BIOGRAPHY

Entertainers often talk about the drive to perform on stage as something like a primal urge. Steven Kline is one of them. Bringing joy to people is a noble calling and his blend of magic and comedy has thrilled people all over the world. The Cleveland, OH, area native's irresistible attraction to the stage was like a magnet and steel on a collision course.

"I was about 10 years old when I got hooked on magic. I saw Harry Blackstone Jr. perform live and he made a floating light bulb go over the audience and that was it for me. I was also amazed when I saw Doug Henning and David Copperfield on TV," says Kline. "When I was a kid riding my bike, I was always pretending I was performing in front of a crowd. In grade school I started performing in plays and then I joined the band and choir. I really started taking magic seriously when I was in high school. I'd sit in study hall and practice card tricks!"

In his teens, Kline opened his own magic shop, which was the first one in Columbus, OH, in nearly 20 years. He was soon hired by an amusement park to perform magic where he created and perfected his stage show. His relentless creativity and pursuit of the perfect show led him to start a production company, Steven Kline Productions, on the side because as an entertainer he'd learned what worked and what didn't on stage. But live performance is where his heart lies.

"I just want to be on stage performing for people. It's one of my biggest highs in life. I eat, sleep and breathe my act," says Kline.

His masterful displays of magic are enhanced by comedy, which just comes naturally to Kline. It's an essential part of who he is as a person.

"I've always been the funny guy. I can't tell a joke, but I can find comedy in everything. That's another thing that I love about performing," says Kline.

His main comedy influences include Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby and Gene Wilder. He especially loves Wilder's role as Willy Wonka in the classic movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." ("It's called show business because both parts are equally important -- show and business. Willy Wonka understands that," says Kline.)

Professional performances include visits to New Zealand, Singapore and India in addition to return visits to China and Hong Kong. A few of his many notable career highlights include cutting a drum major in half in front of 107,000 people during halftime of an Ohio State Buckeyes football game at Ohio Stadium, making the CEO of OhioHealth appear on stage out of thin air and opening concerts for legendary music parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. Kline's shows leave audiences amazed and wanting for more.

"People of all ages love magic," says Kline. "There's just something about magic that captivates people."

In addition to keeping busy performance and production company schedules, Kline enjoys family life with his wife and their baby son at their home in Delaware, OH, near Columbus.