Michael Kent, magician and comedian, co-sponsored by the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center, will headline Bradford’s First Night activities on New Year’s Eve at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. at First United Church on Chambers Street.
Kent was named 2014 Entertainer of the Year after being nominated for the award in Campus Activities Magazine for three consecutive years. He has five career nominations in the publications after having been nominated for Best Rising Star and Best Small Venue Artist in 2009. The Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) named him 2014 Magician of the Year. Kent was recently listed on NPR’s “New and Noteworthy Podcasts” list and winner of a 2021 dotComm Award!
In a style reminiscent of a late-night talk show, Kent invites the audience to laugh with him at the absurdity of a modern-day magician. He combines his sarcastic sense of humor with mind-blowing magic in a way that seems to let the audience “in on the joke.” This style has made Kent one of the college market’s top comedy magicians, earning him loyal fans around the country in the process. As he tours, Kent’s audiences are experiencing what it’s like when a stand-up comic performs, and occasionally pokes fun at the art of magic.
A resident of Columbus, Ohio, Kent gives the ancient art of magic a facelift with an irreverent and often satirical comedic spin. He spent his younger years learning magic to make friends and meet girls. After graduating from college, it became his job. Kent studied Communication, Linguistics and Theater at The Ohio State University and has studied at the world-famous Second City comedy theater in Chicago. He has performed for audiences all over the globe from The Magic Castle in Hollywood to US Troops serving overseas in 13 different countries. He’s been seen in hundreds of colleges all over the country in as many as 40 states in a single year, and even wrote a book. He spends more than 250 days a year touring his show around the world and was featured on the hit TV show “Penn & Teller Fool Us.” Critics have hailed Kent as “brilliant and brutally funny” and “a master at getting laughs.” His personality gives his magic an edge that keeps fans engaged, impressed, and energized.
“We are thrilled to have Kent here with us for the First Night activities, and I hope everyone will come out and enjoy his humor and magic,” said Darren Litz, executive director at BCPAC. “After the year and a half we’ve all been through, a little laughter will be good medicine for the soul to ring in 2022.”
Patrons must purchase a $5 First Night button for admission to the performances. Buttons are available at BCPAC, Northwest Savings Bank (Foster Brook and Main Street branches), Tops Market in Bradford, and the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce.
