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Art of magic

A MAGIC show is often an exercise in deliberate entertainment, not tricks, says magician Andrew Lee.

“Magic is not about the tricks performed but more a package of the experience, personality and the charisma of the performer,” says the participant of Asia’s Got Talent Season 2 (AGT2), airing Thursdays at 8.30pm on AXN (Astro channel 701).

“Magic is not a complicated experience. Magicians are storytellers. We want our shows to connect with our audience. We want to evoke the emotions to make them feel the wonder of magic,” says the 31-year-old, who admires master magician David Copperfield’s ability to take audiences on an emotional magical journey each time he performs.

Lee strives for a particular reaction from audiences, saying that his art is composed of “moments that bring you back to child-like astonishment”.

“Magic breaks the communication barrier. It speaks a common language, and I would like to develop my own featured illusion shows around the world,” says Lee, who has performed in countries like India, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Singapore, Qatar, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines.

“As it gets harder to have a technological edge, using a psychological edge via magic offers limitless possibilities. The art of magic may just be the answer in carrying a stronger message in current times.”

PENCHANT

Lee started to pick up magic at 16. It all started when he enrolled in a correspondence course from Australia.

“As I was home-schooled by my mother, picking up the skills via correspondence course felt just as natural,” says Lee, a trained nutritionist from the Global Institute for Alternative Medicine in California, United States.

Throughout his student days in the States, Lee continued practising magic as a hobby.

While working as a nutritionist at a well-known gym chain back home after his graduation, Lee’s love for magic never wavered.

“I started making videos of myself performing magic and uploaded them onto Facebook and YouTube.

“It was from these videos that I got invited to perform in India in front of more than 10,000 spectators. I was nervous as it was my first major gig in front of a large crowd,” adds Lee, who, up until then, was only performing at parties and school shows.

Thankfully, his show was well-received. He then decided to turn his hobby into a full-time career.

“I had been doing a 9-to-5 job for six years and I was feeling a little bored. That gig in India showed me that there was another option. I have never looked back since.”

GOING PLACES

Aside from travelling to places for one-off shows, Lee has been performing at Resorts World Genting and on cruises including the Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Celebrity Cruises.

Last year, he was invited to predict at Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival. While he was Down Under, two days before he went live on an Australian TV channel for his prediction gig, his parents’ home in Shah Alam had burnt down early in the morning.

“We lost everything in the fire.Fortunately, my parents escaped uninjured. While I was shocked when I heard the news, the reality only hit me once I was back from Australia.

“It was then that I realised that I lost most of my magic show paraphernalia. I had to either start from zero again or become creative in my magic shows soon after that tragedy. I had to come up with new routines as I didn’t have my old props anymore,” says Lee.

Perhaps this unfortunate episode has helped him to hone his craft further to become a truly unique and engaging act.

With his distinctive performance style, he went on to perform on AGT2’s judges’ audition round (shown on the first episode aired on Oct 12).

Lee was aiming for a golden buzzer from one of the judges — either David Foster, Anggun or Jay Park, or from the co-hosts Alan Wong and Justin Bratton.

“I was told that Foster was looking for a magician this time round. So I was a little disappointed when he didn’t press that buzzer,” jokes Lee, who received three “yes-es” from the judges after his performance where he got the two co-hosts to assist him on stage.

Lee, however, is hopeful that the judges will shortlist him as one of the contestants who will get to go on stage again for the semi-final round next month.

Besides Lee, 25 acts from Malaysia have been selected for the judges’ auditions.

“About 300 acts attended the audition at Sunway City. Interestingly, many Malaysian acts opted to submit their audition online

via the AXN-Asia.com website. Over 2,500 online submissions were received from Malaysia,” says Virginia Lim, senior vice-president and head of content, production and marketing of Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

tahir.alhamzah@nst.com.my

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