Photo/Bob King
Compare my fee to any other magician for what you and your community get!
Mark provides every attendee with his or her own magic "library card"--again, at no additional charge--that has a place to list the books he or she wants to check out as well as an explanation of an age-appropriate magic trick! Every child also gets a kazoo so all can participate in his show-stopping Kazoo SymPhony!
Mark will be appearing at Elizabeth Library-LaCorte Branch (10/10), Edgewater Library (10/24), Bayonne Library (second time in 12 months!)(10/27), West Long Branch Library (10/28), Randolph Library (two shows!) (10/29), Springfield Library (third time in 16 months!) (11/1), Bloomfield Library (second time in 12 months!)(11/4), Elizabeth Library-Elmora Branch (11/4), Westwood Library (second time in 7 months!)(11/30), Moorestown Library (12/12), Hoboken Library (second time in 12 months!) (3/13/10).


"The library is filled with new books as well as classics!"
"The library is the most magical place on Earth"
When you bring in Mark
the Magician, you get more than just a magic show. You get a University-trained
master educator and loving father talking with children about the real
magic in life and their ability to be the best they can.
Just ask the children's librarians at the
Bayonne Library (two times in six months),
Berkeley Heights Library, Bernardsville Library, Bloomfield Library, Bogota
Library, Bound Brook Library, Bridgewater Library, Brielle Library, Butler
Library (two times in 12 months), Library
of the Chathams, Clarence Dillon Library, Cliffside Park Library, Clifton
Library, Closter Library, Cranbury Library, Cranford Library, Cumberland
County Library, Wm. E. Dermody (Carlstadt) Library, Dover Library, East
Hanover Library, East Orange Library (two times
in 12 months), East Rutherford Library, Elmwood Park Library (three
times in 12 months), Englewood Library (two
times in 12 months), Garfield Library, Garwood Library, Gloucester
Library, Hackettstown Library (two shows!),
Harrington Park Library, Hillsdale Library, Hoboken Library, Holland Alexandria
Library, Jefferson Twp. Library, Kearny Library, Kenilworth Free Public
Library, Lake Hiawatha Library, Lincoln Park Library, Little Ferry Library,
Livingston Library, Lodi Library, Long Hill Library, Madison Library,
Mary Jacobs Library (two shows: one performance;
one teen workshop!), Montvale Library (two
times in 2009!), Montville Library, Mountainside Library (two
times in 2009!), Millville Library, Metuchen Library, Millburn
Library, Monroe Twp Library, Morris Plains Library, Mt. Olive Library,
N. Plainfield Library, Ocean County-Toms River Library, Oradell Library
(two times in 12 months), Passaic Library,
Peapack-Gladstone Library, Phillipsburg Library, Princeton Library (two
times in 2009!), Ramsey Library, Reid Library, River Edge Library,
River Vale Library, Rockaway Twp Library, Roselle Library, Roxbury Library,
Rutherford Library, Saddle Brook Library, Sadie Pope Dowdell Library,
Scotch Plains Public Library, Secaucus Library, South Plainfield Library,
Sparta Library, Springfield Library (three times
in 2008!), Tenafly Library, Twp of Washington (Bergen County) Library,
Union Library, Verona Library, JFK Library in Wallington, Washington Library,
Washington Township Library, Watchung Library, Westwood Library, Whippanong
Library, and Wood-Ridge Library!
The show is about 45 minutes long for children;
1 hour for adults.
Target ages are pre-K-9th grade; I also have teen
and adult programs.
Program is self-contained: I provide sound system, music, props and all
other essentials--you provide a climate-controlled facility and an audience.
Ask about multiple-show and partnering discounts!
Scroll down for hotlink to "booking and contact information."
"Mark, thank you so much for the terrific
magic show! I know that having a range in ages can be tricky for a performer,
but you managed to keep everyone--from the 2-year-olds to the grandparents--entertained!
My favorite part was how you incorporated humor throughout the whole show. Not
only were the kids amazed by the magic, but you had the whole audience laughing
as well. In Clifton, we have a large number of families who speak English as
a second language and your visual humor and magic made for a perfect show to
share with families who don't have a complete command of the English language.
I especially appreciate your willingness to work with the audience and adjust
your performance to their needs. Some entertainers have a difficult time dealing
with an interruption here and there, but you handled the children and their
parents superbly. I would be happy to recommend you to any library. Thank you
again for a great show."
--Pat Vasilik, Clifton Library
"My favorite part of Mark's show was the
magic wand that kept falling apart--he had the kids in stitches. Mark's performance
is both entertaining as well as educational. He emphasized taking advantage
of the books available at your library. Mark's performance is definitely great
fun for the whole family. Mark is a comedian as well as a magician. This (Mysteries
of the Library) is a program that can be advertised as one for all ages. There
was something in it for everyone. I'm looking forward to adding Mark to my summer
program list." [I was asked back only months later to entertain with my
summer reading program--MZ]
--Giulia Bombace, Montvale Library
"My favorite part of Mark Zacharia's 'You
Will Believe In Magic!' performance was the kazoo band, where all audience members
old enough to participate were provided with their own kazoos and shown how
to join in a musical concert of familiar tunes. This definitely fit perfectly
with our summer theme, 'Be Creative @ Your Library.' Mark's magic show was age-appropriate,
including many audience participants, and was well-received by children and
parents alike. I would encourage other librarians to consider inviting Mark
to perform at their libraries."
--Judy Klimowicz, Cranford Library
"My favorite part of Mark Zacharia's magical
performance was watching the children be so enthusiastic to participate. The
entire group was engaged and into it. Librarians should know that the children
truly enjoyed themselves and really had a good time."
--Jenna Galley, Peapack-Gladstone Library
"I particularly enjoyed your 'Harry Houdini
Chain Escape.' Your performance met our needs perfectly. Other libraries should
know that Mark puts on a great show and is very enthusiastic in his performance--there
is also lots of audience participation. I would highly recommend Mark the Magician
to other libraries."
--Donna Longcor, Holland Alexandria Library
"Mark's show is very entertaining. The
children--in fact, all our patrons--really enjoyed the show. I had to turn people
AWAY because there was such a large number of people who signed up for the show.
Mark also kept with the theme for our summer reading program."
--Marjorie Berkenkamp, Whippanong Library
"Mark was very entertaining while making
sure his message was received. He totally engaged the children and made sure
to include them in a supportive manner. Mark wrote a script that targeted the
needs of our grant: How parental involvement in learning can help prevent child
abuse. He made sure to address the parents directly during the performance.
He included the fact that we all make mistakes, but learn from them by these
types of phrases as well as demonstrations with the children that made the point
while making them laugh. He talked about the value of math as well as reading
and included examples of these activities in his act. The grant representative
attended the event and was very pleased by Mark and his script. Librarians should
know that Mark will crafted a script to your particular needs. Furthermore,
it was a good value. We very much enjoyed having Mark and would certainly engage
him again. The children were amazed and delighted by the entire event and the
parents laughed and learned along with the show."
--Courtenay Reece, Cumberland County Library
"Mark modified his script to fit the needs
of our grant without loss of entertainment or message. Mark's message about
families learning together was exactly what we wanted families to hear. It was
subtle but it was there in every trick. It was clear that the children were
completely absorbed in the program!"
--Jan Johnson, Princeton Library
"Mark Zacharia's magical performance appeals
to a wide age variation, from toddlers to grandmas. My favorite part of Mark's
performance was his 'Houdini Chain Escape.' He is very professional, prompt,
and demonstrates good crowd control."
--Maryann Nieglos, Little Ferry Library
"Mark the magician was fun, animated and
kept the kids going the whole time--you WILL believe in magic! Mark always brings
in books--very focused on books--and the kids really related to that, and those
are the kids who will come in more because of you, so I thank you!"
--Nikki Spiegel, Bogota Library
"My favorite part of Mark Zacharia's magical
performance was his friend, Murray the rabbit [puppet]. It was so hilarious
and the children laughed. Mark's performance met the East Orange Public Library
needs through the great importance of telling the children why they need to
read and how the library will help them through school and afterwards. Mark
spoke about the importance of a summer reading program being essential to their
lives, which will not only enhance their reading skills but open up avenues
for them to become creative with ideas they may come up with. Librarians should
know that Mark Zacharia puts on a terrific show that entertains and engages
the audience while talking about the importance of libraries--and, if I might
add, he is willing to work with the librarian's budget. I brought him back to
entertain my community later the same year. The children thought he was wonderful,
especially with the giveaways he gave to each child: kazoos and library cards,
which was a neat idea!"
--Paula Harris, East Orange Public Library
"My favorite part of Mark's show was when
the rabbit [puppet] worked behind the magician's back. The children were thrilled
with excitement. Mark met every one of our needs. His performance exceeded our
expectations. His fee was well suited to our budget. Mark is one of those rare
performers who has real appeal to the children. He held the children's attention
and their participation for the entire performance. We have been doing family
programs on the first Saturday of the month for the past five years and this
program was one of those that is well-remembered as the children had such a
great time. They especially enjoyed their introduction to the kazoos. While
parents usually make a passing remark as they are leaving as to whether they
thought the program was enjoyable, this was actually the FIRST TIME they stopped
at the desk to thank us for such a wonderful afternoon as their children truly
had a great time."
--Rosalie Brereton, Hoboken Library
"I really liked how Mark incorporated
Halloween-themed tricks--like sucking out a brain and catching ghosts! I also
couldn't help but really love the rabbit puppet: it was too cute and so funny!
At our library, we get a lot of different-aged kids coming to the performances,
and I loved how Mark's performance was great for kids age 3 AND age 12. I love
how he used a great sense of humor with his magic, and also how he still maintained
control of the room with an audience of more than 60 people. Mark Zacharia gave
us a STELLAR Halloween Spook-tacular. We loved his sense of humor, and how kids
young and old were laughing throughout the entire performance. We loved having
him here and look forward to working with him again."
--Michelle Schanck, Sadie Pope Dowdell Library
"My favorite part of Mark's Halloween
Spook-tacular was when he 'borrowed' a child's brain--the kids went 'eeeeeww,
gross,' which definitely made it a spook-tacular event! Mark used great crowd
control tactics. Mark also encourages library learning. His Jumbo Library Cards
made kids overwhelm the librarians after the show with wanting to borrow library
materials! One Mom even paid a big fine just so her son could borrow more books
that evening!" [I was asked back
only months later to entertain with my summer reading program here, too--MZ]
--Amy Aynedjian, Englewood Library
"Thanks a lot for your great performance!
Everyone loved it. I loved the rabbit [puppet] in a hat, when you had a spectator
hold a ghost, and the whole 'brain-sucking' act; also the kazoo performance.
You provided holiday entertainment for the kids in the community to enhance
their celebration. Your performance facilitated social bonding for the kids,
and your inclusion of the jumbo library card in your act helped the kids connect
seasonal fun with their use of the library and reading. Your performance engages
kids with lots of physical comedy, keeps them captivated, and evokes enthusiastic
responses from them when they sit and watch as a group."
--Christina Park, Wood-Ridge Library
"Mark is good with all ages and kept the
interest for all. He is quick, funny and a very good performer. Mark was extremely
accommodating to our library since he was performing during our annual fair:
he was flexible and allowed us to reserve his services for a potential rain
date at a minimal cost. His show fit right into our library and reading theme
of the day and the children and families really enjoyed his show. His humor
will entertain children and adults. His magic will leave people wondering, 'how'd
he do that?'"
--Jennifer Breuer, Secaucus Public
Library
"The kids were laughing the whole performance.
And I appreciated the library and book plugs."
--Meredith McGuire, Long Hill Library
"I just wanted to let you know I've gotten
a ton of positive feedback from the show. Everyone had a great time and at least
one babysitter came in to tell me that one of her charges enjoyed it so much
she got her parents to go out and buy a magic kit for her. Personally, the kids
with kazoos is fantastic. Many of the kids told me that their favorite part
was the rabbit in the hat puppet. The show was great for my library because
it was flexible. I often don't know the exact size of the crowd I will get or
the specific age group I will get: Mark's performance was great and he assured
me that if the audience was young he could make the show a bit younger to match
them--likewise, he could accommodate older audiences, as well. He also has scripts
to match many different themese and is willing to adapt them to a specific theme
the library needs. Mark is an easygoing guy to work with while scheduling and
planning a program, and was just as charming on stage with the kids."
--Latricia Markle, Tenafly Library
"I just wanted to officially thank you
for the G R E A T performance at our library. A L L were awestruck by your magic.
The wonderful rapport you had with the audience was exceptional also. We would
certainly enjoy another visit some time in the future."
--Brian Cazanave, Cliffsde Park Public Library
"I loved when Mark brought volunteers
from the audience to use in his tricks. The surprise and awe in their faces
was priceless. Mark's program highlighted library services by giving children
a library card to write down the books they want to check out--he also highlighted
our magic books. Mark made magic accessible to the kids by showing them that
they can also learn to do magic by reading magic books. He even gave them a
little magic trick--a perfect way to show them that they can do anything they
want to do. Mark makes the program engaging for children and adults through
humor, wit and fun. I am definitely booking him again and look forward to seeing
even more tricks!!"
--Lia Carruthers, Roxbury Library
For a SECOND letter sent by the Roxbury Library, click
here now!
"Mark's show is fast-paced, entertaining
and captured the interest of all the children of varying ages! It was especially
good for the toddler-age kids who can sometimes be difficult to get to library
programs."
--Rebecca Burkhart, Verona Library
"You've become a bit of a celebrity in
this town. Rumble on the street, 'The magician is coming! The magician is coming!'
We should have about 100 kids at your show."
--Camille Garretson, Morris Plains Library
"Mark's show is fun and educational! Mark
promotes reading with entertainment!"
--South Plainfield Library
Don't need a "message" show, just
sheer entertainment or a workshop? Magician Mark Zacharia is your man!
Audience participation and respect for his audience members are the cornerstones
of his show!
"Mark Zacharia is terrific! His relationship
and professionalism with our campers were wonderful and absolutely added to
the success of our program and to the fun our campers experienced with Mark."
--Alan Pressman, Camp Horizons Director
"Mark Zacharia's performance was enjoyable because the tricks kept the children guessing, the music set the mood, the children were engaged, and most of all, there was a lot of humor thrown in! Everything was great--Murray the Rabbit (puppet) might have been my favorite just because he was funny! I knew the kids would enjoy it, but they seemed exceptionally enthusiastic.
"The
performance was entertaining, funny, and mysterious. The children absolutely loved
it! It made their Halloween very memorable!"
--Jean Swartz,
2nd Grade Teacher, McGinn Elementary School, Scotch Plains, New Jersey
"We enjoyed Mark's performance very much.
It is excellently put together. Mark is extremely entertaining and fun. Our favorite
part of the show was Murray the Rabbit (puppet)! The performance was more than
the children expected: it was Amazing, Silly (in a good way!), and Funny! We would
recommend Mark the Magician without a doubt!"
--Kindercare
Learning Centers, Kenilworth, New Jersey
"Mark's performance is very enjoyable! I could not stop laughing. Our favorite
was the Egg trick. The show was more than we expected: it was hilarious, exciting,
and got all the children (67 children ages 2-12) involved. I thought Mark's show
was very exciting. We will definately invite you back for other shows!"
--Daryl Charney, Group Leader, Kiddie Academy, Cranbury, New Jersey
"Being a Child Care director, I am always
impressed when someone can hold children's attention for so long! Your performance
was everything I expected and much more. The faces on the children were priceless--and
I loved how you were even able to make the adults speechless! Thank you so much.
Everyone said you were a hit! You are truly magical!"
--Colleen
Higgins, Assistant Director, Loving & Learning Educational Child Care, Oceanside,
New York
"We enjoyed
Mark's performance very much. He is very entertaining and kept the children interested
and engaged. His tricks were fabulous. My favorites were the rope trick and the
'mystery of the cups' finale. I'm still trying to figure them out! I can recommend
him and have hired him again and again."
--Jodi Baxter,
Aftercare Director, JCC of Scotch Plains, New Jersey
"Mark's
performance was entertaining, funny, and magical! We love Murray the Bunny (puppet)!"
--The Learning Circle network of schools, New Jersey
"Once again let us thank you for your
wonderful performance at our school program. The children and staff really enjoyed
themselves. 'Mark the Magician' really has a way with children of all ages and
abilities."
--Holly Pedicone, School Social Worker, Children's
Specialized Hospital, Fanwood, New Jersey
Ask Mark about discounts for
multiple shows!
After seeing Mark ...