Among the features of his "Mysteries of the Library" program are:


• "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!