Stage by Stage by John Graham and Vanishing Inc. is your comprehensive guide to crafting a captivating stage magic performance. John has spent his career honing his craft and is now ready to share invaluable insights gathered over the years. This book serves as a roadmap for transitioning from close-up magic to larger stage performances.

The content is extensive, featuring a remarkable mix of essays and routines, beautifully illustrated to guide you in developing a polished act. You’ll discover how to adapt your existing magic for bigger audiences, manage props effectively, and create a modular show that allows for easy trick substitutions.

With unparalleled detail, this guide offers an in-depth look at every aspect of planning, performing, and refining your act. From the tricks themselves to the seamless transitions between them, you’ll learn how to outline your show and organize your setlists. John shares the evolution of his performances, explaining the reasons behind his changes.

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced performer, Stage by Stage has something for everyone. If you’ve always dreamed of moving from close-up to stage magic, this book is essential.

Inside, you’ll find over a dozen complete routines, including a stunning ring-on-string effect that concludes with a borrowed ring appearing in a sealed envelope, and John’s commercial twist on a classic Paul Harris effect that reveals a spectator’s thought-of name across playing cards. You’ll also explore the standout routine “Buffalo John,” a 25-minute act that guarantees laughter, inspired by a Harry Anderson classic. This book encapsulates over 25 years of performance experience into crafting the ultimate routine.

Renowned magicians rave about Stage by Stage. Here’s what they have to say:

“John Graham has done what I thought was impossible. He has written a book that spells out in an orderly way how to put together a stand-up comedy magic act. I mean really, actually, truly, step-by-step how you can go from a person who performs a few good close-up magic tricks for a couple of friends to a person who can present a full, kick-ass stage magic show for hundreds of strangers…If you want to do a stand-up sleight-of-hand magic show, I believe you can do no better than make this extraordinary book your bible.” – Mac King

“John Graham is the real deal when it comes to working for real people in the real world. I know how hard it is to bring your magic to the stage. This book will save you years of trial and error.” – David Blaine

“This is an amazing book about magic, full of all the things that magic books never dare to explain. Yes, the tricks are wonderful, but the author has also given us the ‘what,’ ‘where,’ ‘when,’ and ‘why’ of magic. Did I leave out ‘who?’ It’s John Graham’s book, Stage by Stage, and it’s hard to imagine anyone in magic not benefitting from his insights.” – Jim Steinmeyer

“Even seasoned performers will find a great amount of valuable information within these pages. The author explains much more than the mere mechanics of the tricks. He goes into the details that make his material work in the real world, from managing the props to how the tricks play in relation to the routines before and after…I had the privilege of using ‘Name-Dropper’ before it was published, and it instantly became one of my show’s highlights. You can easily create an entire show from the material in this book, with tricks like ‘Final Sale,’ where a random audience member guesses the cost of your jacket; another favorite is ‘Now and Later,’ an effect where you appear to lasso a randomly chosen playing card. I find the method to be as beautiful as the effect.” – Asi Wind