Cyril

For internationally renowned magician Cyril, his audience from the countries he has performed his magic shows were different from each other. And with his TV special premiering on Thursday night on AXN Asia aptly entitled “Cyril: Simply Magic,” he is set to conquer his Asian audience with his magic!

“Every audience is different,” expressed Cyril. “My magic has really been popularized in the international level especially through the Internet. People are posting what they want to see on these clips now. But I have performed in many countries like in America; magic was all about showmanship and presentation. It is how big can you make it. They’re always supportive of that.”

He added that in Europe, the pressure is doing a good job with his magic otherwise his performances won’t be appreciated. For him, Europeans are all for the magician’s passion for the arts and his storytelling.

“When I went to Japan and Asia they are very quiet. Oh my God, they don’t like me but it wasn’t that. There’s awe in silence. It’s very similar to Singapore and it hits them after the performance… Japanese people are very strict because they go more for the techniques. It is how I’m using the techniques and packaging,” he recalled.

What his Asian audience then will see him do in “Cyril: Simply Magic” are magic or illusions that local people in the places he has traveled in like Singapore could relate to. In bringing street magic to the people, Cyril is said to use things that his audience would be familiar with thus bringing his magic closer to them.

“I’m coming to the organic situations of the countries I’ve visited. So with people who watch the show live, I performed with objects and with real people that live in that particular country,” he commented.

Although AXN has aired TV specials by other magicians like David Blaine or Criss Angel, he opined that he was different because the two former magicians mentioned have their TV specials geared for the American audience. Cyril’s magic is for the Asian people because he performs his magic in Asia.

He attributed his organic style of magic to the years he has traveled around the world doing magic. In his travels, he has learned magic effects but most importantly in bringing his magic to ordinary and everyday situations in the various countries he went to.

His career as a well-loved and a sought-after magician didn’t happen though like magic. He shared that when he was around 17 years old and in Japan, magicians were not in demand because magic wasn’t that popular then. To make ends meet while he was in Japan, Cyril took a job as a waiter. But that lasted only for two weeks because he decided to pursue his passion as a magician despite uncertainties of where he could get money.

“I grew up in the theater of performing arts and in America there’s comedy stores and little theaters and events where artists can perform at. When I went to Japan there was nothing, nowhere for artists to go to showcase their magic or release their stress. So going to Japan trying to follow my passion was very difficult. There were no places to perform at which was very tough… it made my life very difficult, I often was not able to meet bills but I followed my instincts and I followed my passion because nobody can take away my passion from me,” revealed Cyril.

And as they say, “the rest was history” as Cyril have become a successful magician and was even called the “cyber-magician” as video clips of his magic tricks were always posted on the Internet by his avid followers.

So why contend with just video clips of Cyril when a whole show is concocted for everyone in Asia via AXN Asia – “Cyril: Simply Magic” which airs Thursday night at 9 p.m.

“Cyril: Simply Magic” is made possible with AXN Asia with co-production partner WME Asia and main sponsor Sony Ericsson. As Ricky Ow, SVP and GM of SPE Networks pointed out in an interview that AXN’s experience in spectacular large-scale productions like “The Amazing race Asia” would be the perfect platform to bring the mesmerizing magic of Cyril not only to Asians but to international audiences.

The three-episode TV special “Cyril: Simply Magic” will air weekly till Dec. 3, featuring three key cities Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Taiwan. There will also be a rerun on Christmas Day which will be a three-hour marathon from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on AXN.

Moreover, according to AXN insiders, “Cyril: Simply Magic” would focus on the idea that magic can affect people’s lives positively like having the potential to bring happiness. Thus through Cyril’s magic and “seemingly impossible feats,” his audience gains hope that “nothing is impossible in life” because he accomplishes the impossible everyday!

So get ready to marvel in the magic of Cyril!