James provided entertainment for our 28 guests at Pomeroy Winnetka after dinner. He has a unique gift of not just being an incredible magician but also has a great personality. He interacted up close and personal with our guests, got them laughing, and amazed. I am sure they are still telling there friends about that evening! I will also add that he worked extremely hard to keep everyone's attention focused on him and not the distractions of the restaurant. In the end I can firmly say HE WON!! read more

We hired James for a company conference and he was great to work with! He quickly responded to our inquiry and was very prompt and communicative throughout the planning process. He put on a great show for our employees and everyone enjoyed it. Lots of laughs, surprises, and audience participation. Would definitely recommend! read more

James did a fantastic job entertaining our small group of 24...ages 1-70! All were entertained and amazed by his magic performance. Our grandchildren enthusiastically participated when James needed assistance... he was great with them!! He was very responsive, so easy to book and stay connected while planning the event. Thank you!! I would recommend! read more

James Sanden - Comedy Magician - Magicians Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Young people love their snapgrams and their instacarts and whatnot. It's hard to grab their attention. But there is a solution for your team event! JAMES SANDEN - COMEDY MAGICIAN! We brought James in for a corporate team event for a group of about 40 Gen Z'ers (Millennials are so 2015, we're on to Gen Z now). James was incredibly easy to work with. He was responsive, easy-going, and amenable to some crazy tweaks in our schedule. He was upfront about costs and very reliable with communication. More importantly, James was an incredible performer. He mingled throughout the room of skeptics and quickly turned them into believers of the art of magic. James has an incredible gift of remembering names. I won't spoil any of his tricks for you but I think the most meaningful element of his time with our group was that he referenced everybody by name, breaking down all barriers and turning the audience into his champions. You should definitely hire James for a goofy, out-of-the-box, memorable event. His illusions might even be on par with Gob Bluth. read more

I can't even begin to express how great it was having James at our company's 25th anniversary party. He was hilarious and all of his tricks were incredibly captivating. I'm still in awe over the things he was able to perform. We highly recommend, you won't be disappointed. read more

James the Magician preformed for my one year old daughter's birthday and baptism party. He preformed to an audience of approximately 50 adults and 20 children ranging in ages 1-13 years old. He was able to keep the entire room engaged and improvised when needed. My daughter was a busy bee and kept walking around his performance area but James handled it with humor and grace! Overall great performance and he walked around the entire room after making balloon animals for the children while we served food. Would recommend him to anyone! Showed up on time even with the parking nightmare of the city. And if this helps anyone, our event was held in a church multipurpose room, immediately after service on a Sunday. Great entertainment for all ages! read more

James came to our company's holiday party and did an amazing job with his walking magic and performing in front of the group as a whole. We had a challenging schedule (including cocktails, dinner, and announcements) but James was able to adjust his show to our schedule and still make it enjoyable. Would definitely hire him again. read more

I hired James for my brother's wedding in hopes of spicing up the reception. As guests finished up their meals, James strolled tables performing magic. James kept guests engaged and wowed! He also made sure to perform a trick for me. His delivery was dynamic, captivating, and left me scratching my head all night! I later found out James overstayed his time to perform for my brother and sister-in-law. His dedication beyond doubt was appreciated. They were thrilled to have him at their wedding. He stands out as a magician because he is versatile, committed and extremely talented. I highly recommend James! read more

I hired James a 2nd time for my brother's birthday and my family loved him!!!!!!!!!! He is amazing, his magic blows my mind. My family loved him and I will hire again. read more

James worked a very large, very rowdy crowd for my husbands 30th surprise birthday party at a brewery and was a HIT! He was hilarious and his tricks were amazing! We had guests aging from 25-90 years-old (really!) and everyone thought he was incredible. I know nothing about magic, but knew I wanted to hire a great magician for the party...and James delivered. He was easy to work with and a really great guy. Can't say enough about how wonderful he was! read more

James Sanden - Comedy Magician - Magicians Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We hired James for our son's 8th birthday. The kids payed rapt attention, the adults had a blast and everyone was amazed and laughed a lot. My son is still on cloud 9. James was incredibly professional and easy to work with - easy to reach, clear contract, affordable, answered questions helpfully. Use him, you'll be delighted. read more

Wonderful show put on by James Sanden for over 1 hr at Willard School in Evanston during an evening event where the PTA provided childcare for parents needing care during the event He not only is warm, friendly, approachable and entertaining but extremely good at engaging the kids right away into his show. The way he weaves in humor into the show is also really wonderful. I saw James perform at an event for our adoption agency in the early fall and his show was equally entertaining for adults. I would highly recommend him for any event - adults or kids - and know that he will cater his humor and show to the audience. read more

James's was magical and fabulous!! My husband hired him for a show for my birthday and he didn't disappoint! All guests commented what a wonderful magician he was. He was funny and his tricks left all of us in awe. Unbelievable!! Truly amazing thank you James!!!!! Naomi & Jason Korkus read more

James performed at my son's 6th birthday party today and he completely exceeded our expectations. We had 30+ people and ages ranged from 3 to 70+ and James was able to entertain everyone in the room - he captivated the kids and the adults for 45 minutes and then made balloons for every single kid after the magic show. He even did a special birthday card trick for our son and that was a huge hit. We planned for him to give our son 3 gold coins prior to the show (one of his birthday wishes) and James beautifully integrated it into the beginning of the show and my son (who has recently discovered magic) was hooked. The show itself is super interactive and engaging AND really, really funny - both the kids and the adults spent the entire time smiling and laughing. James was extremely professional from the time we exchanged our first email (he responded quickly) to the time he arrived today. He showed up early to set up, and he was a complete joy to work with. We highly, highly recommend him, and we plan to hire him again! read more

I work at a small private school and James performed at my school's kickoff to our Spirit Week. He was fabulous! Not only were all the students wowed by his magical skills but the adults were engaged and loved every moment of the show! There was a wide age range of students (ages 5-14) and James managed to keep everyone engaged and interested the whole time. He was wonderful at adapting his show to meet the needs of everyone. It was the perfect mixture of magic and comedy, and he left the students wanting more. James was friendly and extremely professional to work with, not to mention very accommodating given our relatively last minute notice. I would highly recommend James for any kind of event and I hope to have an event in the near future so we can work with him again. read more

James was excellent. We hired him to do some strolling magic for my dad's retirement party, and he did a great job engaging guests who were just meeting each other. He finished his strolling routine with a final trick that highlighted my dad and mom. It was amazing and sweet. All the guests loved him, even my 93 year old grandmother. Thanks James. read more

James is your answer to turn a good party into a great party that your friends/associates will talk about ... not only to others, but every time they see you! Had a patio party of mixed friends. No one knew we hired James. As per my request, James was to casually mix into the different groupings of friends, interject their conversations with a quick 'close-up' magic trick, then move onto the next group of friends. By the time James had moved onto the third group, some of the first two groups were coming up to us with giant smiles - as they each told a different trick they witnessed, these strangers had an instant bond and the varied groups of friends slowly merged into one group. James experience with reading an audience was perfect as he gracefully started his 'stage show' ... it was impressive that these random friends now moved as one and the entire audience assembled in a semi-circle around him. For another hour, James entertained. And what a show. He's not just a magician of incredible talent, he's got an incredible memory, answering questions and requests using almost everyone's name! (I've known some of these people for years and don't remember their spouses names! Several tricks had the audience explode into applause ... and rightly so, his act is fantastic. James will be back for sure ... not just because he's great at what he does, but because there's no way I can top him for our next party! Thank you James. read more

Thank you so much for being part of my daughter's the Eighth birthday party celebration. I have heard so much about her friends and their parents were talking about how much the amazing fun they enjoyed at the party. We were delighted to having you. read more

This is the third year my company has chosen to use James at our biggest tradeshow of the year, and there is a reason why we keep using him. His professional, courteous, timely, and a great performer. He is not pushy at all, yet he manages to draw all sorts of people in. At this event, we are looking to have our sales team speak to as many prospects as possible. A lot of people just walk by all of the booths, but James manages to capture so many of them! He also incorporates our business pitch into his tricks. It's amazing! He knows so much about our company that we've joked we want to hire him into our sales team! We joke, but it's true. I cannot recommend James highly enough. He is the best. read more

The week of our office holiday party in December, my boss asked if I could find a magician to mingle with the 100+ crowd. Never having looked for someone like this, I was at the mercy of Yelp and a couple other event review sites. I thought that James's site was professional and liked that I could see some of his tricks on video. Fortunately, he was able to make our event on such short notice. Arranging everything was super easy and I felt confident going into the day of the party. James arrived earlier to prepare and acquaint himself with the crowd and space. I'm an easy mark, but had an absolute ball watching his tricks. He was personable and professional, great with the adults and kids alike. I'd highly recommend him for events with a mixed crowd and laid back atmosphere. read more

James is an amazing entertainer and true professional. He was great to work with and I would highly recommend him. He performed at my wife's 30th birthday in a loud bar with no set stage. He was extremely adaptable to our needs and was very funny as well. read more

James performed strolling magic for our wedding guests. He's an amazing entertainer! Our guests were blown away and loved the interactive performance. He did a great job navigating a crowded, loud room and made sure each guest was able to experience and enjoy some magic. The best part: James ended with a special trick for my husband and I which contained a keepsake we'll always treasure. Thank you James for helping make our special day even more so! My guests are STILL talking about it! read more

We hired James for our daughter's 7th birthday and he killed! The kids and the adults were laughing the entire time, there was never a dull moment. His character for the act is not only hysterical but also adaptable for the group. We highly recommend James for party entertainment. read more

JAMES IS THE BEST!!! We just had James for my husbands 40th birthday and he was amazing. All the guests were adults and they were all blown away with his performance. People laughed and there were a lot of ahh's. My husband told me he and a friend tried to trick him and they failed, he is that good. I highly recommend James and if you have a child who is looking to learn magic he is the perfect teacher. My son has had a lesson with him and he totally captivated his interests and he came home wanting to study and learn more. A must for any type of party :) read more

We hired James for our son's 8th grade graduation party and could't be happier. Very professional and entertaining. Kids and adults had a lot of fun. Highly recommended. read more

Awesome job. My kids and family enjoyed his comedy and Magic show, exceeded our expectations. read more

James Sanden - Comedy Magician - Magicians Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We hired James for our daughter's 8th birthday party and could not have been happier! The kids loved his performance as did all of the adults. Many of the parents have already asked for Jame's info since their kids came home and declared that my daughter's birthday party was the best they had ever been to because of the magic show! The magic tricks were very age appropriate and had the kids laughing for an entire hour. James was very easy to work with and very professional. Highly recommended! read more

Excellent! James arrived early, as promised. No one at the HS graduation party knew he was coming except my wife and I. That added to his show. The party was an open-house, and James strolled through the front yard, garage, house and backyard easily mingling and entertaining our guests. Guests from 8 to 78 years old were all in awe of his magic. His show was the highlight of my daughter's party. Thank you James! read more

James did a fantastic job putting on a show for my daughter's 7th birthday. He kept a room full of 25 kids, plus grown-ups entranced for the entire show, and then patiently made balloon animals for each kid to order after the show was over. He really made my daughter's birthday special. He was also great to work with, as we had to change the date and time of the show several times, and he was very accommodating about multiple requests to change the time/date of the party. read more

Booked James for a corporate birthday party. He was punctual, put on a GREAT show and wowed the crowd with his amazing tricks. Everyone was captivated and impressed! Talk of the day and made me look great. Highly recommended! read more

James recently came to our sons 6th birthday and my son loved him. I was worried about how to entertain 25 six year olds ( and their parents ) but James had them captivated for the full hour. Great communication over email and set up expectations so it was easy to host the party! read more

James was amazing!! We hired him for our son's 5th birthday party. He was great!! The kids loved the show! He effortlessly kept the attention of 30+ 4-6 year olds for the entire show!! That's magic in of itself! The birthday boy was on stage a couple of times and James also involved other volunteers throughout the show. We loved it!! Thanks James!! read more

My wife and I hired James for our daughter's 10th birthday party. I completely agree with all of his excellent reviews on Yelp. James is great! James is very professional, punctual, and most importantly, he was the highlight of the party. He kept 16 ten year old girls and their parents engaged and amused for 45 minutes. His show was both entertaining and amazing. I unequivocally recommend James Sanden. read more

After seeing James perform at The Magic Lounge I knew he was the right person to hire. James performed at a post- wedding party for family and friends of the bride and groom a few days after the wedding. The crowd ranged from 11 yrs old to seniors but James was fantastic! He began with some up close walk around magic and finished with a show for the whole group and had the entire room engaged, laughing, and amazed. James even left the bride and groom with a memorable keepsake after including them in his act. He was very flexible as to our needs and can easily adapt based on the audience. I highly recommend James! read more

Booked James for my sons 6th birthday. We had about 10 kids and 6 adults. Everyone was entertained!

Picture this: a room full of 5 year-olds hopped up on sugar running around non-stop. Enter James (a.k.a. "The Great Sandini") and watch his first magic trick happen- kids sit still AND silently to watch the show for the duration. The parents are also under his spell. Everyone enjoyed his performance which was funny, engaging, truly magical, and somehow appropriate for both children and adults. Good trick, huh? read more