Three rooms I work in South Jersey
The bar or bat mitzvah
A mitzvah is two parties in one room. The adults want a cocktail hour that does not drag and the thirteen year olds want something that is not aimed at children. Close-up magic and mind reading do both, because it happens in their hands and nobody has to sit down for it. I am not a children's entertainer and this is not a balloon act. Best for the cocktail hour, the adult tables during dinner, and the stretch of the evening where the room splits in two.
The country club evening
South Jersey has an unusual density of private clubs, and the member calendar fills the year: the holiday party, the golf outing dinner, the new members night, the ladies' evening. These are dining rooms rather than ballrooms, which is where close-up work belongs. Nothing for the club or the caterer to set up, and I start whenever the room is ready. Best for member events, club holiday parties and private dining.
The milestone party
A fortieth, a fiftieth, an anniversary or an engagement party, at home, at a club or in one of the catering halls along Route 73. Strolling magic and mind reading work at any size, never ask your guests to stop talking, and give the people who do not know each other something to talk about. Nobody is made into the punchline, which is the thing a host actually worries about.
See Mike in action
About
A date that was set three years ago
A mitzvah date is not chosen the way a wedding date is chosen. It is fixed by the calendar years ahead, and it is nearly always a Saturday, which means the good suppliers in Camden and Burlington County are spoken for a long way out. If you are planning two or three years from now, that is not early, that is normal, and it is the right time to ask.
The room itself is the part people underestimate. Two audiences with nothing in common are in it at once, and the entertainment has to work for a thirteen year old and their grandmother in the same half hour without talking down to either. Magic and mind reading do that better than almost anything else, because the guest is holding the thing that happens.
I am about twenty minutes away over the bridge and I drive. I arrive forty five minutes early and I am set up before your first guest walks in, largely because there is nothing to set up. I bring everything and I need nothing from the venue beyond the room itself.
I spent more than twenty years inside corporate America, which matters more than it sounds. I read a run of show without needing it explained, I do not perform over the speeches or the candle lighting, and I know the schedule slipping is normal and not a crisis. Nothing in the act is off color, nobody is embarrassed, and no guest is made into the joke.
The paperwork is handled. Performer liability insurance, a certificate naming your club or venue on request, which most of them ask for, a real contract, and an invoice that will not cause a conversation.
Magic and mind reading both. Some rooms want one, some want the other, most want some of each, and I will tell you which I think yours is once I know the date, the venue and roughly how many guests. Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Haddonfield and Marlton are standard for me, along with Philadelphia and the wider region.
Proof
Real rooms, real reactions
"We brought Mike in as a nice complement to a cocktail reception, but instead, he became the main event. The whole room followed him around, chasing the next trick, because once people saw one they wanted more. Mike is genuinely talented, has great energy, and is a crowd-pleaser in a room that's not easy to win over; we'll definitely be bringing him back."
Christine R. Felice, SVP, Mitchell & Ness Commerce
"Mike is magic! We hired Mike for my 40th at a winery and all I can remember is random screams of amazement among the crowd. He is flawless in his execution and left us all in awe. My family and friends talked about his performance for weeks!"
Ankur Patel, 40th birthday celebration
"Michael was absolutely incredible! We had him at our end-of-summer carnival party, and he completely captivated the entire crowd. With a big party, it's not easy to hold everyone's attention, but he had people gathered around, laughing, amazed, and genuinely trying to figure out how he was doing what he was doing! Our guests were talking about him all night and even afterwards."
Kejal Bhatt, end of summer party
Below, photographs from real events, taken on the night, with real guests reacting in real time. Ballrooms, cocktail receptions, hotel function rooms and convention stages across the East Coast.
Volunteers from the room
Two guests who walked in as strangers, now standing next to me in front of a full house. Nobody is planted and nobody is the punchline.
A full room
Cocktail hour at a black tie gala, guests closing in on both sides. No stage and no microphone, just a room full of people who came over to see what everyone was looking at.
Black tie season
Arriving for an annual charity gala. One case, no setup, ready before the doors open.
Partial client list
Vanguard · Insight Partners · Alimera Sciences
New American Funding · Fox Chase Cancer Center
Mitchell & Ness · Marriott · Wyndham · AtlantiCare
Mohonk Mountain House · Borgata · Harrah's
Ocean Casino Resort · Live! Casino · SugarHouse Casino
Disney Cruise Line
Questions I get asked
How long do you perform?
Once I know a bit more about your event, I will come back with a recommendation on the length and the format that fits it best.
What do you need from the venue?
Strolling needs no stage, no sound and no setup. I simply start. For a seated show I need somewhere the whole room can see me, and a small riser helps past about 80 guests. I bring my own microphone and speaker if the venue has none.
Where do you travel?
Philadelphia and the surrounding region are standard: NJ, DE, MD, DC, NY and CT. Further afield is possible, just ask.
Is it right for a mixed audience?
Yes. Nothing in the show is off color, nothing embarrasses a volunteer, and nothing needs explaining to the client's boss afterwards.
Insurance and dress?
I carry performer liability insurance and can send your venue a certificate on request. Standard dress is a dark suit. Black tie or a costume brief is no problem if your evening calls for it.
Contact
Tell me about your event
Send the date, the venue and roughly how many guests. You'll hear back the same day with what I'd do and what it costs.