Second Saturday Performance Brings Family Entertainment to The Highland Center

The Highland County Arts Council’s Second Saturday on December 9 at The Highland Center will host two shows for families at 5 and 7 p.m. featuring comedian and juggler Mark Nizer. Making the impossible possible and the improbable probable, Nizer has taken his one-man show to a variety of venues around the world, including The Improv, The Comedy Store, Walt Disney World, numerous college campuses, and all major cruise lines. He has also performed in thousands of opera houses, civic centers, festivals and performing arts centers including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. And now, he’ll be right here in Highland County.

“I would describe it as a one man show that uses technology, stand up comedy, visual arts and lasers to entertain and surprise people,” said Nizer.

Nizer has been perfecting his crafts for years, starting when he was young.

“My mother thought myself, my twin sister and my brother had too much energy, and at 12 years old she got us into an adult education class, even though technically I was a year too young,” said Nizer. “I became completely obsessed with it. In juggling it is perseverance. I always thought I was getting better because I got a little bit better every time.”

In keeping with tradition, the Highland County Arts Council is presenting these December, Saturday evening, family-friendly shows free to the public as a gift to the Highland community. This is part of their mission to support the arts and help to grow arts education within Highland and the surrounding counties.

“I’ll never forget seeing a performer come to my school and just blow me away with their show,” said Nizer. “When you’re watching the show I’m actually controlling the lights, the sound, the video. Everything you’re seeing is being driven somewhat by how I’m moving and testing stuff, but also technology.” 

“I slowly built this little system that I made myself, a lot of it’s 3D printed, that lets me tap into the lights in a venue,” said Nizer. “For example, I’m juggling this metal pipe by banging it with two sticks. Each time I hit that metal pipe, there’s a vibration device in there that sends a command to the computer based on how much vibration it gets. This plays a note, which changes the lights in the venue and it also changes all the cell phones in the venue to match that color.”

Don’t miss the combination of original comedy, world class juggling, movement, music and technology that promises a spellbinding evening. The two shows will be December 9th, one at 5 p.m. and a repeat performance at 7 p.m. to provide the most audience involvement. Both shows are held at the Highland Center in the main auditorium space. 

Thanks to support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts, these performances are free, as a gift to the community from the Highland County Arts Council. Donations will be gratefully accepted.