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canaday Special user Florida 738 Posts |
Just For Fun- Christopher T. Magician
$40.00 http://www.murphysmagic.com/product.aspx?id=59287 The Hype: If you're looking for new routines for family entertainment, Just for Fun is a gold mine of new ideas. Christopher T. Magician combines techniques from classic close-up and parlor magic, with original props like ketchup bottles, stuffed animals, fake mustaches, and spaghetti. The result is fresh material for family shows that is contemporary, amazing, and hilarious. This hardbound book contains 325 pages of original routines. Most of the secrets rely on gimmicked props you probably own or can make inexpensively - and no power tools are necessary! Fully illustrated by Finland's Martti Siren, Just for Fun has 50 new routines. Each one has been part of Chris's show ever since he was one of the busiest magicians in the greater New York City area. Before you've even finished this book, you'll be making a bunch of effects using tape, glue, spray adhesive, and photo paper along with lots of fun, novel items. Read about them below! The book details the scripts, handling and theory, so when you include these sure-fire routines in your set, you can be guaranteed that your young audiences will be laughing out loud. Each chapter is packed with routines and performing advice covering a wide range of categories: It's no wonder this book has such great plots for young audiences. Author Christopher Barnes is incredibly knowledgeable and creative. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he was an actor and playwright before becoming a children's performer. Now a veteran of the kid show scene, he's lectured at KIDabra and Magi-Fest as well as local clubs nationwide. He currently lives in Los Angeles, where he continues to entertain thousands of children and their families every year. When you use Chris's philosophy, strategies, and tricks to entertain the young and young-at-heart, you'll experience a brand-new way to "find your funny" while performing a family show that's Just for Fun. My take: I am going to get my complaints out of the way right up front. The promo says there are 50 tricks but right away in the book, Christopher tells you that he is teaching you 39 routines. The back of the book says almost 50 tricks also. I am loving this book and would have been just as happy had the correct number of effects been mentioned everywhere. There are also a number of typos in the book, some major, some minor. One sentence describes cutting a hole someplace but the last half of the sentence was left off. Fortunately by further reading it is obvious where the hole goes. One trick direction says you are using double facers when I believe you will be using double backers. There are few others but you get the idea. These are things a good proof reader should have found before it hit the printer. Still, it is not difficult to figure out what the information is. Enough Gloomy Gus. Now for the good stuff. The first thing I noticed was the list of editors. Danny Orleans, a top family entertainer and the guys from Vanishing Inc, Josh Jay, Andi Gladwin and Mike Vance. I know if Josh and Andi are involved it is going to be good. The book is divided into eight sections with tricks to compliment each subject from openers to sucker tricks to volunteers. As each effect is described Christopher gives you his hints and philosophies for both presentation and audience management. As those of you who do kids shows know, audience management can be a big issue. Christopher gives some great tips on involving your audience plus keeping them laughing using a lot of the classic such as the magician fails or the magician gets whacked by one of his props For some reason kids seem to love watching an adult either get injured or mess up. Christopher plays both of these premises to the hilt. What you get in the book are 39 solid routines. Some require some of the standard kids props that must be purchased but there are a large number of tricks you can make up yourself. Detailed instructions are given for each one. This would be a huge plus for a young magician (or an older one on a tight budget). An entire act can be put together with some arts and crafts. Hints are given on how to make the props attractive. I would be remiss if I didn't list some of the tricks I really liked. I am sure most of you have seen the effect where your volunteer takes different markets and colors a picture. Then you take out a picture colored exactly the same. If you do the version you have seen on television, you can spend upwards of $400.00 for the props. One of Christopher's tricks is called Color Prize Game. As one of the add-ons at the end of the routine, he describes a way to do the coloring effect for next to nothing. I believe this is my favorite idea in the whole book. "Glove Glitch" is a color changing glove routine with a stronger kicker. Extremely easy to do and it will get the kids screaming. "Blowing in the Wind" is a hilarious and non-offensive routine using whoopee cushions and we all know what a whoopee cushion can do to a roomful of sugared-up kids. Christopher gives you a whole raft of new ways to use your standard props and gives you his clever method for any object on back type trick. Conclusion: Whenever I review a book, I always read the whole thing. Sometimes it is real work to get through one but this time it was a delight. Despite the proof reading errors, this is a great book that deserves a place on your shelf right next to Silly Billy's. |
Andy Young Special user Jersey Shore, PA 813 Posts |
Only read 1/3 of it, but it is good. Fun routines and the crafts aren't hard.
You can also get it a little cheaper on Vanishing Incs web page. |
canaday Special user Florida 738 Posts |
Thanks Andy
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