The Kent Family The World's Most Interesting Family: And a well kept Secret!
Victor Kent had been interested in entertainment since he was a small child. That was further focused to magical arts when he was seven and by sixteen he was performing semi-professionally. By eighteen he was at it full time and attended college, full time. His philosophy was, "I can sleep when I'm dead".
While at college he met Mami, an exchange student from Japan. She was studying English, and Victor was majoring in Japanese....could you ask for a better match. Two years later they were married and nine months later Jugglin' Jim came bouncing into the world. Two years later while living and performing in Japan the troupe would welcome Princess Cynthia and two years after that Indian Miles. Miles was the most challenging birth to date in that he was born early due to complications in the pregnancy that lead to nearly loosing both mom and child. Six weeks in an incubator box and he was more than strong enough to come home. Mom had recovered completely as well.
Up to this point Mami assisted Victor when she could but the demanding family life meant Victor had to hire assistants...there were many over our years in Japan with as many as seven for our bigger show. But our time in Japan was coming to an end and the next era of our adventure was about to begin.
We moved back to California in December of 1995 and though our first choice wasn't Oroville fate lead us there and it is there we set up homestead. Starting from zero in funds and zero in contacts we started a campaign to get us known turning down ne'er a show. We made the local northern California show performing a strait jacket escape promoting a North State School Expo of sorts less than a month after being there. That would follow with a string of other publicity stunts including driving a car blind-folded, the strait jacket several more times, and a long list of fundraisers for various charities and non-profits. Still the world of magic and the various clicks, clubs, and groups had no idea who we were.
Over the years we would add four more kids to the Kent brood. Titus was next to be born. he doesn't perform in the show due to severe disabilities but he comes to our local shows and has even marched in parades with us. Victor Junior followed him four years later. Princess Amelia came two years after that and present another difficult birth. The emergency C-section became a desperate hunt for the baby as the super tiny Amelia kept hiding from the Doctor in the womb...who would think it would be hard to hide in a basketball sized organ. She made it and mom and baby came through stunningly. Princess Olivia came two years later completing the current Kent family Line-up.
Generally the kids joined the show one by one as they reached the age of three. At first they would hold props or do simple self working tricks or routines. But as time went on and the kids saw or met other types of entertianers around the country at gigs we were performing they slowly (and sometimes quickly) developed interests and then the actual skills in those various arts. Also as each reached the fifth grade their school required them to learn a musical instrument. So now all the kids above the age of 10 can perform on various instruments.
The family today performs over 350 shows a year and travels to many states each year. In 2009 they will travel to at least 8 states. Still they are relatively unknown in the magic or circus communities yet they perform more than most members of those communities. The interesting thisng is any booker who has seen them perform life have hired them. They have a nearly flawless rebook/recall rate at 95%...the remaining five percent represents a change in bookers or the event no longer existing.
Victor Kent BIO-History
Victor Kent has been performing magic since he was a kid. He has always been a class clown as well. In fact, he was voted class clown at his high school.
He performed a solo act for mostly the family market (birthdays, churches, picnics, libraries, etc) and only occasionally used assistants. Eventually he would use beautiful assistants more regularly as he built his stage show in Japan. His kids as the got old enough to hold a prop soon joined the show. Before long they were performing and assisting and developing fabulous skills. Perhaps, by accident or maybe more so on purpose they have remained in the show. The kids being in the show has brought the family incredibly close and the Kent’s can't think of anything better than that. It also teaches the kids stage skills, people skills, performing skills, and skills that will keep them off welfare. They truly love working together and it shows. Below is a more detailed story.
Below is a more detailed story.
Here is one of publicity pictures from 1994 in Japan.
Victor Kent was born in Florida in 1965. At the Age of seven his Grandmother, visiting from the East Coast (he was raised mostly in Milpitas, California) brought each of her grandchildren a present. Victor received a Ball vase trick (Still sold in magic and novelty shops around the world. In fact we sell a good quality one for $3.00 each.) That was the seed; all that was needed was the right fertilizer. So read on...
Doug Henning
It was about this time that Doug Henning, a Canadian magician with a gentle disposition, long curly hair, buck-teeth, and wore tie-dyed pajama like costumes was on the scene. He was all over the TV. As was Mark Wilson, a children's performer on morning television. Doug, and to a lesser degree, Mark, opened the world of illusion to Victor. That world would grow, as for birthday and Christmases Victor received various sundries of magic. Before long he was doing backyard shows and finally a birthday party that paid real money!
At an MDA Event. First Public Strait Jacket escape.
Throughout his life and career Victor has run into many fellow magic-enthusiasts as well as actual performers. From the earliest days as boys, Jimmy LaReer and Randy, fellow magic-lovers shared with Victor, and he with them, all they knew about the art. As he grew Victor would meet many more, some listed in this article, some sadly forgotten, some famous, some not but dreamed of being famous, but all would add a pinch of this or a dash of that to the recipe that would become the Victor Kent Family Magic Show. It is that way with many arts and skills. But in magic, since there is a certain air of mystery and secrecy the sharing is so much more special.
Then.
Now.
Doing "Back Yard Carnivals" for the Muscular Dystrophy Association lead Victor to try his hand at producing a "Marathon of Magic for MDA" when he was 15 years old. The idea was to get a bunch of semi-pro and pro magicians to do a show all day long at a local school theater and raise money for Jerry's kids. About ten magicians joined in and about $100 was raised for MDA. It wasn't a success from the income standpoint but it did introduce Victor to the business of magic and show business, in general. One great thing was meeting Fred P Faltersack. Fred was 96 years old then and he and Victor would become fairly close over the next few years. Fred had written several one-liner books and had a colorful history, having been friends with screen stars like Jimmy Durante and having met Harry Houdini as a young man. His friendship was very dear to Victor and so he is mourned and remembered (he died at 104. He performed magic upto the end.)
At 16 and again 20 Victor had the opportunity to see Harry Blackstone, Jr. perform live. Blackstone style and mannerisms impressed Victor so that he credits Harry Blackstone, Jr. for his current style...to a degree.
Harry Blackstone Jr.
Fred Faltersack
Of course no magician of today can say David Copperfield didn't have some influence on them. Copperfield was all over the TV during Victor's teen and young adult years. He would have a chance to meet him briefly in Osaka, Japan (where Victor was living from 1989-1995).
But that's getting ahead of the story. In the United States upto the time he moved to Japan Victor would perform for a variety of venues and events, mostly on the smaller scale (birthday parties, churches, even a bar mitzvah) until his first long running gig as a strolling magician, and often, a strolling clown, at Fat Fannies, a now defunct, hamburger family restaurant in Fremont, California.
But it wasn't until moving to Japan to master the language (his major at SFSU) that he started performing stage shows somewhat regularly and developing a real trooper attitude. It was in Okinawa, Japan in 1993 that Victor would perform his first upside-down, hanging from the feet strait-jacket escape. He had a 103 degree fever but lived by the trooper attitude that had developed in him that the "show must go on". He did escape and it took a good effort not to loose his cookies doing it. (What a production that would've been.)
In Japan, Victor got to know many Japanese magicians like Johnny Hirose, Fukai, Sanada, and Napoleons. It was in Japan that Victor also got to meet Western magicians who came through for lectures, touring shows (as in Copperfield’s case), and conventions. It was here that Victor met Martin Nash, George Shindler, Max Maven, Eddie Rapoza, Gold Finger and Dove, the Malloys, Dan Garrett, Hans Moretti, Greg Frewin, Donovan, and many others. But, I suppose the biggest name drop would come from Victor's USO connection. After some minor work with the USO in Yokohama, the USO contacted Victor because Alex Trebek was in Japan and wanted to visit Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Since Victor lived nearby they called on him and he had the wonderful opportunity to guide Mr. Trebek around that fine old city.
Japan was also the scene of Victor's greatest faux pas. "Magic the Story" was a magic play written, directed, and produced by Victor Kent. It cost a ton of money and a ton of resources. For a ton of reasons it flopped on the very first night and lay dead to this day. There exists one copy of the script and someday he may try and revive it. The fiasco almost drove Kent from the stage. But the trooper came back and produced about a dozen more shows before finally leaving Japan on December 24, 1995.
Back in the US the show would grow and so would the Kent Kids. One by one the kids joined the show and audiences would be charmed by their cute style. Since the return from Japan they have performed over 300 shows per year (1996 saw only 221 shows).
Back in the US the show would grow and so would the Kent Kids. One by one the kids joined the show and audiences would be charmed by their cute style. Since the return from Japan they have perfomed over 300 shows per year (1996 saw only 221 shows).
In 2003 the Kent clan became the Kent Family Magic Circus because besides the magic the kids were developing new skills outside magic but still in the variety arts sphere. Victor diversified as well learning fire-eating (influenced by his best friend from his magic days in Japan, the very cool Ed Rapoza), as well as the bed of nails and the blockhead.
Eddie Rapoza
Here is a promo shot from 1993...
"The Floating Rose"
love that do!
Here is a promo shot from 1993...
"Me and my bunny"
Kent and assistant, Keiko. The Hairy Year.
Kent, wife, Cynthia, Tomomi, James, and Mr Ashida.1994
The partial cast and crew and staff of Magic the Story.
At the age of 4, while performing in Japan, he asked to be called "Mr. Danger". Today, he juggles fire and escapes from a strait-jacket while dangling by his feet! He has become
MR. DANGER
Here James is at 5 with mom, sis and dad!
After seeing Jean-Paul Valjean at a couple of fairs James was inspired to become a juggler. Here he is with his hero.
At age 4, James appeared in a Japanese news magazine. Here's the pix!
At 7, James shows his secret to the linking rings!
