ENTERTAINERS

Unique danger trick works for Mark Nizer in Baltimore

by Russ Kaufman

Mark Nizer set an incredibly fast pace in his action-packed, comedy-filled, 15-minute show in Shalimar's Dinner Cabaret in the Baltimore Travel Plaza. His eight-month appearance there ended in January.

Props he used were balls, clubs, cigar boxes, spinning balls and ping-pong balls for juggling with his mouth. His innovative finale trick delighted the audience.

After a few lavishly-costumed dance numbers by the chorus, Nizer took the stage. His blond hair, fair skin and white props contrasted sharply with his shiny black costume and black stage backdrop.

 He opened with a flurry of three ball tricks to classical music. Using large white balls, he did three in one hand, continuous behind the back throws and several pirouettes. He rolled one ball from hand to hand on hit arms and across his neck. He  bounced a ball on his forehead, chopping on each bounce until the ball came to rest on him. That was the setup for head rolls from ear to ear.

He dashed to cigar boxes next and performed a short routine that featured foot catches. He ended with a double pirouette catch of all three boxes.

He spun a ball with each hand and one on a mouthstick and then did a back somersault. Instantly thereafter he was off and running with three clubs.

Ping-pong mouth juggling was the last portion before his finale trick. He began with two balls out of the mouth. Some­where in the pattern, he managed to say "thank you" to an applauding audience. Still going, he announced, "And now three balls!" and went right into mouth juggling three. He finished with five balls using both hands to feed his mouth.

Nizer brought the house down with his finale. He balanced a bowling ball on his foot and held a lit propane torch in one hand and an electric carving knife, which was turned on, in the other. He kicked up the bowling ball and juggled the three dangerous objects for quite some time as the audience went wild.

Following Nizer's routine, there were several more Las Vegas-style dance routines by the chorus. The 90-minute show ended on a nice touch as all performers sang "We Are the World" and left the stage to shake hands with the audience and thank them for coming.

His time in Baltimore yielded a permanent benefit, though. Nizer caught the eye of one of the dancers in the show, Mary Scott Whitehead, and married her on Oct. 26, 1987! They planned to work cruise ships following their honeymoon.