COAL CITY — Six-year-old Claire Masquida of Shorewood waited with great anticipation for the Halloween Magic show by Channahon Family Dentistry to begin Saturday night.
"I think he's going to lift someone up in mid air and make someone disappear. That will be cool," Masquida said.
Masquida's prediction was correct. Dr. Mark Kaschube, also know as "Dr. Magic," did all of these things as well as make a tiger cub and a full-grown lion appear.
The Coal City High School gym was transformed into a haunted arena with dim lighting and fog filling the floor when the show began.
The show began with Coal City's On Broadway Dancers taking the stage as zombie dancers, performing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
"It smells like zombie in here!" said Kaschube as he took the stage. "What did the zombie do after the dentist pulled his tooth?"
"Ate his dentist!" he said with a laugh.
Kaschube's "evil sister" played by On Broadway's Director Kim Scerine tried to ruin the show by taking Kaschube's birds for his trick, but he made them reappear. He later taught the evil sister a lesson by putting her in a box and squishing it down to a tiny size.
When the magician went to take her out of the box, he pulled out a tiny alligator instead of Scerine, bringing screams from the room full of children.
About 1,200 people attended the event that was free. Guests were encouraged to donate to Salute Inc. The organization helps with financial, physical and emotional needs of members of the military, veterans and their families.
Mary Beth Beiersdorf, the founder, spoke to the crowd along with the mother of Diamond solider Marine Cpl. Joe Singer, who was wounded in July when serving in Afghanistan. Salute is helping Singer and his family.
"Without you, we can't do the things we do like helping families like our local hero," said Beiersdorf.
Scerine also took a moment to recognized Darrell Olson, a city employee injured in a crash involving a drunk driver at Octoberfest Oct. 6. She went on to tell Kaschube and the audience that Coal City is a loving community.
"We're family!" someone shouted from the audience.
The magical dentist brought out his son and daughter to help with one of his tricks, where they took a baby tiger out of a seemingly empty box.
Following this trick, Kaschube unveiled the last big surprise when a grown lion appeared in a cage that Kaschube had climbed into himself just moments before. When the lion appeared, Kaschube was on the outside.
"There's the mama!" shouted a little girl from the audience about the lion.
Avery, Marissa and Molly Ramsdem loved the show, but their favorite parts varied.
Avery loved the animals and Marissa loved the dancing.
"It was interesting that he could pop out of no where," Marissa said.
Even the parents enjoyed the show.
"It was awesome," said Trevor Sula of Goose Lake and father of Tanner Sula.
"It's awesome they do something for the community and the fallen soldiers," he said.
