Day 3
Crowds mesmerised by the performances
Gateway Entertainment’s unprecedented tour of Hong Kong came to a grand close with The Magic Nova's final performance this past Sunday at the Asia Word Expo. As with the past three performances, the show was fully sold – with every seat of the hall filled with eager families and their children, couples and youths who paid top dollar to witness a world class production by Singapore’s very own award winning illusionists. To top it off, this final performance of the show gave Gateway Entertainment another historic milestone as it was broadcasted ‘live’ on Creation TV in Hong Kong.
It was a strong and focused last performance, with both the lead stars, dancers and crew putting their best foot forward to end off the show's run in grand fashion. Kudos to Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong who, as always, was in his element throughout the evening and showed his professionalism when he encountered a technical hiccup during the 'Split Personality' illusion. Halfway through the illusion, one of the doors of the prop got stuck which prevented ‘splitting’ the assistant in the box into two. Without missing a beat, Senior Pastor Lawrence calmly walked over to the jammed door and with a huge smile, released it and completed the illusion as if it were all part of the presentation. "This goes to show that in a production of this scale and complexity, where there are so many elements like music, dance and dialogue going on, anything can happen," said Senior Pastor Lawrence after the show. "Things that you least expect to crop up usually will, and your stage presence is judged on your ability to deal with the problem without the audience realising something is wrong in the first place.”
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina, and Priscilla at the post-show press conference
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina, Priscilla and Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME, and Hong Kong's stars at the post-show press conference
Even if they did realise that something was not quite right, the positive response from the audience kept the mood and energy of the show at peak levels. This 'buzz' spilled over to the post-show press conference where our Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina, and Priscilla, faced a mob of enthusiastic media and fans. In a scene that resembled a high profile Hong Kong red carpet movie launch, the stars of the show posed with iconic Hong Kong celebrities and fielded questions from the media who took advantage of the star-studded occasion to get their exclusive big scoop of the event.
Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME, with veteran Hong Kong actress, Nancy Sit
“I simply loved the show!” gushed veteran Hong Kong actress, Nancy Sit, who was one of the delighted celebrities gracing the event. “The production was wonderful and I’m very happy Pastor Khong came to Hong Kong to stage this incredible show that has such a wonderful message.”
The picture of a sea of novas at The Magic Nova
The stars did come out to attend the final night of the show, but for Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina and the entire Gateway Entertainment team, it was the audience who responded to the altar call that were the ‘stars’ that evening. Raising the mini flashlights given to them, a total of 1006 individuals made the commitment to shine for Jesus and flooded the entire hall like a sea of tiny novas. Yes, The Magic Nova is about that one brilliant star that glorious Christmas night. But here, on this final night of bringing the message of Faith, Hope and Love to the nation of Hong Kong, it will be these new ‘novas’ that will carry and continue that light – now and for future generations to come.
Snapshots
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina with Ng Yu, CEO of Emperor Entertainment Group, and his family, backstage
Senior Pastor Nina and Lois Choy, Founder and Executive Director, Door Ministries (middle)
Senior Pastor Lawrence, Priscilla and Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME, with Huber Fong, Managing Director of Swisscoat
Day 2
Senior Pastor Lawrence being interviewed by Creation TV
If you ask Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong why he loves performing magic, the answer you’ll hear will be, “Seeing the child-like look of total wonderment on people’s faces when they see something that defies all logic and reason.”
Children and teenagers made up the bulk of guests at The Magic Nova's second day in Hong Kong
For more than 10 years, this fascination and joy has kept Senior Pastor Lawrence and the Gateway Entertainment team going – and the crowds coming. And in the case of the second showing of The Magic Nova here at the Asia World Expo in Hong Kong, this child-like wonderment swelled even greater as families with young children flocked to spend an afternoon being enchanted by the Magic of Lawrence and Priscilla. As with the first show, the crowds were thick with anticipation and it was another fully sold-out show that was packed with excited children and yes, adults as well.
Since Christmas Magic began its Asian tour in Taiwan and moved here to Hong Kong, we noticed similarities and differences in audience behaviour in each country. For example, in Taiwan, the crowds were extremely responsive right from the start of the performance till the end when the altar call was given. It almost seemed the Taiwanese weren’t shy and more than happy to show their wonderment and awe, and took joy in vocalising their delight at what they were seeing. The picture here in Hong Kong is slightly different. We observed a majority of the audience were generally more reserved, and while every illusion did receive strong favourable applause, the vocal approvals seemed to come from various pockets of audiences scattered throughout the stadium.
Applause and approvals aside, the common thread tying these two countries together was the response from the children. At all performances, it was no surprise that the adults were expecting to be entertained and delighted. On the other hand, it was the children, especially the older ones, who sat in perpetual rapt attention with furrowed brows – trying to unravel the mystery of how the illusion was done. “It’s all about expectations,” explained Senior Pastor Nina who was happy to draw from her medical experience to shed light on this curious and often overlooked behaviour in children. “Babies and young children don’t really care or expect that Senior Pastor Lawrence made Priscilla fly. But older children need to expect that something isn’t ‘right’ – which results in curiosity setting in when this expectation is broken.”
Children and teenagers took a step of faith and actively responded when Senior Pastor Lawrence gave the call to salvation
Whether their curiosity was satisfied or if they did manage to unravel the secrets of the illusions, it was the children who responded in numbers to Senior Pastor Lawrence’s altar call at the end of the show. Unfazed, unashamed and unafraid to come forward to declare themselves new disciples of Christ, the picture for the last two days echoed Jesus’ reminder to His disciples in Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Alkie Yung, Managing Director of Swisscoat, shared on the message of The Magic Nova post-show
Besides the timeless Christmas message of faith, hope and love, the consistent feedback that we have received about the show was its ability to impart the simple message of having child-like faith and yes, wonderment, to the multitudes here in Hong Kong. Alkie Yung, Managing Director of company Swisscoat – the presenting sponsor of the show, sums it up well: “For me, the message was the magic of the show. Tonight, I witnessed how magic can help us see the world in a constant state of awe with a pure heart and simple faith – which is the currency of the Kingdom of heaven!”
Snapshots
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina interacted with guests and friends at the end of the show
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina had a discussion after the show with Alkie Yung, Managing Director of Swisscoat (second from right) and Shirley Chan, CEO of YGM Trading Ltd (second from left)
Senior Pastor Lawrence with Shirley Chan, CEO of YGM Trading Ltd
Pastor Samuel Lai, Senior Pastor of Fuk Lam Church, interviewed post-show on his thoughts of The Magic Nova
Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME, with various Hong Kong celebrities who came to show their support for The Magic Nova
Day 1
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a "nova" is defined as "a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously". These "exploding stars" are able to temporarily increase their luminosity from several thousand times to as much as a million times of their original level. So when The Media Evangelism Limited (TME) titled Christmas Magic "The Magic Nova", the single question on many minds was why use an analogy of an exploding star as the name for a presentation about faith, hope and love?
Senior Pastor Lawrence with Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME
"We wanted to use suitable object or image that represents the Christmas story and what the shepherds saw that magical night when Christ was born," said Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME. "Imagine looking up to the sky and seeing this glorious new star in the heavens. It was a sign, a proclamation and man's salvation – all 'exploding' for the world to see!"
Senior Pastor Nina and Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME, with guests of The Magic Nova
Senior Pastor Lawrence, Priscilla and Andrew Yuen, Executive Director of TME, praying before the start of the show
Presenting Christmas Magic as The Magic Nova in Hong Kong by TME could not have been more apt. After all, TME has been instrumental in organising and producing evangelistic events and programmes that promote Kingdom values. Established in 1987 by a group of young Christians, TME's vision is to build a strong Christian media presence in Hong Kong and Asia by using all forms of new media and communication to share God's Word. Similar to Gateway Entertainment, TME has dedicated itself to enhance the moral and spiritual fabric of society through creative media. When the company learned about Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong's talents and Christmas Magic, TME jumped on the idea immediately.
Interactive picture walls and booths to keep the guests who arrived early entertained
Full capacity crowd at the opening night of The Magic Nova
Positioned and marketed to Hong Kong as a world-class commercial event, TME spared no effort to ensure The Magic Nova's debut in Hong Kong received the attention and 'buzz' it deserved from the sophisticated media and entertainment savvy Hong Kong crowd. In typical Hong Kong showbiz fashion, the main entrance of the exhibition hall had all the trappings of a grand gala premiere, with a variety of booths and interactive picture walls to catch the crowds before they entered the performance hall. There was even a unique 'floating' 3D picture wall which set the stage for the excited guests who streamed in as early as an hour before the show.
Senior Pastor Lawrence and his grandson, Isaac, wow the crowds with their mesmerising illusion of snow
Both Senior Pastor Lawrence and Priscilla were in top form for the opening night, with both master illusionists once again giving a stellar performance. Every move by the performers and dancers was executed with precision, without a single misstep. Senior Pastor Lawrence seemed especially comfortable and in his element with his mother tongue, delivering his lines in flawless Cantonese. Kudos to Priscilla, and even little Isaac, who spent a fair bit of time mastering and eventually, overcoming the language. "I just kept thinking about my lines throughout the performance!" laughed Priscilla. "I really meant what I said when I told the audience to 'please excuse my Cantonese'!"
Senior Pastor Lawrence and Priscilla perform the 'Head Chopper' and 'Double Levitation' illusions
By the end of the evening, it was the lush stage craft and production of this world class production that 'magically' smothered away the tint of not-so-perfect language. As always, the illusions and artistic manipulation of Senior Pastor Lawrence's craft were well received by the audience who took a while to let their wonderment be audibly heard. But this wasn't the case by the time the 'Head Chopper' and 'Double Levitation' illusions were performed.
Senior Pastor Lawrence addressing the crowd and encouraging more to come forward for the altar call
Many young and old making the decision to accept Christ after Senior Pastor Lawrence's altar call
Although there were concerns that Senior Pastor Lawrence's final illusion and evangelical segment at the end would not be well received by the crowd, only a handful of people left during Senior Pastor Lawrence's sharing. The rest of the audience remained in rapt attention, and by the time the altar call was given, a total of 72 individuals came forward to declare themselves disciples of Christ. There were also 17 rededications and another 29 individuals who wanted to know more about Christ… and the true meaning, and yes, magic of Christmas.
Kimmi Lai, jeweller and former international model, expressing her thoughts on The Magic Nova post-show
Senior Pastor Lawrence, Priscilla and the cast of The Magic Nova give a curtain call
Continue to pray for Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina, Priscilla, Isaac and the Gateway Entertainment team as The Magic Nova continues to shine bright for its two shows today!
Did You Know:
The word "nova" comes from the latin word "new". Fitting for the creation of something brilliantly bright... and new!
Set-Up and Rehearsals
Hong Kong – home to over seven million people and one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Synonymous with silver screen legends and award winning movies, it is not only home to one of the largest and most dynamic film and entertainment industries, but also one of the world's largest media content exporters. In per capita production, the country's film and entertainment industry ranks first in Asia and over the years has garnered international recognition and nods of respect – even from Hollywood big-wigs. The Hong Kong theatre scene is extremely active and nothing to sniff at either – with glitzy art festivals annually showcasing cutting edge theatre groups and productions that see big time collaborations between local performers and renowned international artistes.
Rehearsals underway to present a flawless performance of "The Magic Nova"
Despite being the newcomer in the arena of giants, Gateway Entertainment's Christmas Magic unprecedented debut here in this bustling entertainment hub has created quite a stir and has been greeted with enthusiasm and buzz – a perfect prelude to Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong's mission to establish and grow GE's presence in this region. For the past several months, promotional and publicity efforts by the show's partner and main organiser in Hong Kong – The Media Evangelism Group, did keep anticipation and interest for this magical extravaganza at fever pitch by the time Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina and the Gateway team arrived in Hong Kong.
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina with Ng Yu, CEO of Emperor Entertainment Group (second from left), Virginia Lok Yee-ling, Controller of TVB (third from left) and Dr Jackson Lin, Executive Chairman of Asian United Broadcasting Limited (extreme right)
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina with William Wang, Executive Director and Vice President of Asian United Broadcasting Limited
Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina with Pastor Daniel Gan (extreme right), Dr Hugo Chan (center) and several other attendees at this exclusive media launch
On Wednesday, a truly divine intervention saw both Senior Pastors being invited as VIP celebrities to an exclusive media launch of a new TV series by Hong Kong broadcaster Asian United Broadcasting – a leading innovative media station that leverages on new media to merge traditional TV with the latest mobile technologies and trends. The event saw the movers and shakers of Asia's broadcast industry arrive en masse to mark the occasion, network and of course, to be seen. Word had already got around that an award winning illusionist (and Senior Pastor) was present at the event, making them both celebrities and giving them the excellent opportunity to connect with these industry leaders who were eager to meet them. More importantly, both Senior Pastors used the star-studded occasion to position Gateway Entertainment and Christmas Magic at a higher level – besides using the God-given opportunity of inviting them to enjoy an evening of world-class illusion and entertainment.
Set-up for "The Magic Nova" at Hong Kong's Asia World Expo is no easy feat!
Meanwhile, at the other end of the island, set-up and rehearsals for the show were in full swing at Hong Kong's Asia World Expo. A much larger venue compared to Taiwan's University Sports Centre where Christmas Magic was staged just two weeks earlier, Asia World Expo's halls have a maximum seating of 5,900. However, the stage for this showing of Christmas Magic is bigger and longer which gives more room for movement and prop manipulation. The hall's overall structure and acoustics also complemented the production's music and soundscape, making it more lush and balanced. Another notable difference was the lighting design that seemed richer and more vibrant – bringing out the character and essence of the illusions like never before. Even the props and costumes took on a surreal life of their own as rehearsals went late into the night.
Senior Pastor Lawrence with Producer Felina Khong at the last group briefing
Senior Pastor Lawrence with "The Magic Nova" Choreographer Lisa Keegan
As final details and checks were made for the evening, it seemed evident to everyone that this production, like VISION, has reached a new level of technical and artistic brilliance that everyone can be proud of. The only thing left now is to show it off to a sophisticated audience – hungry for world-class entertainment…