"This book became the guiding light on my journey to making my show mine and unique, one that could connect with every age, all at once. It gave me the tools I needed to make a show that was not only entertaining, but something I could be truly proud of performing."Jon Armstrong
In 2013, Christopher T. Magician firmly secured his position among the luminaries in the realm of children's entertainment with the release of his book on the art of performing magic for kids. Since that milestone, he has continued to contribute to the field with publications such as Just for Fun, A Show for All Seasons, and Be More Funny. Each of Christopher's works has earned acclaim for its inventive and unconventional approach, leading him to travel the globe, sharing his insights through lectures and teachings for both young audiences and adults.
As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Beyond Look, Don't See, the book that marked the beginning of Christopher's literary journey, it's only fitting that he didn't simply reissue it with a foreword (though the foreword by the remarkable Jon Armstrong stands as one of Christopher's most cherished accolades). True to form, Christopher seized this opportunity to revisit his classic and refine it in light of the developments in the magical world over the past decade.
Within these pages, Christopher revisits each performance technique, infusing fresh thoughts and insights into every aspect. The 24 techniques, such as Say Anything, Misplaced Magic, Premature Magic, Wrong Rhymes, Mis-Made, and more, have been revitalized with the wisdom gained in the ten years since the initial release.
While the original book featured 25 fully-scripted routines to illustrate each technique, this new edition boasts 48 routines, with 41 being entirely new creations honed over the past decade.
Highlight routines include:
"Pop-Tart 2.0": A timeless favorite in Christopher's repertoire for two decades, featuring the magician tearing a Pop-Tart to pieces, magically restoring them, and fitting the torn corner back in place. It elicits non-stop laughter from children and leaves adults utterly perplexed.
"To Catch a Monkey": A humorous rendition of Eric Lewis's Comedy Comeback Card, involving pictures of animals and a zoo visit. The unexpected appearance of a chicken instead of the desired monkey delights children.
"Professor's Lesson": A unique take on the classic Professor's Nightmare, perfect for family and adult audiences, blending impressive magic with a pseudo-explanation that leaves audiences of all ages both laughing and amazed.
Additionally, Christopher includes Spotlight chapters, bonus musings on the art of kid show performance, such as:
"The Sequel Show": Insights into crafting shows for repeat audiences to keep clients satisfied.
"No String-of-Tricks": Transforming a routine into a fully satisfying show by adding simple yet effective elements.
"Routine Start List": A valuable creation to assist performers in kickstarting their kid show routine filled with humor, based on the techniques discussed in the book.
In this revamped edition, Christopher left no page untouched. Fans of the original will be delighted to discover that Christopher has effectively added a second book within the first, totaling 822 pages, providing an extra 352 pages for readers to delve into, learn from, and use to become the best family show performer they can be!