ONE-THIRD OF COPPERFIELD TICKETS OLD

One-third of the 6,000 tickets available for the April 7 performances by magician David Copperfield have been sold since tickets went on sale Tuesday.

Copperfield will perform at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Show Me Center.

Show Me Center Director David Ross said most of the $45 tickets for Copperfield have been sold. That is the highest price ever charged for a show at the Show Me Center.

"It's a sign of the times with total escalation of ticket prices," Ross said. "It says if your talent is large enough and strong enough, we can sell."

He called the popularity of the top-priced floor tickets "a very very pleasant surprise." The lowest price for a ticket is $25.

The Show Me Center is selling the tickets at its box office, over the Internet and at outlets in three states.

Copperfield will perform here after a performance in Owensboro, Ky., and then will do shows in Cleveland, Ohio. His shows last 75 to 90 minutes.