Zach Waldman

Professional Comedy Magician

Zach Waldman is a Professional Comedy Magician based in Los Angeles, CA. He has over 20 years of experience as an entertainer and performer. He is a comedian, magician, and mentalist, and he customizes his show to be distinct for every audience he performs for. He has been performing regularly at the Academy of Magical Arts' clubhouse, The Magic Castle, since 2001. For the past 20+ years, Zach has been a mainstay at many other reputable Los Angeles theaters and comedy clubs including the El Portal, the Comedy Store, the Improv, Flappers, and the Laugh Factory. Before moving to L.A., he attended the Player's Workshop of the Second City.

Education

University of Central Florida, BA, Communications

Professional Achievements

Professional clients include Microsoft, Google, BusinessWeek, Absolut, the L.A. Kings, Anheuser-Busch, and more
Has performed for many celebrities, including Seth MacFarlane, Joni Mitchell, and Sugar Ray Leonard
Worked on The Howard Stern Show in 1997 and was featured on his E! television show
Performed audience warm-up for Kenny Kramer (the Real Kramer) on his reality tour

Certifications & Organizations

Member, Academy of Magical Arts (AMA)

Favorite Piece of Advice

A bad trick can often be made entertaining with a great presentation. However, no matter how good a trick is, a bad presentation will destroy its entertainment value.

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Co-authored Articles (10)

How to

Hold Fire

Lighting your own hands on fire makes for both a fascinating demonstration of scientific principles and a neat party trick. The basic idea is to create a protective chemical layer on the outside of your skin that protect...

How to

Throw Playing Cards

Whether you want to channel your inner Gambit, live out a film noir scene, or end a poker game in style, throwing cards is a great little skill to learn. It takes a lot of practice, but learning a few different technique...

5 Equipment-Free Magic Tricks: Mind-Reading, Hand Magic & More

Bamboozle your audience with these 5 fun magic tricksReady to impress and wow your friends with some stellar magic? It's easier than you think. All you need is an audience, a pair of hands, and sometimes a little practic...

How to

Throw Cards Accurately

If you want to learn to penetrate the "pachydermaceous outer layer of the melon" with a playing card, as card-thrower magician Ricky Jay puts it, you need to learn to throw accurately before you learn to throw powerfully...

How to

Escape from a Straitjacket

Straitjackets were designed to incapacitate the people buckled into them, which is exactly why it’s so thrilling to watch a magician, illusionist, or escape artist wriggle out of one as part of their act. If you’re a...

How to

Perform a Card Force Trick

Whether you’re looking to build a business network, make friends or just be the life of the party, magic can be a unique way to break the ice. One basic illusion that’s sure to impress is a card force trick. By per...

How to

Do a Basic Sleight of Hand Magic Trick

Impress your friends and family with several basic, yet effective sleight of hand magic tricks! These tricks are easy to setup and easier to perform. You can perform these tricks almost anywhere and wow your audience. Fr...

How to

Perform the Three Equal Ropes Illusion

The audience sees you count, one at a time, three ropes of different sizes. You point out a small rope, a medium one, and a long one. Then, apparently by magic, the three ropes change to three ropes of equal size, which ...

How to

Learn Magic Tricks

For centuries, magic tricks have mystified and entertained people around the world. Magic tricks are a great way to socialize and make new friends, but you can also use these tricks to impress friends, family, and passer...

How to

Become a Magician

Becoming a magician is a fun way to impress your friends and family at parties or gatherings. If you love impressing audiences routinely, you could become a professional magician. You’ll also need to start learning sim...