Zach Waldman

Zach was born in North Miami, Florida. He graduated from Miami Country Day School in 1992 and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1996 with a B.A. in Communications. Zach started performing magic almost as early as he could walk. Cutting his teeth in nursing homes and pre-schools he learned to perform for any audience. Not yet old enough to drive to his gigs, Zach depended on his older siblings for rides. He continued to perform magic all through college and then something changed. In 1994, Zach decided to quit magic altogether and focus exclusively on stand-up comedy. His first time ever stepping on a stage to perform stand-up was at an open mic at the Comedy Zone in Orlando, FL. Also in 1994, Zach was hired by WOCL-FM in Orlando, Florida. He became the morning show producer and an on-air personality. He learned a great deal from legendary broadcasters Frank Lasko, Scott "Scooter" Sherwood, and Alan Spector. After graduating from the University of Central Florida, Zach was offered an internship on The Howard Stern Show. He left a paid job in broadcasting to intern for the King of All Media. Zach was asked to stay on after his internship and received his first pay. A week before the internship was to end and Zach's job was to officially start, he decided to barge into the studio of The Howard Stern Show while it was live on the air, run up to one of the microphones, and do a commercial for his brother's now defunct nightclub, One Night Stan's, in Hollywood, Florida. However, Zach pulled this stunt completely naked. He snuck into one of the production rooms, took off all of his clothes, and streaked the show. Howard Stern kept Zach on the air naked for almost 45 minutes. He had Zach escort Luke Perry of Beverly Hills 90210 fame into the studio. At exactly 5:00PM Zach was fired from The Howard Stern Show. According to Howard Stern and Gary Dell'Abate, the decision to let Zach go was made by General Manger, Tom Chiusano. After leaving the Howard Stern Show, Zach went to work as the opening act for Kenny Kramer, the Real Kramer. They performed together for over a year in New York City and at colleges and corporate events around the country. Next, Zach moved to Chicago, Illinois where he completed a year long training program at The Player's Workshop of The Second City. During this time, he also joined Aaron Haber's Low Sodium Entertainment. Eventually, Zach became Aaron's partner and they performed hundreds of improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy shows. Things really changed on September 1, 2000 when Zach moved to Santa Monica, California. After several years of performing experience, he was finally ready to tackle the comedy scene in Los Angeles. Zach immediately started performing at The Comedy Store on Sunset. After a few months of showcasing, he remembered he had to make a living. Trying to figure out what would make him happy, he decided it was time to revisit an old love. He phoned a few party planning agencies and offered his services as a magician. They all wanted to know if he was a member of The Magic Castle. Zach had removed magic so far from his mind that he forgot the mecca of Magic was now in his backyard. His first time ever stepping foot in The Magic Castle was to audition. He easily passed the audition and became a magician member of the Academy of Magical Arts at The Magic Castle. His next step was to start performing at The Magic Castle, which he did for the first time in 2002. He continues to perform there presently. Zach is now in high demand for private parties, corporate events, colleges, and comedy clubs. He performs strolling close-up magic, stage magic, and stand-up comedy. He's entertained a ton of celebrities including Vice President Al Gore, Gene Wilder, Smokey Robinson, and Dave Grohl.