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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 1, 2008 - 9 Mystical Mark-O defies the senses By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF LISA KORTMAN / OAKVILLE BEAVER CARPET · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD · CERAMICS · CARPET · · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD WORKING HIS MAGIC: Mystical Mark-O (Mark Correia) dazzles the camera with a card trick. The 12-year-old will put on the Mystical Mark-O Show for a crowd of more than 1,000 in Kitchener on Tuesday. He levitates on a magic flying carpet, he dazzles his audience with card tricks, he makes handkerchiefs appear and disappear ­ he even walks through barbed wire. He is Mystical Mark-O, and he is 12 years old. "I'm going to see if I can read your mind and find your card," says the Grade 7 Montclair School student, whose real name is Mark Correia. Clad in a tuxedo, bow tie, and with a suitcase of magic materials at the ready, Correia stands in front of a backdrop that reads `The Mystical Mark-O Show,' which also doubles as a box for a disappearing act. "It's going to be really amazing," he continues, holding a deck of cards and working his magic. Seconds later, Correia reveals the wrong card. Looking disappointed, he shakes the card and reveals the one he was looking for. As for how he does it, he says, with a smile, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Correia, who has been performing magic since age 6, will dazzle his biggest audience yet on Tuesday, March 4. He has been invited as a warm up act for part of a benefit fundraiser for Skills Canada in Kitchener ­ and there may be upwards of 1,000 people watching. But Mystical Mark-O isn't nervous about that. "I get more excited than I do nervous," he said, smiling. "I like to perform in front of people, entertain them and make them laugh. I like to be mysterious." Correia became interested in magic after his parents hired a magician for his third birthday party. "I thought it would be cool to intrigue my friends and mystify them," he said. So, as soon as Correia learned to read, he started reading up on magic. Since then, he's attended magic camps, and even worked with professional magicians to learn some of the tricks of the trade. He bills himself as "the youngest professional magician ever, (almost.)" "I'm almost professional," he said, smiling. "I'm very close to being professional." As for who Correia looks up to most in the world of magic, it's David Copperfield. "He really gets me with some of his tricks, I have no idea how he does some of them." Correia also likes the personality Copperfield shows during his acts ­ and there's plenty of that on Mystical Mark-O's end. His act includes music, and a fair bit of interaction with the audience ­ that's where his improv skills come in handy. "Those improv scenarios, that's what he's pretty well known for at school," said his father, Chris, who mans the music and created many of the props Mystical MarkO needs for his show. "I'm really interested in acting," said Correia, who has attended acting workshops and hopes to one day own his own theatre, so he can entertain full-time. His love of entertainment is obvious if you see his room. There's a director's chair with his name on it, a Hollywood-style mirror with lights, and posters of classic movies, like Jaws, Back to the Future and Casanova, hang on the walls. While he hopes to pursue acting, for now, Correia is focused on the Mystical Mark-O Show. He's been hired out for school functions, birthday parties, even store openings. Correia is also urged to show a lot of his magic when the family gets together. "They always say, less talking, more magic," he said, smiling. But of course, he doesn't mind. "The best part about being a magician is just being in front of the audience and making them think ­ just astonish them," he said. "I love the reaction at the end of a trick." While the audience usually can't figure out how he does it, if ever anyone does, he says, "they may know, but I've sworn them to secrecy." Mystical Mark-O! is the warm up act on March 4 for Building Futures, One Dream at a Time, a fundraising dinner and silent auction at the Delta Hotel, 105 King St. E., in Kitchener. The event begins at 5:45 p.m. That same evening, professional magician Scott Hammell, a Guinness World Record holder, will perform. Money raised from the event will go towards the Skills Canada Ontario Bursary, which provides financial support to Ontario Technological Skills Competition competitors at the Canadian Skills Competition. Those wanting to hire Mystical Mark-O can do so by calling his father and manager, Chris, at 416-931-0805. · CARPET · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD · CERAMICS · CARPET · CARPET · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD · CERAMICS · CARPET · · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 6:30 pm Holiday Inn - QEW and Bronte Rd. 2525 Wyecroft Rd. CARPET & AREA RUG CLEARANCE Persian, Indian, Chinese, Designer, Silks, Samples and Discontinued Rugs Carpet CLEARANCE HUNDREDS colours OF AREA Clearance Selected in stockonly starting @ Hard-wearing Berber RUGS $3.99* sq. ft. Starting @ only $1.69 sq. ft. Nylon Plushes starting @ $1.99* sq. ft. Clearing HARDWOOD Super Special 48oz Hard Twist only $2.99 sq. ft. Elegant 8.3mm includes installation and underpad In 6 colours. Installed for only Plank Style Laminate $3.99* sq. ft. Friday, April 4, 2008 at 6:30 pm Holiday Inn - QEW and Bronte Rd. 2525 Wyecroft Rd. Additional 50% Off already low sale prices on... Discontinued Area Rugs, Designer Rugs & Samples, & one-of-a-kind Persian Rugs *Sale applies to in stock colours only. Offer good at the following locations. Outlet Store ­ Trafalgar Village 125 CROSS AVENUE Huge Super Store ­ 228 King St. E. DOWNTOWN HAMILTON 905-849-4472 905-546-1921 · CARPET · ORIENTAL RUGS · VINYL · HARDWOOD · CERAMICS · CARPET ·