Magic with a Christmas Theme
Dibowski, Marc
Add a touch of winter and christmas to your kids show, stand-up, mental or close-up act. In addition to ideas on props, you will also find routines and ways to tailor your act for christmas without high expenses, without lots of props, without laborious efforts.
The book is completed with information on Christmas characters, links to marketed effects including sources and information on Christmas traditions in different countries.
As a bouns, Marc Explains an extraordinary mentalist routine for Christmas designed for any audience involving an Advent calendar, which is based on a clever principle never used before in this particular way.
Pages:68 - 8" x 11.5" - Softcover
Reviews
(Top ▲)
I got this book just after the holiday season ended. So I held off on the review thinking that it would be more timely with our upcoming holiday season. Remember folks, we're halfway through September already.
Bottom line . . . this is a little pricey, but full of lots of good ideas. It's about 65 pages of ideas ranging from a brief essay on why you should do Christmas themed magic to basics about music, staging, effects, etc.
You're mostly paying for ideas, but there are several well thought out routines and presentations. There's also a section listing marketed Christmas effects, a section covering some of the basics of Christmas in different cultures, and several other resources. The cultural differences is an invaluable section for those who tour outside of their homeland. It covers England, The Netherlands, Italy, France, Sweden, Spain, United States, Mexico, China (who don't celebrate Christmas), Poland, Greece and Germany.
Further, the book covers gags, props, and other ideas on how to convert a standard prop/trick into a Christmas themed effect, show or routine. Though the book is somewhat amateurishly produced, the content is relatively solid. There are some "lost in translation" moments - it was translated from German. However, all of that is easily forgiven when you consider that there are a lot of "food for thoughts" and smart ideas, and sleigh load of things that will inspire your magic.
The effects range from stage to close up to children's shows to mentalism and more. If you're looking for a themed act or trick or routine, you'll find something of value in this book for sure.
Final Verdict:
4 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.
(Top ▲)
The only real downside is the quality of the book itself. With just a little more effort there could have been a better a better cover, better illustrations and photos. Especially with the asking price of thirty dollars.
However, if you are a children’s entertainer, the information in this book is extremely useful for Christmas season, and will be worth it’s weight in gold!