The performers came all the way from China to entertain the Saipan audience.
Stealing the limelight was a face-changing performance by Xu Chao. Chao, a graduate from Sichuan Provincial Arts Academy and an actor for the Chong Qiong Sichuan Opera Troupe. He had performed similar acts in Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong and Europe.
“The show was very good. I wonder how he did that!” 12-year-old Ryan Ballesteros said, referring to Chao’s tactics of changing masks in very quick successions.
The audience laughed as they witnessed Rolling Lamp, a 10-minute performance portrayed by Wu Xi and Wang Qi. The act showed Qi balancing a flaming bowl on his head and performing amazing stunts without dropping the flaming bowl.
Mingxiao Qin and Jinfen Yao, a husband and wife magician team from Beijing, amazed the audience when they removed the coat of a participant named Kevin whom they picked from the audience.
“I did not understand what happened. It was so quick. She [Yao] was behind me and had her hands tied tightly, but the next thing I knew she was already wearing my coat under the tight ropes,” Kevin said.
The husband-and wife team have been performing since the 1960s in major events and magic shows in China and foreign countries. They had been awarded “The Best Magician” award by the American International Magician Society and are members of the International Magic Society.
Providing musical entertainment was Ji Wei, who played Gu Zheng, a plucked string instrument. Wei, who is from Beijing, told the Variety she started to play the instrument at the age of four.
Wei received the grand prize in the instrumental competition for the northern China division at a young age and has received many other major awards. She has also played in solo concerts and with orchestras in France, Italy, Germany, the U.S., Switzerland, Belgium, Japan and other countries.
Sponsors for Sunday’s show were Pacific Trading, Pepsi, PTI, Saipan Shipping, and Saipan Grand Hotel.
