Illusionists and performers pose for a group photo during a media event of the magic show The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays in New York, the United States, on Dec. 3, 2019. The world-famous touring magic show The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays has returned to New York City with a batch of new magicians and their mind-boggling tricks. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
NEW YORK, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The world-famous touring magic show The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays has returned to New York City with a batch of new magicians and their mind-boggling tricks.
Already in its fifth holiday season on Broadway, the show gathers six of the hottest names in today's magic world, dazzling audiences with a mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage.
The new cast include Dom Chambers, "The Showman," Eric Chien, "The Manipulator," Chris Cox, "The Mentalist," Paul Dabek, "The Trickster," and Kevin James, "The Inventor."
Chien, who was born in Taiwan and currently lives in Beijing, made his Broadway debut with the close-up card and coin tricks that helped him win the 2019 TV show "Asia's Got Talent" Season 3.
Performing on a table with a superior sleight of hand, Chien easily changes the cards' colors, turn them into coins and make them disappear ultimately, in the blink of an eye.
The 27-year-old psychology major dropped out of a U.S. college after sophomore year and focused on magic practicing. In 2016, he started his magic career as a consultant for a top magician in China.
Two years later, he became the first Asian to ever win the title of FISM World Champion of Close Up Magic Grand Prix, the so-called Olympic games of magic.
"I think I'm very lucky," said Chien humbly at a press meeting on Tuesday. "To perform on Broadway is every magician's dream. I feel thrilled to be able to join The Illusionists and hope to bring amazement and child-like wonder to everyone."
The show will run through Jan. 5, 2020 at the Neil Simon Theatre in Midtown Manhattan.
