This post is to introduce magicians and magic fanatics to the abundant heritage of magic in Singapore. It honours the notable achievements, prominence and importance of local magicians from the earlier and present.
The starting of Modern day Magic in Singapore
It is the basic consensus that contemporary magic in Singapore (submit Planet War two) started with the late-Ng Bo
Oen AKA The Wonderful Wong. Info on neighborhood magic pre-war is really scarce. The only details found has been on The Fantastic Wong performing at the New Planet Amusement Park (then located at Kitchener Highway) in the thirties.
The Wonderful Wong was born in 1908 in Shanton, a metropolis of the Guangdong Province, China and immigrated to Singapore in 1933. He was the only specialist magician of his time in Singapore and executed across South East Asia. He was identified for his sharp stage magic, Linking Rings schedule and Sword Basket illusion. He was also an skilled craftsman who built all of his props by hand. He experienced the reward of figuring out the mechanics and methodology of magic props and fabricating them from scratch.
In 1962, The Great Wong created a significant contribution to the global magic community by publishing his well-known linking rings regimen with English script composed by Tudor Brock. Davenports Magic in London distributes his manuscript to day. In 1982, he was invited by the Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques (FISM) to complete at the 15th Entire world Congree of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland.
(For more information on The Excellent Wong refer to ‘The Great Wong Story’ in The Global Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring a hundred and fifteen The Quantum Ring Golden Jubilee Problem)
One more local magician who was instrumental in developing modern day magic in Singapore throughout the beginning was the late-Tan Hock Chuan. He was a trainer by job but carried out for yearly specific occasions, charity demonstrates and personal parties. He was (and nevertheless is) internationally acknowledged for his magical inventions. His outcomes and suggestions are nonetheless marketed vendor items right now and have been released in numerous publications (of that time) this sort of as Gen, Spinx, Pentagram, New Pentagram, Swami Mantra, Abracadabra and even Tarbell’s Training course in Magic. He is the very first Asian magician to obtain the Spinx Award (1936-37)
The two The Fantastic Wong and Tan Hock Chuan have been essential influences to a lot of of the first technology of Singapore contemporary-magicians who have paved the way for potential generations.
fifties
It was only after the war and throughout the British Military Administration that magic in Singapore started its rise to exactly where it is right now. 1950 was the year that the Singapore Magician’s Club was shaped by a team of beginner magicians, comprising of English-educated specialists.
In 1951 the Singapore Magician’s Club gained their constitution from The Intercontinental Brotherhood of Magicians HQ in The united states and was from then on was formally identified as The Global Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring a hundred and fifteen. Founding customers of the club at that time integrated Tan Ewe Chee (President), Yeo Quickly Kian, Lim Kim Tian, Lim Hap Hin, J.H Stafford, L.A Joseph, J.W Jackson (Vice-President) and Tan Hock Chuan (Secretary).
The 50’s gave start to Singapore’s very first generation of contemporary magicians. Besides the founding members of the IBM Ring and The Excellent Wong (who joined the Ring in 1952 by invitation), some prominent first era magicians included Lim Hap Hin, Tan Choon Tee, Tan Bah Chee, Yeo Shortly Kian and his scholar Michael Lim.
The Wonderful Wong operated the first magic shop from his property cum showroom/ workshop in Singapore at 255-A Jalan Besar in which he sold his own handcrafted props as effectively as imported seller things from Japan. (This home/ store was destroyed in a fireplace in Dec 1988 leading to him to shed most of his publications and props)
nineteen sixties
Throughout this interval, magicians like The Great Wong, Tan Bah Chee, Lim Hap Hin and Tan Choon Tee performed magic programs at the Countrywide Theatre Club and the YMCA. They have been responsible for producing active magicians this sort of as Charles Choo, Wong Fok Choy, Chia Hearn Jiang, Gwee Thiam Hock and the late-Vijeyacone.
The early 60s also observed the ‘Golden Age’ of magic with magicians doing at diverse venues throughout the region. Aside from neighborhood magicians executing in evening golf equipment, international magicians such as Socar done a grand illusion demonstrate to a entire residence at the Capitol Theatre (together Stamford Road) and The Great Nicholas at the Sky Theater in The Great Planet Amusement Park at Kim Seng Road (Now, Excellent Globe Metropolis).
In the late 60s, Wee Peng Guan (Uncle of Charles Choo), opened the 2nd magic shop in Singapore at a shop house alongside Robinson Highway. Around that time, popular entertainer Victor Khoo’s father Khoo Teng Heng who was a magician, a ventriloquist and hypnotist opened his magic shop at Bras Basah. (exactly where Carlton Hotel stands at present).
For the duration of this decade, Tan Choon Tee was making a title for himself in the global magic neighborhood in the subject of Mentalism. He gained several global Linking Ring Awards for his A single-Male Parades and has two textbooks revealed by Micky Hades. He was also a normal contributor to many intercontinental magic publications such as Gen, New Pentagram, Magicgram, Magicana and The Linking Ring.
Abroad magicians whom passed by way of Singapore included Milo & Roger, Milbourne Christopher and Maurice Fogel.
1970s
The seventies observed the start of the second technology of Singapore magicians. Some nicely-acknowledged magicians who obtained started throughout this time incorporated The Great Wong’s son Ng Kee Chee, John Teo, Tang Sai Thong, Ng Seow Kiat, Tang Yeng Exciting, Bob Chua, Eric Leong, Tan Teck Seng, Lawrence Tham, Tan Tuan Seng, Lawrence Khong and Andrew Kong.
The Singapore Association of Magicians was established on 10 March 1973 in helpful ‘rivalry’ to the IBM Ring. The club was led by Tan Bah Chee with prominent founding members such as Lim Hap Hin, Tan Hock Chuan and Charles Choo.
Magic stores in Singapore commenced to spring up in the course of the late seventies. Ng Kee Chee set up a magic stall at Yaohan in Plaza Singapura and Wang Leng opened his store in Peninsula Plaza. Charles Choo opened his store in August 1978 on the sixth ground of Much East Searching Centre. (It would transfer many times to numerous malls but sooner or later returned back again to Much East). His store would quickly become an institution in which magicians would buy different magic goods as nicely as fulfill up and find out from every single other.
It was a range haunt for several magicians in the a long time to occur till the store shut in the new millennium.
For the duration of this interval, The Tropicana Evening Club, which was located at Pacific Plaza, was a location that had normal magic performances. A number of famous magicians also frequented Singapore in the 70s. In 1970, John Calvert executed at the Countrywide Theatre. In 1972, Albert Goshman visited Ring 115 to give a lecture. In that same yr, “The Professor” Dai Vernon also frequented Singapore, lectured and interacted with nearby magicians. Other going to magicians incorporated Andre Kole, Billy McComb, and Ali Bongo.
eighties
By the nineteen eighties, the neighborhood magic scene was flourishing with healthier memberships for the two major magic golf equipment as effectively as a surge in the quantity of carrying out magicians. A lot of of today’s veterans produced their title in the 80s. Familiar names like Richard Ang, Patrick Wan, Patrick Ng Wang Lin, Tan Hai Yan AKA Gician, Paul Koh, AB Francis and Gordon Koh had been executing frequently at community and non-public shows throughout this 10 years. Popular nearby venues for public magic demonstrates by magic clubs held on a regular foundation at that time incorporated the Drama Centre and the Nationwide Museum Theatrette.
The reputation of magic outlets also grew and in 1982, Chew Kin Song opened a Magic & Novelty Corner at the Chinese E-book Section of Popular Book Co Pte Ltd on the 4th Floor of Bras Basah Intricate. Gician Tan also opened up his initial magic shop at Parkway Parade which subsequently moved to Marina Sq. and was managed by Richard Ang. Besides this primary store, he distributed magic items and sets by means of section shops
in Singapore and South East Asia.The Singapore audience was also uncovered to world-course magic by way of numerous magic tv exhibits and collection that ended up aired on regional Television which includes the David Copperfield specials, Magic Magic and The Very best of Magic.
International magicians who frequented Singapore for the duration of this time incorporated David Copperfield, Mark Wilson, Ben Harris, Paul Daniels and Gene Anderson.
nineties
The commencing of this ten years observed the introduction of the country’s 3rd technology magicians into the nearby magic scene. Well known budding magicians provided Enrico Varella, Sherman Tjiong, J C Sum, Joe Yu (Chan Ee Kang), Nique Tan Li Keong, Prakash Puru, Kiki Tay, Alex Tan and Jeremy Pei.
The neighborhood chapter of Worldwide Magicians Culture was formed, started by its President, Tan Bah Chee though the club’s existence in Singapore was short-lived.
The late-1990s saw a massive surge in magic international reputation because of to David Blaine’s street magic specials. Several folks started to ‘get into’ magic and had new mediums to discover the craft this sort of as the introduction of DVDs and the Net.
A new magic store, Magic Castle & Promotions, opened up by Vijay Kumar at Shaw Towers quickly became ‘the area to be’ in which new magicians would hold out and meet up with.
In the course of this decade, Wang Leng’s shop in Peninsula Plaza was marketed to Patrick Wan. The store was subsequently marketed to Richard Ang and is now properly known as Ang House of Magic. Patrick Wan opened his new store, Magic Wand, which has spawned into many stores in various elements of Singapore. Steven Sim also opened Magic Supreme at Coronation Plaza which has subsequently moved to Park Mall.
The 90s was an thrilling 10 years with many visits and performances by popular magicians. Aside from lectures by Michael & Hannah Ammar, Mark Leveridge and Wolfgang & Sonja Riebe there were also public theatre performances by the Pendragons, Princess Tenko, Andre Kole, Franz Harary, David Copperfield, Rudy Coby and Robert Gallop. Other visiting magicians provided Larry Becker, Tim Ellis, Terry Seabrooke, Phil Cass and Albert Tham.
2000 – Present
Magic has ongoing to prosper at the neighborhood degree in this 10 years. psilocybe cubensis and skills have emerged to elevate the artwork in Singapore. In May 2000, J C Sum staged the very first ever regional complete-night theatre show ‘Magic at the Theatre’ at Victoria Theatre. Just a month later on, more than a dozen magicians from the US and Canada came down to Singapore as component of the Magic Festival arranged by the Malls of Centrepoint. Magicians this kind of as Robert Baxt, Rocco and Peter Gossamer carried out multiple displays at numerous Centrepoint Malls for in excess of a week.
In 2004, the Singapore Magic Circle (SMC) was created by Aloysius Yeo and with its on-line forum drew a new pool of magic fanatics with each other. SMC has since grown to over one thousand users and frequently organize gatherings, occasions as nicely as the modern Concept:Magic Micro MAGIC Convention in January 2007.
By way of a huge-scale theatre magic musical ‘Magic of Love’, Lawrence Khong, a pastor with Faith Local community Baptist Church and his daughter Pricilla, distribute the gospel information.
The multi-million dollar manufacturing has been staged numerous moments over the a long time throughout the entire world to spread the term of Christ. Subsequently, the very same crew organized two Global Pageant of Magic conventions in 2003 & 2005. The initial of its type huge magic events provided competitions, lectures, a dealers’ room and performances. Global performers these kinds of as Jeff McBride, Max Maven, Johnny Thomspon, The Pendragons, Lee Eun Gyeol and Tommy Question were booked to carry out at the gala displays and lectures.
In recent many years, J C Sum has grow to be arguably the most well known Singapore magician of this technology. His magic has been noticed by millions by way of his dwell performances throughout Asia as effectively as his landmark mass media initiatives on MediaCorp Studio’s Ch eight as nicely as subsequent ‘Street Illusions’ compilation DVD/ VCD.
His 24-episode ‘Magic in Motion’ series can at the moment be noticed day-to-day on Singapore Push Holdings MediaBoxOffice through 2007. In the global magic local community, J C has also set up himself as an elite illusion designer from Asia with the publication of his 3 critically acclaimed illusion publications that have been sold in more than thirty countries to day.
An additional talented award-profitable magician, Jeremy Pei, is boosting the profile of Singapore magic within the regional magic community with his theatre displays, structured lectures, workshops and energetic participation in magic conventions & competitions in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Australia. His exclusive North-Asian influence design of magic efficiency has garnered him a pursuing with new budding magicians whom he teaches and guides. He has also launched several first magic products which are accessible to magicians worldwide.
In one more 1st, award-winning junior magician, Kyle Ravin secured a 13-episode weekly Street Magic collection, “Maya” on MediaCorp Studios’ Vasantham Central. This 30min collection observed him carry out magic for the Indian local community and famous people throughout the region.
This 10 years has witnessed the introduction of even far more magic shops and sellers operate by young magicians to meet the need of magic fans and magicians. These contain new ‘brick & mortar’ magic stores such as Avenue Magic by Tan Wei Ping, Difficult Business by Jimmy Wong, The Magic Hall by Kenneth Peh as effectively as on-line retailers like The Minor Magic Shop by Ning.
