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Kevin James (magician)
Encyclopedia
Kevin James is an award-winning French
-born American
magician, known for creating several unique magical effects, such as the "Floating Rose" which is performed by David Copperfield
.
He has also had longrunning performance runs at venues such as Crazy Horse
(Paris) and Caesars Palace
. He has won the "Parlour Magician of the Year" award from the Magic Castle and also appeared on the CBS television special,
"World's Greatest Magicians at the Magic Castle". In 2007, he was a contestant on the second season of the televised competition America's Got Talent
, where he proceeded as far as the semi-finals.
, to American parents Darrell and Mary Lou Lowery. His father was a USAF helicopter pilot stationed in Europe, though later the family relocated to the small town of Jonesville, Michigan
, where James grew up. He attended Western Michigan University
, studying drama but dropped out in his third year and moved to Los Angeles
, where he supported himself with small "strolling" performances at various restaurants, working for tips and a meal.
It was in California that James joined local magician groups such as the "Long Beach Mystics" and the Magic Castle Juniors, where he was allowed to watch the professional performers. He steadily improved his technique, and in the mid-1980s won the Grand Prix award at the P.C.A.M. competition. He also created a routine which aired on Japanese and European television.
In 1991, he appeared on the French variety show Sebastien C'est Fou, which led to a job at the famed Crazy Horse
in Paris, where he worked steadily for years, performing 2-3 shows per night, seven days a week. After Paris, James moved to Las Vegas
, becoming a featured performer at the award-winning Splash show at the Riviera Hotel, for another multi-year run. He has opened for comedian Louie Anderson
at Bally's, the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo
, and headlined at the Sheraton Walkerhill in Seoul
, Korea
. In 2005, he was headliner and star of "The World's Greatest Magic Show" in Las Vegas.
In June 2007, James auditioned for America's Got Talent
, and received unanimous approval from the judges to move on to the Las Vegas callbacks. At the callbacks, James was passed on to the short list. James was then sent through to the semi-final round where he disappointed the judges, resulting in his elimination.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magician, known for creating several unique magical effects, such as the "Floating Rose" which is performed by David Copperfield
David Copperfield (illusionist)
David Copperfield is an Emmy Award-winning American illusionist, and was described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. Copperfield's network specials have been nominated for 38 Emmy Awards and won a total of 21 Emmys...
.
He has also had longrunning performance runs at venues such as Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse (cabaret)
Le Crazy Horse Saloon or Le Crazy Horse de Paris is a Parisian cabaret known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers and for the diverse range of magic and variety 'turns' between each nude show...
(Paris) and Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
. He has won the "Parlour Magician of the Year" award from the Magic Castle and also appeared on the CBS television special,
"World's Greatest Magicians at the Magic Castle". In 2007, he was a contestant on the second season of the televised competition America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent (Season 2)
The second season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered on the NBC network on June 5, 2007 with a two-hour episode. Tabloid talk show host Jerry Springer succeeded Regis Philbin as host. Piers Morgan and David Hasselhoff returned as judges,...
, where he proceeded as far as the semi-finals.
Biography
He was born as Kevin James Lowery in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to American parents Darrell and Mary Lou Lowery. His father was a USAF helicopter pilot stationed in Europe, though later the family relocated to the small town of Jonesville, Michigan
Jonesville, Michigan
Jonesville is a village in Fayette Township, Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,337 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, where James grew up. He attended Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
, studying drama but dropped out in his third year and moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he supported himself with small "strolling" performances at various restaurants, working for tips and a meal.
It was in California that James joined local magician groups such as the "Long Beach Mystics" and the Magic Castle Juniors, where he was allowed to watch the professional performers. He steadily improved his technique, and in the mid-1980s won the Grand Prix award at the P.C.A.M. competition. He also created a routine which aired on Japanese and European television.
In 1991, he appeared on the French variety show Sebastien C'est Fou, which led to a job at the famed Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse (cabaret)
Le Crazy Horse Saloon or Le Crazy Horse de Paris is a Parisian cabaret known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers and for the diverse range of magic and variety 'turns' between each nude show...
in Paris, where he worked steadily for years, performing 2-3 shows per night, seven days a week. After Paris, James moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, becoming a featured performer at the award-winning Splash show at the Riviera Hotel, for another multi-year run. He has opened for comedian Louie Anderson
Louie Anderson
Louie Perry Anderson is an American stand-up comedian. Anderson created the cartoon series Life with Louie, has written three books, and was the initial host of the second revival of the game show Family Feud, from 1999 to 2002....
at Bally's, the Sporting Club in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, and headlined at the Sheraton Walkerhill in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. In 2005, he was headliner and star of "The World's Greatest Magic Show" in Las Vegas.
In June 2007, James auditioned for America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
, and received unanimous approval from the judges to move on to the Las Vegas callbacks. At the callbacks, James was passed on to the short list. James was then sent through to the semi-final round where he disappointed the judges, resulting in his elimination.
Awards
- "Parlour Magician of the Year", 2003, Magic Castle
- "Most Original", 2005, International Magicians Society
External links
- Official website
- "Kevin James is on the Edge", August 1994, GeniiGeniiGenii , a plural form of genie, which is an alternate spelling of jinnī , are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings...
magazine - "Toast of Paris", February 1994, Showbiz Weekly
- "Inside the Mind of Kevin James", June 1999, The Linking Ring