Magic in their lives

Like many other residents of Seymour, Mary LePori is a transplant who no longer has the urge to roam. Having lived in San Antonio, Texas for the first 12 years of her marriage, the Mississippi native and her family returned to Laurel, Mississippi where she raised her family.
Almost 8 years ago she moved to the Smokies to be with her daughter and grandchildren who were living in Seymour and, with adjustments to the weather and seeing mountains and not flat piney woods terrain, she feels as if this is now home.
Not much for nightlife, Mary did recently travel to Sevierville to see the Cirque de Chine production. “I was just stunned by the whole show,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It was the most amazing show I’ve ever seen. I’ve been back to see it again.”
The one act that really grabbed her attention was Zhou Yu, the magician. “I’ve always been fascinated by magic and he was fantastic.” A meeting between the two was arranged and Zhou Yu treated her to some additional magic tricks.
Zhou Yu has always been interested in magic since he was a small child. His father, who was a professional singer in China, knew some magic and that stirred his curiosity with the slight of hand illusions.
Zhou Yu was majoring in hotel management at the university when, maybe because of show business being in his bloodline, he decided that hotel management would be a good back up plan and magic should be his career.
He persuaded one of the top magicians in China to take him on as a student and, at 19 years old, began seriously studying and learning the basis of the magical art. He was an excellent student and learned fast. His teacher taught him the basis but he put together the acts himself. Three years ago he began his professional magic career.
At first he performed mainly in his hometown of Hangzhou, a city of nearly 4 million population, doing solo acts and sometimes performing with his teacher’s magic troupe. After perfecting his act, he moved the 112 miles to Shanghai where he entertained in clubs, hotels and wherever he could book his show. Word about the amazing young magician spread until the current Cirque de Chine troupe learned of the illusionist.
Not having a magician, the troupe invited him to join their organization and he accepted. As Zhou Yu had never performed outside of China, he was excited to learn he would be coming to America.
It had always been Zhou Yu’s dream to bring his act to America, as it had been his father’s dream to perform here also, but his father passed away before it could happen and now Zhou Yu feels he is perhaps living his father’s dream.