Dentist again stages Halloween magic show for community

CHANNAHON - Many dentists would prefer to take a trick, rather than give a treat, on Halloween. The doctors and staff of Channahon Family Dentistry, Grand Dental Associates, and Farnsworth Dental Group, however, are different. They have found a unique way to give a treat to the community for the past 19 years. As you stepped into the new gymnasium at Minooka Community High School South Campus on Saturday night, you would have thought you had been transported to Las Vegas to witness a large-production magic show that can only be seen on the largest stages of the country. With the stage lining one wall, the bleachers and entire floor space were filled to standing room capacity as children and their parents witnessed magic in a story line they won't soon forget. As with any large-scale production, there was the headlining magician, Dr. Mark Kaschube - Dr. Mark to his staff and patients - performing some of the same magic tricks he has performed on stages throughout Europe. “I have been doing magic since I was 5 years old,” Dr. Mark said. “I still maintain some of my shows in Europe, but my main focus is being a dentist.” The show wasn't just magic and lights, it included prerecorded video footage, dance and fight numbers, and a costume contest for the children present, who came dressed as everything from Alvin and the Chipmunks to WALL-E the robot. Nine-year-old John Nelson said he would go to Dr. Mark if he could fix teeth using magic instead of a drill. “There is magic and there are miracles,” Dr. Mark said in response to hearing of Nelson's statement. “I perform magic, not miracles.” Throughout the 19 years they've held the show, it has moved around, with the first show taking place in Franklin Park. Eventually, three shows were offered; this year they scaled back to just the Channahon show. “We picked our favorite location, Channahon,” Dr. Mark said. “The school is so welcoming, the park district is great, everyone just pulls together to get this done.” Each year they develop an entirely new show, starting in January for the October event. “The kids vote on what they'd like to see next year,” he said. “This year, they can choose Phantom of the Opera, Nightmare before Christmas, or Munsters.” This year's Pirates of the Scaribbean 2 is the first repeat theme they've done. “Last year, there was such a warm response, that we repeated this year,” he said. The entire event is put on with staff and patients of the dental offices and the help of Tim Felix of Midwest Magic as the magic consultant. Dr. Mark said the original event started rather small, with about 250 people. The second year, it rose to 400 people, and by year three, they were bringing in crowds of over 1,200 at every show. This year was no exception, as the entire parking lot of MCHS South Campus was filled beyond capacity and bus lanes were soon filled as make-shift parking. When Krista Walsh went to work for Dr. Mark as a hygienist, she had no idea what that could mean for her acting career. “I loved theatre in high school,” Walsh said. “I had no idea he did these magic shows when he hired me, but after going to my first one, I knew I wanted to be a bigger part.” She said she as been working for him for eight years, and this is her sixth magic show. When asked what she thought of sharing the stage with a zebra, she said she had no idea that was coming out of the box. “The magic is just as much a surprise to us as it is to the audience,” she said. “We each practice our own parts, but we don't always see everyone else's parts.” For patient Jeni Maddaleni, the show is a continuation of her magic assistance she has provided Dr. Mark for the past 15 years. “I have a background in dance and have assisted him in some of the upscale professional shows,” she said. Maddaleni said seeing the kids' reactions from the stage is the most exciting part of the performance for her. “You look out and see their faces and you remember why you do it,” she said. Dr. Mark said whatever the show's theme is next year, he hopes to bring it back to Channahon.