Drowned Alive
May 01 - May 08, 2006
David Blaine submerged himself in a water-filled sphere for a week before attempting to break the world record for longest breath hold.
read for yourself...
Water, Water for a Week, Nor Anything to Eat
Edward Wyatt, May 7, 2006
"It is as if someone packed up the Coney Island of a century ago and sent it on a time-traveling subway up to Lincoln Center. For there, now, is David Blaine, the modern-day Houdini whose latest feat involves living for seven days in an eight-foot sphere of water in the reflected majesty of the Metropolitan Opera house and the site's other august performance halls....Mr. Blaine's feat could also be said to explore the boundaries of art and commerce, encompassing the culture's obsession with reality television while experimenting with the limits of human achievement."
When the City Was Magical
Kenneth Silverman, May 13, 2006
"His knockout climax would surely have pleased Houdini...his feat of endurance brought a diverse crowd of thousands of New Yorkers together, renewing for a while the city's waning spirit of democratic community. Toots and applause, David."
Blaine Breathes and Audience Inflates
Kate Aurthur, May 10, 2006
"The audience grew from 7.06 million in the first half-hour to 13.66 million in the death-defying last half-hour."
Magician Spending Week In Water Bubble
Pat Milton, May 1, 2006
"As a kid, I always was obsessed with Houdini," Blaine explained Monday.
"I don't think about death, but I am prepared for it," he said, adding that his only fear is "the fear of the unknown."
Magician Set For Record-Breaking Finale
The Associated Press, May 8, 2006
"I told him he needed to get out of the water, and he refused me," said Gunel. ''He said he did not want to let the people down."
What's On Tonight
Kathryn Shattuck, May 8, 2006
"Is there nothing this guy won't try? ...This time, it really is sink or swim."
Hubbub in a Bubble
Robin Givhan, May 6, 2006
"Blaine represented an opportunity to see something unbelievable."
"He pushes his body and his mind to their limits. Some might argue that he is a fine athlete in the tradition of ultramarathoners who run more than 100 miles, oftentimes through the desert."
Trainer: Blaine Disappointed by Failure
May 9, 2006
"Blaine did not give up without a fight."
Blaine's Stunt Sheds Light on Limits of Human Body
Joy Victory, May 2, 2006
"When humans enter water they can automatically hold their breath longer than they can on land...Known as the mammalian diving reflex, this trick of human physiology (and of whales, dolphins and seals) will benefit magician David Blaine, who is living underwater in an 8-foot acrylic sphere in front of New York's Lincoln Center all this week."
David Blaine: 'Drowned' Alive
May 2, 2006
"This one is the most fun of all of them," he said. "I almost feel guilty doing it. It feels so good to be in here."
ABC Press Release
May 9, 2006
"Blaine did not give up without a fight."
B'cast Nets Lure Viewers
Rick Kissel, May 9, 2006
"Drowned," in which the illusionist attempted to hold his breath for nine minutes while under water, started slowly but shot up nicely, winning the 9:30 half-hour (6.1/14 in 18-49, 13.94m). It ran second from 8 to 10 in persons 12-34 (3.8/11) and was up vs. with the most recent Blaine spec for ABC, "Vertigo" in 2002 (4.0/10 in 18-49).
It was also a big hit in its backyard, earning a 6.9/17 in adults 18-49 in New York, according to local Nielsens."
A last journey within the New York Fishbowl
Elizabeth Guider, May 4, 2006
"What could be more heady than milling with the crowd gathered outside Lincoln Center Plaza on wednesday to watch the antics of a modern-day Houdini?" (May 5th)
David Blaine's Next Stunt
Cartoon
He's Having A Hard Time Transitioning
Cartoon
