A magical sojourn in Hawaii

MANILA, Philippines - Magic always brings happiness to people. Magician Cyril will channel this on the small screen when Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition premieres tonight at 8:30 on AXN. Magic as a form of entertainment “is not just about fooling someone or entertaining someone,” he says. It can also make an impact on someone’s life. Cyril is ready to open his bag full of magic tricking one’s eye — and even the camera.  

“It’s a brand-new show that we created where I basically took my family members out to Hawaii,” Cyril compares his new show to Cyril: Simply Magic, the magician’s previous AXN foray. “We played some tricks on unsuspecting tourists. We got some great reactions... I just want everybody to enjoy the show while they’re watching (it)… (the cameras) were hidden and not exposed. So the people we were watching and targeting had no idea that a magic was about to begin, especially it wasn’t me performing but my family members.”

Cyril’s Hawaiian holiday “is a scripted reality show” in a sense that the basic storyline is in the head of every production team member. In the show, Cyril considers dealing with “real people” challenging, plus the fact that there were “no guidelines… You’ll never know what the outcomes will be.”

Cyril’s Family Vacation sees the magician presenting his craft in a different way on TV. It’s a departure from traditional street magic-type shows, shares the show’s executives. A story is incorporated in every magical routine. The treatment is engaging. Thus, the audience reaction is genuine and raw.

Viewers across Asia will meet Uncle Richard, Grandma Magi and Cousin Tiny. Uncle Richard, a ladies’ man, likes the high life of playing golf and puffing fine cigars. Grandma Magi is not your typical house-bound matriarch. Her age does not prevent her from doing outdoor activities like shopping. On the other hand, Cousin Tiny just treads the happy-go-lucky path of life.

When did the magician’s bug bite Cyril?

“The first time that I saw magic was when I was six or seven years old,” he answers. “I thought magic was absolutely real. I had my first opportunity to learn real magic when I turned 10 years old when a close friend of the family gifted me with 10 private one-hour lessons with the real magicians from the Magic Council. And that changed everything. There were no schools for magicians back when I was starting. Magic was a very sacred art form. There was no Internet. If you wanted to learn magic, you had to go to the library. Still then, the information was limited. Basically, if you wanted to learn magic, you had to climb the ropes like the traditional way.”

His then budding love affair with magic made Cyril’s growing up years awesome. He adds, “It was a gift I felt that I had that others didn’t. It was always easy for me to make new friends as a kid doing magic. Just remembering back in my high school days, I loved magic so much that my parents actually thought that it was becoming a problem for me… They confiscated all my magic props. But that never stopped me from wanting to do magic. It was very special to me.”

Cyril’s expertise is a result of years of studying old and new tricks, discovering better techniques and collaborating with a team of consultants and magicians. He thinks the trickiest routines are the ones being performed for kids. The reason is kids “always feel they have the answers,” but making them believe is rewarding. 

“As an artist, I feel that I’m never satisfied with the magic,” Cyril shares. “Something I might have worked out today but might be improved a week from now or a year from now. Nothing’s ever perfect but, in general, the simple things could take hours. Sometimes more complicated illusions and routines could take anytime from months to years.”

Watching some scenes from Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition, televiewers are in for a magical ride. They can’t wait when and where Cyril and his family’s next vacation will be.