Presenting Dynamite in a Small Package by Doc Dixon "The other magicians laughed at me when I said was doing 25+ minutes on stage with only a deck of cards and a marker, but their laughter turned to awe when the audience CHEERED for my show!" A real world in the Trenches Review: This in the Trenches Review of the act in Dynamite in a Small Package comes from cruise ship comedy magician, Michael Misko. Early on I had sent Michael a review/proof copy for his opinions. Recently I received this text from him. "Dynamite in a Small Package will premiere this evening on the Crown Princess." Now I admit, I was surprised. Sure, he read the preview of the book. We have discussed it for months. But to put it in his show that soon after reading it?? The next morning, I get this text: "Bro. It killed." I asked him, "What can I share with my Dixon Magic audience, about the book?" Michael replied, "In 25 minutes, with one deck of cards, this set puts the focus exactly where it belongs, squarely on the relationship between audience and magician." "Holding court with your crowd has been made easy by following the personality-first structure of Doc's routine. It delivers powerful magical moments, culminating with the arguably the greatest card trick ever devised for the stand-up entertainer. You need to have Dynamite in your back pocket...it will simultaneously lighten your gig bag and increase your pay load." Dynamite in a Small Package, is my new 60+ page book teaching a five routine complete act for stage. All that's required is a deck of cards, a marker, two minutes of prep, and it's show time! More than teaching how to do the tricks, it teaches how and why a typical audience (like an after-dinner show) can be entertained for up to 20 minutes with so little in the way of props with the routines taught in the book. "Dynamite comes in small packages. An expression meaning that very powerful things can often come from small sources." So how can a magic act play to big audiences with few props? One, smart routine selection. Two (or is it a subset of one?), performing routines where the interaction with the audience members is the source of the entertainment. Then the show isn't about a 3-1/2-inch x 2-1/2-inch x 3/4-inch deck of cards. It's about several feet and hundreds of pounds of PEOPLE. Last I checked that's even bigger than a Zig Zag. And all you're packing for it is a deck of cards and a marker. Think about some of the most memorable moments for your shows over the years. I bet nearly all of them are when an audience member - not a prop - did something that was extra entertaining. Wouldn't it be best to design an act from the ground up that produced those kinds of moments? And as a bonus, the props fit in your hand? If you enjoyed my book "The Show Is the Mother of Invention - Advice on Packing Small, Playing Big & Living Large", then you'll love Dynamite in A Small Package. It's a deep dive into applying those principals in these five routines. If you want to do some of the Dynamite in a Small Package act or all of it ... If you want this to be your go to emergency stand up set ... If you want to have several stage routines that give the perception of skill ... If you want to learn routines, skills, and concepts that will improve your entire act ... ...You want this book. Table of Contents Introduction Rules & Goals The (Real) Methods The Act & Routines The Non-Pre-Show Faster Than the World's Fastest TrickA quick, very visible opener ending with a strong laugh Seeing Right Through YouThe lie detector premise with over the top, yet logical, finish. Involves 3 spectators and pseudo-X-rays. Lays the ground for hilarious spectator comedy. Trying Desperately Hard to Find a Four of a KindCut to four of a kind with handling that plays to the back row and has built in comedy from repeat failures. Learn the double lift that is made for stage. A Trip with a Signed CardA signed card moves here, there, not there, climaxing with multiple cards to mouth Cards Across with SelectionsTwo spectators cause 3 selected cards to go invisibly from one person to the other. No dupes needed. Learn the extremely useful multiple card top change. Extras: Suggestions to add just a little to make the routine play even bigger. Bonus: Like my last 2 books, a password protected link for another great discussion and exploration of this book with great magician and even better friend, Michael Misko.
