Las Vegas entertainer’s talent to be ‘unleashed’

EASTPOINTE/ROYAL OAK — If you’ve ever wanted to be hypnotized, here’s your chance.

On Sept. 26, Michigan native Kevin Lepine will bring his “Hypnosis Unleashed — The Vegas Hypnosis Show” to Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle for one night only.

With Lepine onstage, the evening promises to entertain and serve up plenty of laughs. The doors will open at 7 p.m., and showtime will be at 7:30 p.m. The show is for ages 18 and older only. The Comedy Castle is located at 310 S. Troy St. in Royal Oak.

The Las Vegas headliner has been performing his show “Hypnosis Unleashed — The Vegas Hypnosis Show” at the Four Queens Hotel and Casino on the town’s famous Fremont Street for 13 years.

“It’s been phenomenal out here. It’s been an amazing dream,” Lepine said. “I’ve been so fortunate with other performers who give me feedback and critiques.”

“Hypnosis Unleashed — The Vegas Hypnosis Show” is a comedy show in which the audience is part of the act. During the evening, Lepine brings several audience members onstage, puts them under hypnosis and creates scenarios. The result is a hilarious comedy show.

One sketch that always stands out is when those onstage think napkins are $100 bills. Other parts of the show have the volunteers play various musical instruments while under hypnosis or dance like showgirls.

“It’s fun and it’s funny to watch,” Lepine said. “You’re laughing with them.”

Another good skit for Lepine is when he puts a married couple together with one spouse hypnotized and the other not.

“The unhypnotized spouse will say a color and the (hypnotized) spouse will give the most passionate kiss of all time,” Lepine said. “The kissing routine is probably one of my favorite parts. There’s a level of passion that is just awe inspiring.”

Lepine, whose wife, Emily Lepine, is his onstage assistant, also lets the audience make fun of him.

“I’ve got no problem being the butt of the jokes,” Lepine said.

Lepine is a hometown talent. He graduated from East Detroit High School in 1993 and lived all over metro Detroit, including Warren and Dearborn, before he moved to Vegas in 2010. Not one to forget his roots, Lepine comes back to the Comedy Castle every year. It’s one of the places in which he honed his craft and also found inspiration in the other acts onstage.

“It’s always great to run into old friends. It’s great to catch up with people. That’s where I saw my heroes perform, and Mark Ridley gave me advice throughout the years,” Lepine said. “I would go to the Comedy Castle as much as I could. Being onstage was always the place where I found myself. It does my heart and soul good to be up there.”

The Comedy Castle staff is always happy to welcome him back.

“I’ve known Kevin for a very long time. I get reviews of his shows,” Comedy Castle owner Mark Ridley said. “He just seems to hit a home run with the audience. They love him. They want to see more of him. It’s interesting to watch people when they are under hypnosis.”

Comedy Castle comedian Tom McCarthy will open the show. For more information on “Hypnosis Unleashed — The Vegas Hypnosis Show,” visit comedycastle.com.