MAGIC SHOP - Daytona Magic, Inc.

"When you go through the routines in this book, you will find a neat eleven effects, capable of bowling over and stumping any audience. So it comes as something of a surprise to find these routines do not sprout from "decades of experience," but from a young boy, just 17 years old.

Junior Shankar (born July 29, 1978) gave his first overseas performance of Magic at the age of four in America before a huge gathering of over 50,000 people at Manhattan, New York. Winner of the title "youngest Magician of the World" from the Society of American Magicians and "Houdini of India" from US Press in 1982, Junior Shankar has since performed over 1,500 shows in India, America, Gulf Countries, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Germany.

Junior Shankar was the winner of both close-up and stage contests in the senior group organized by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Bombay Ring, in 1988 at Bombay. I was one of the judges for the competitions. I still remember the protests that it would be unfair to let Junior Shankar compete in the junior category (for under 16s). Junior Shankar was then only 10 years old! So he was promoted to the open category. Even then, it was no easy task sitting in judgment! There was no way to fit him and the other performers on a linear scale, (with twice as many marks for twice as good a performance, and so on!) The problem was solved by a logarithmic system of awarding points, where twice as good a performance would merit 10% more marks, and even then, Junior Shankar won by more than a length!

Junior Shankar is the only Magician from India to represent the country in the F.I.S.M. since 1948. He remembers the day. It was July 13, 1991. Shankar Jr. was only 13, and he was staying at room 13 in the Youth Hotel at Louisiana. He was struggling with the effects of Jet Lag, but '13' worked for him. He performed the Indian Cups & Balls, and was declared winner of 'Jury's Special Award' in the open close-up contest. NHK TV, Japan, and Thames Television in London telecast the award-winning act of Junior Shankar. He has entertained the top-most magicians of the world at a performance in the most prestigious London Magic Circle.

There are some outstanding close-up routines in this book. Novel and offbeat concepts, that make for eminently entertaining performing material. Some like 'Tall Fat Lady' and 'E-Zee Center Tear' take off from popular existing effects, while others like 'Nu Way Coins Across' make for very commercial new routines. No matter what your tastes or abilities, if you perform close-up magic for real audiences, you will find the routines in this book of excellent value!"--Sam Dalal

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