Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Alan.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a bored 10-year-old on a rainy day, I was snooping in my grandparents’ apartment, when I came across an old magic starter kit and the hidden stash of ‘Holiday” whiskey. I couldn’t resist either. One led to a lifetime career, and the other led to a valuable lesson and a lifetime of being the designated driver. Who says snooping is a bad thing? That’s when I caught the magic bug and spent many a Pennsylvania night’s entertaining my parents and their friends with living room card and coin tricks. How I became a professional is another rather bizarre story. It all started at a funeral. A friend of the family was a magician and decided to perform as part of the funeral reception. After I expressed my interest, he took me under his wing, took me to a magic shop, introduced me to some local magicians, and I was on my way! Mark Alan Magic was born!
I started my career with a stage act with my wife in the resorts of the Pocono Mountains. After moving to Florida, rather than the big illusion stage shows, I combined my love of comedy with magic and continued my career performing in comedy clubs. My wife was on her own career path by then and no longer performed with me. I learn something every time I perform, and in these years, the most important thing I learned was audience management and timing. If you can handle a rowdy comedy club audience, you can handle anything, including kids! I find that in order to have a successful career as an entertainer, diversification is key. This means I am equally at ease performing for a library, school, corporate event, private event, or cruise ship audience.
I have been performing nationwide and internationally for over 40 years, and I still enjoy every minute of every performance. Things have evolved over the years. I now perform less in comedy clubs and more in corporate settings, country clubs, and adult communities, while continuing my library and school shows, including my anti-bullying show, “Stand Against Bullying.” Comedy is always a big part of my show, so I keep them laughing while amazing them with magic and mentalism. Of course, I wouldn’t have had a successful career without the unwavering support of my wife, Lorraine, who helps with every aspect of the business. Her creativity and honest critiques have made me a better performer and kept me grounded throughout the years. Being an entertainer is hard work, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s the best job in the world and I hope to continue for years to come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can think of two events which I would call “bumps in the road.” First was the move from Pennsylvania to Florida. Starting over in a new state and revamping my show took time and patience before I felt established in my new home.
The second struggle I’ll mention was a struggle for everyone: COVID. This was basically a year long pause in business. Audience interaction is a big part of my show, so getting back to work with social distancing while wearing a mask was a struggle. Cruise ships were the last to come back after the pandemic, but eventually everything was back to normal.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would say that audience by-play, or audience interaction, is my specialty. Getting people involved directly in the show is my favorite part of performing. Whether the average age of an audience is 8 or 80, I have so much fun interacting with them and making them part of the performance. This means that much of the script is off the cuff, which can be a challenge, but it creates the biggest laughs and most fun for everyone.
I am most proud of the “Stand Against Bullying” program. My wife just retired from a 32 -year career in education. Years ago, she and I wrote this program to address the bullying problem faced by so many kids. The program uses magic and comedy to address this serious subject and keep kids engaged and attentive while emphasizing the importance of standing up for yourself and others while keeping safe.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Does meeting my wife in high school count? Seriously, my favorite childhood memory is my neighborhood. I grew up in Scranton, PA, in a close-knit neighborhood full of kids who became lifelong friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.markalancomedymagic.com
- Instagram: Instagram @markalanmagic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markalanmagic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@markalanmagic34/videos
- Other: Tik ToK @markalan964
