Recently I went to see The House of Magic show at the Studio City.
For one ticket you get to see three different shows! This 90-minute experience, featuring three separated magic shows, well, four (if you include the introduction at the entrance) live performances by well-known magicians from around the world. Each theatre is designed to offer a unique experience. You could buy tickets online from Studio City’s website or upfront at their Box Office.
My boyfriend and I went there at around 8:30pm to watch the 9:00pm show and there were actually no people lining-up to buy tickets. So we were feeling lucky and even the receptionist was really friendly and recommended which seats are the best in each theatre.
We had a few minutes to spare so we went around “Macau Gourmet Walk” and tried out some Japanese crepes. My boyfriend had the Chocolate one while I had the Coconut Pandan Crepe. It cost us MOP $45 each but it was quite a big serving for one person. My suggestion? Do bring your own drinks or water bottle if you’re someone who gets dehydrated easily (like me) because a normal size Bonaqua water there costs MOP $15 which I feel like is a rip off just because you’re buying it under a fancy hotel like Studio City when you can actually just buy it in a supermarket for under MOP $5. Anyway, moving on…
We first entered the “Illusion Laboratory”, this part got us really confused because there were mirrors everywhere you turn, as you walk inside. I was freaking out a bit because it reminded me of being inside a haunted house at Fisherman’s Wharf during Halloween, thinking and hoping that nothing or no one comes out to scare us. When we finally got inside the lab and there were a lot of illusion gadgets, gizmos, and magical toys of all shapes and forms. There was also a sidebar selling “magic potions” drinks if you want to try some out while observing every detail and waiting for what happened next.
While waiting for every guest to enter, one of the magicians, Travis Winkler, interacts and entertains guests. He approached us and he wanted to borrow something from me to do a magic trick. I was holding onto my phone and tickets at that time and showed him that he could borrow either. He thought my phone was actually perfect and said that he was going to guess my password code. He asked me to open my calculator on my phone and input my password number (without showing him) and subtract it with his given number. He then started observing my fingerprints on my phone screen and locked it to try his luck. He didn’t get it right in the first go but then got to unlock it in the second and told me that I should probably change my password after. Haha. It was quite impressive because the probabilities of guessing my 4-digit password are slim and it would’ve taken forever but he guessed it by the second chance. It would’ve been more impressive if he had done it at first though.
As everyone gathered, he climbed up to a stage above us and welcomed us all while doing some magic rope tricks, which I believe was just some kind of “magic” attaching equipment. We were then divided into two groups, red and blue zones, depending on your ticket (we were in the red zone). And we were all escorted into the theatre. Keep in mind that it’s free seating so there was a bit of crowd of a stamped as everyone tried to get the best seats (maybe that super friendly receptionist told everyone where the best seats were which created a first come first serve basis concept in everyone’s heads).
But as the crowed settled in a beautiful, mystical forest themed theatre, couple magicians Kyle & Mistie Knight, a duo based in Las Vegas, did some fun audience magic interaction. When the show was done, I thought everything was over but we were led to another opening act in another theatre.
The second area was a French Nouveau style theatre featuring Magician Luis De Matos from Portugal; he was actually my favorite. His tricks involved transforming an empty aquarium to a full tank of beautiful fish, splashing sand and water, and ripping newspaper. His work was beautifully expressed with music, with no words needed.
And oh, video shooting and photography are not allowed during the show. I honestly didn’t even think about it because you wouldn’t even want to blink so as not to miss any magic tricks!
Lastly, before another crowd stampede where I felt bad for the escort trying to control everyone in hopes to calm them down, we waited in line. Here you will notice a glitch guy announcing, twitching and welcoming you on screen, who happens to be Franz Harary. I was actually expecting him to be the one to host the well-known “Mega Magic Show” where he makes vehicles disappear in thin air. But there was another magician, Danny Cole, who hosted it. So into the “Future Tech” themed theatre, he had 5-6 girls dancing and as his assistants, loud music, and just a lot of graphic effects on the wall as magic lightning coming out of his hands.
For me, I felt like there were just too many distractions to focus on the magic trick itself. But I guess that was their theme to create a phenomenal, out-of-this-world experience into real life. I wouldn’t say it was bad.
Overall, I actually enjoyed the whole show as it was a different experience for me and I think it was worth to watch three different shows in one night. It’s family friendly, couples and friends can enjoy this one too. If you’re up for a different, and whole new perspective in the magic world, give Macau’s Studio City: The House of Magic a try!
