大魔术师 THE GREAT MAGICIAN TV Series

The moment I landed to Beijing, we were heading to the studio to shoot the promo for the TV series.  We couldn’t find my luggage, so we had to ran out to get a dress and shoes for the taping! I was so tired, but my makeup lady turned me into a presentable lady 🙂 Long first day in China!

Introducing myself (凯特琳) at the biggest Chinese Magic Project, 大魔术师 Reality TV Series. It was an honor to be invited!

Rehearsal with the crew and tech to set my act, lights and cues.

Performing my award winning sleight-of-hand costume change act for the live studio audience and the celebrity judges, Zhang Guoli (张国立), Jessey Meng (孟广美), and Jay Chou (Chiu Kia̍t-lûn).

The first episode is the most exciting, as the magicians choosing their students, but they can only select from the students who selected them first! Because I am closing the show, most celebrities are already taken.. But I still have 2 talents to choose from! Aniuu (or Ah Niu 阿牛), who is an adorable, talented singer, song writer, actor, director, and Mr Yang Hongji (杨洪基), who is a Chinese national-level actor and one of China’s most outstanding baritones!

Selecting my student, celebrity opera singer, Mr Yang Hongji (杨洪基), who will teach me Chinese culture and I will teach him magic.

Press conference, introducing the new show and every participating artists!

Our first episode airing on Times Square, NY.

Teaching Mr Yang some choreography, warming him up to transform to be a grand illusionist 😃

Mr Yang attempting to teach me singing.. I think I sing best in the shower.. so, I will stick to magic for now 😃

Backstage, waiting to perform for the audience, so we were getting to know each other.

Performing our first duo number, where we perform comedy magic with audience participation.

Final bow front of the audience! Mr Yang is really cute as a magician. 🙂 

With special guest celebrity judge, Zhang Tielin (张铁林).

Discussion of our performance at the end of the day.  

Visiting a big market to find some antique treasures for Mr Yang

Omg, Heaven on Earth! All these treasures were amazing to see and touch!

Mr Yang, don’t peek before I gift you the treasure I found at the market!

My gift to him was this antique bird clock. I find automatons and clocks fascinating, and because of our famous Hungarian Török chess-playing “automaton” by Kempelen Farkas (The Turk by Wolfgang von Kempelen), I felt that it’s the best present for the occasion.

Mr Yang really loved the present, and being an expert antique collector, he was able to time the piece and tell some background information about it as well.

Practicing on stage and working out the details for our new presentation.

Figuring out choreography and different presentation ideas with the crew and technicians.

Long day of setting the lights and props. I’m just happy to be a part of this exciting journey!

I’m going to appear in the audience!

Starting episode three, greeting the guests and studio audience from backstage. Exciting moments.

It is time! Let’s show the audience what we have rehearsed! 🙂

Our first grand illusion, where I appeared in the audience

Special guests and the studio audience, discussing our performance. 

With celebrity guest judge of this episode, Zhou Tao (周涛).

Greeting the producer and lead judge of the 大魔术师 TV program, Zhang Guoli (张国立).

With celebrity guest judge of this episode, Eric Tsang (曾志伟).

After thoughts about our act. I think we did really good today. 

Very special moment for me, as I had no idea that two special friends were in the audience tonight, French master magician Norbert Ferré, and Eric Eswin, a former international president of FISM.

Teaser for this upcoming episode

Mr Yang treating me to a very traditional Chinese meal, where I learned so much about the exotic foods!

Trying to write something special for Mr Yang, as a thank-you-present for this magical day. I felt really emotional, and grateful that I’m able to experience all these adventures because of him. I wrote “Teacher and student together create the teaching”

Rehearsing on stage, setting the lights and figuring out last minute ideas.

Mr Yang was able to lead and perform a grand illusion, where I let him take the spotlight, and not just vanish me, but change my costume magically as well!

After episode interview, discussing our thoughts on “how it all went”!

Promo poster for the upcoming episode.

Feels nice to relax after so much rehearsals. I was tired, but Mr Yang was preparing to surprise me.

He brought me many delicious fruits, some I have never tasted before! PS: I don’t like durian.

Rehearsing the choreography on stage.

Our best rated performance! I was really proud of Mr Yang, because of the physical work that he needed to do for this number, appearing, vanishing, and singing his most well-known song!

Discussing our performance! We did really well I thought.

After the show meeting with celebrity judge of episode five, Naiming Lou (娄乃鸣) and guests!

Greeting celebrity judge of episode five, Wang Gang (王刚)!

A cute promo/teaser for the upcoming episode!

We were challenged to perform some improve magic at the park, and gather as many people as possible. I was teaching Mr Yang new magic that he needed to perform under everyday conditions. I think he did really well!

My partner, Mr Yang and I. After our great challenge! I was really happy with his performance!

My team of taping all our adventure episodes! That’s a wrap for the day!

Learning and practicing our new number.

During the on-stage rehearsal at the studio.

Backstage, discussing ideas and waiting for our turn to perform for the audience!

I felt the most pressure during this performance, to present the traditional Chinese dance!

Greeting celebrity guest judge of episode six, Zhu Jun (朱军).

Discussing our performance. It was challenging for the both of us.

With the host of our show, Ma Yue (马跃), inviting the TV viewers to join us for our upcoming episodes.

I challenged Mr Yang with different puzzles and mind games. It was great to relax after so much work.

Starting the new episode, all artists are backstage, waiting for our turn to perform.

Performing fast pace illusions, this episode was very challenging for the both of us.

After performance feedback from the judges. This episode’s guest judge was the beautiful Sandra Ng (吴君如).

Discussing our performance.

Goodbye, this was our last episode.

Mr Yang special performance, singing one of his famous songs with talented little “lambs”.

After the show with the talented little “lambs”.

I stayed in Beijing for the remaining episodes and was enjoying the show from the audience, and specially greeted by Zhang Guoli (张国立), the producer and lead judge of the production.

The upcoming episodes guest judges were Alan Tam (譚詠麟), Yuan Li (袁立), Chen Jianbin (陈建斌), and Feng Xiaogang (冯小刚).

It’s a wrapI Wearing the famous 大魔术师  top hat from Zhang Guoli (张国立) in the studio.

All artists information and their journey documented throughout the episodes on iQIYI