Considering public speaking is one of many adults’ greatest fears, few of us can imagine standing up and holding court before 270 million people. Even fewer could not only do so, but do it with ease and grace as a teenager. As one of the recently featured performers on Chinese television show The Amazing Magicians, Matthew Laslo has done just that.
The 17-year-old from Washington recently flew overseas to film an episode of the reality TV competition, which is the most-watched show in China. Unsurprisingly, he was the youngest member of his team, a group of five international performers pitted against five Chinese magicians and challenged to show their best tricks.
“These (magicians) are the people I’ve been watching on DVDs,” Laslo told local newspaper The Islands’ Sounder about the experience. “It was incredible to see all these people that didn’t speak the same language, didn’t know each other, working together to create really good magic for TV.”
The show’s producers invited Laslo to participate after seeing him on Penn & Teller Fool Us, which is increasingly a gateway appearance for many of the next generation of magicians. While it wasn’t his first rodeo being filmed, Laslo said the production was much larger than any he’d previously been a part of.
“It opened me up more, in terms of what I picture a successful magician being,” Laslo said. “There is a whole world of magic out there that I can’t wait to explore.”
The Amazing Magicians has hosted several of magic’s biggest and most beloved names. Madhi Gilbert, Patrick Kun, Hara, Blake Voygt, Wayne Houchin along with many other magicians from all over the world.were on the program in late 2017, We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for clips of Laslo's appearance to arrive online.