Kevin Lepine returns to Comedy Castle with Vegas hypnosis act

Kevin Lepine heads to Royal Oak on Nov. 10 to perform his Las Vegas stage act at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle. The 75-minute show takes place at 7:30 p.m. and is open to audience members 18 and older. The venue is located at 310 S. Troy St.

Lepine is a 1993 graduate of East Detroit High School. He currently headlines 250 shows per year at the Canyon Club inside the Four Queens Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Those performances run at 9 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday. His act is titled “Unleashed. The Vegas Hypnosis Show.”

The performer combines hypnosis, comedy, and magic in his routine. He brings volunteers to the center stage to take part in the act. Lepine states that he only selects people who are willing to be on stage. He wants the experience to remain positive for every participant.

“I never want to drag someone up,” Lepine said. “I want it to be a positive experience.”

Volunteers often undergo exaggerated behaviors under his direction. Some men dance in the style of pop singer Britney Spears. Others act as cheerleaders to pump up the crowd. A few participants appear to give birth to newborns while on stage. The audience laughs when hypnotized volunteers attempt to become champion spellers but fail in the process.

Signature skits involve participants believing they have psychic powers or acting like professional wrestlers preparing for a match. Volunteers sometimes speak in what appears to be an alien language. Lepine noted that while some of the show is planned, spontaneous moments depend on the crowd. He said the new material comes from people being in weird positions on stage.

Lepine’s wife, Emily Lepine, joins him on stage as his assistant. The entertainer does not keep a straight face during the performance. He often laughs along with the audience. He said he gets people together for 75 minutes and loves the type of laughter he shares with them.

Comedian Joel Fragomeni has watched Lepine’s show at least a dozen times. Fragomeni performs at the Comedy Castle and also teaches others how to pursue work as comedians. He described the performance as a high-energy good time. He finds it fun to watch volunteers do outrageous things on stage.

One of Fragomeni’s favorite skits involves Lepine getting guests to fight over bar napkins they believe are $100 bills. Participants grab the napkins and stuff them down their shirts or pull out their wallets. Fragomeni said the stage gets messy but it is fun. Lepine said the $100 bill skit has always been a staple in his show.

In 2026, Lepine was named stage hypnotist of the year by the Performing Hypnosis Summit. He said he gets to live his dream of Las Vegas and do it with his wife on stage. He believes that is all he can ask for.