfield's crew. Mr. Magic passed out crisp $2 bills, another one of his signature props. In Minneapolis, Mr. Magic made good on a promise to give stacks of $2 bills to Copperfield's crew.

Copperfield gave the Magics and their guest -- me -- front-row seats.

Ah, off-the-record can't be employed when there are more than two people present.

Although Copperfield had his back to the doorway, fans found him, probably because there was a guy in a ridiculous pink zoot doing magic tricks.

Do you do magic? a woman asked. "No. I channel my magic through my associates. Watch," Copperfield said, gesturing for Mr. Magic to take it away. "If you like that," Copperfield told the woman, "you'll love me."

When Mr. Magic kept doing a certain trick every time a new person came into the room, Copperfield quipped, "The same fun, over and over again. It never gets old."

Mr. Magic was working hard to get an invitation to perform at Copperfield's private $27,000-a-night island resort, Musha Cay. "You can afford us," Mr. Magic said. "You need to learn to pronounce it first," Copperfield teased back.

I shared a magical adult moment with Copperfield, who gestures for all women from the audience who come up on stage to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you putting on lipstick for me?" Copperfield asked as I reapplied product. Yes, I might have to kiss you, I told him. "That's on the record," he said, with a naughty smile and raised eyebrows.