Lu Chen is the most celebrated magician in China and, like any good magician, he’s got the look and the charisma of a rock star. Born and bred in Taiwan, Chen sparked a magic craze in China three years ago with his beguiling close-up tricks on the CCTV Chinese New Year Gala − China’s top TV show – in front of more than a billion television viewers (no exaggeration intended). Over the next three years, he went on a world tour, performed shows in Las Vegas and is now producing his own magic show. We chat to the ‘David Copperfield of Asia’ to find out what’s in his magician’s hat for his upcoming Venetian show – Chen’s first in Macau.

You started a magic fever in China two years ago. Do you think it’s still as popular?
There was a huge boom of magic shows on Chinese television in 2009 and 2010 after I performed in the national Chinese New Year Gala. Since last year, though, the fever started to cool off. To me, this is absolutely normal. If it’s a fever it will fade anyway. Real magic and real magic fans will stick to the end. I believe that good performances will last forever.

You did a run of shows in Las Vegas last April. That must have been quite an accomplishment! Can you tell us more about them?
I needed to speak English in the shows, which made me nervous because I had to think about the language and do acts at the same time. Oral communication plays a big part in my performance, so that’s challenging. But Wynn in Las Vegas is a great place to perform magic, and the Americans were really enthusiastic. And I’m really proud because they were the first ticketed shows performed by a Chinese magician in Vegas!

Do you have any favourite tricks or routines to perform?
There are 19 types of magic effects, such as vanishes, productions, penetrations, teleportation and transportations. And penetrations are my favourite. So I’d say my favourite magic trick is the one I performed in the 2010 Chinese New Year Gala [where Chen reached directly through a glass table to retrieve coins held in a spectator’s hand below].

What tips do you have for young, aspiring magicians?
Two things. First, they should keep practicing and learning. You know how fast television and the internet spread things in this digital era. To survive in this industry they must constantly have new original tricks to amaze the audience. Second, magicians are entertainers, so you must try every means to keep your audience thrilled!

So, what have you got in the bag for your upcoming show in Macau? Close-ups? Illusions?
Well, my tricks are hard to define. I don’t think it’s enough for the audience just to ‘watch’ the show − they should become part of the show. So during the live performance I’ll bring people on the stage to perform with me. You’ve seen magicians levitating their female assistants. This time I’ll levitate the audience members! And I’ll come down from the stage and into the audience to interact with them. I’ll borrow what they have with them: money and rings, for example, and use them as my props. In case people might think that I choose stooges, I’ll throw out flying discs into the audience and those who catch them will get the opportunity to perform with me.

Interview: Lilly Zhang

Lu Chen performs at The Venetian on February 11. Performed in Mandarin 
Tickets: www.hkticketing.com