During a career spanning more than three decades, Kipley Wentz (aka “Mister Kipley”) has presented top quality, theatrical entertainment to schools, libraries, and family audiences throughout the midwest and northeastern United States. He spent many years performing sketch and standup comedy in New York and Amsterdam, and has written, directed, and acted in numerous independent films and television projects in North America and Europe.
Drawing on his years of experience as an award-winning filmmaker, actor, musician, and puppeteer, Kipley is now bringing his flair for entertainment to educational videos to supplement classroom and remote learning.
Designed to make it easier for teachers, parents, and caregivers to educate and engage children during this challenging time, Mister Kipley’s videos combine humor, enchanting characters, catchy songs, and entertaining stories with educational content.
Click here to visit Mr. Kipley’s early learning youtube channel.
To know what clients think, read the testimonials below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.
NOTES FROM HAPPY CLIENTS
“Mr. Kipley put on the “Signs of Spring” show for our Intergenerational center today and it was a huge hit. The children were fully engaged and laughing the whole time. The seniors also had a great time and they all left with smiles on their faces. The show was a perfect mix of magic, music and comedy. I would highly recommend this show for all ages. Thanks for such a great time.”
-Advocate Condell Day Center, Libertyville, IL
“Mr. Kipley was wonderful to deal with, very courteous and professional… I don’t know who enjoyed his performance more– the kids or my 65+ yr old uncle!
Mr. Kipley’s performance left a memorable impression, guests were talking about ” that mean witch” puppet all night long… Thank you for helping to make my little girl’s 6th birthday a royally good time for all!”
-Kathleen Williams, Hoffman Estates, IL
Mister Kipley’s program provided an exceptional evening of entertainment for our Lambs of Faith preschoolers. His program combined puppetry and music in an interactive format that kept the kids engaged and on their toes! We highly recommend Mister Kipley for your school, party or any event geared toward children.
— Deborah Hallman & Jori Reuter, Faith Lutheran Church/Lambs of Faith Preschool, Arlington Heights
I hired Mr. Kipley for an interactive magic-filled puppet show, Fairy Tale Forest, for our young library patrons in Lake Zurich. He was incredibly easy to work with and the show was absolutely outstanding!!
He came totally prepared, brought everything he needed for the show and was very easy to work with. Children were totally mesmerized by the show and there was no moment of boredom the entire show.
Mr. Kipley has an excellent sense of humor and you can tell that even the adults in the audience were truly enjoying themselves as the room filled with laughter. I caught myself giggling quite a few times. The children were laughing hysterically too!
He also had a lot of audience participation too, which the children really enjoyed, and he even had magic tricks seamlessly weaved into the show.
Dozens of patrons stopped to tell me how much they loved the show on their way out too and I would honestly say it’s one of the best library programs we’ve had in a long time. I would love to hire him again for another show in the future and I definitely recommend him for any library, preschool, or elementary school performance.
-Sarah Prokop, Ela Area Public Library District
Mr. Kipley performed his Fairy Tale Forest show for GPLD this summer and entertained a family/all-ages audience of 153. His original story featured recognizable characters from a variety of fairy tales and was sprinkled with age-appropriate humor and creativity. The magic tricks and audience participation throughout the puppet show kept everyone engaged, and there were multiple opportunities for kids to volunteer and assist. He worked really well with the kids and his ability to improvise was impressive!
–Ginny Sieck, Geneva Public Library
Mr. Kipley truly knows the preschool/family audience. He is very engaging and understands the importance of pacing, variety, music and participation. His shows are very entertaining and professional. A pleasure to work with.
–Silvia Kraft-Walker, Glenview Public Library
Thank you for bringing the Super Snowy Magic Show to our families yesterday. It was so much fun and the children where captivated by your puppets, magic and humor. We hope that you will come visit again soon.
-Jill Scott, Assistant Head of Youth Services
Oswego Public Library District
Outstanding performer!
I have been fortunate enough to have seen 3 of Mister Kipley’s performances, so I feel that I am a great resource to anyone deciding on an entertainer. Mister Kipley performed his safari show at my 3 year olds birthday party, and we hired him again to perform his superhero show when he turned 5 this past May. We had him at my other son’s 2 year old party where he did his farm show.
With every single show, he caught the attention of every kid there! He is engaging, talented, hysterical, and carries great energy throughout the entire performance. His shows are age appropriate and super cute. I can’t speak enough about Mister Kipley’s show. If you are looking for great entertainment at your child’s next birthday party, I highly recommend him. I have hired him 3 times, and have been super pleased with each performance and so have the kids and parents.
Each performance is so different and you can really build a cute theme for any party around his show. Thank you Mister Kipley for being so incredibly talented! We will see you at our next birthday!!!!!
-Laurie Margolis, Long Grove, IL
We had Mr Kipley perform for my son’s first birthday party. He did his Super hero show. He interacted so well with the kids and had them help with magic tricks. His buddy Charlie is hilarious! Our attendees’ ages ranged from 3 to 70+. And everyone enjoyed his performance! Great fun and entertaining. Highly recommended.
-Kristy T. G, Des Plaines
Everything was perfect. My son and his daycare had a wonderful time and were literally rolling on the ground laughing. Mr. Kipley also had a very effective way of calming the children (wiggle you fingers, touch your ears, shhh) that they all loved. I wish that worked for me at home! He will be returning to the center for their summer camp and the kids can’t wait!
-Melissa B., Lake Forest
Thank you for the puppet show performed this past Friday at our center. I want to let you know that I got very good feedback from parents about the show. They loved it! Once again thank you! -Denisy de Souza, Mon Jardin Child Care Learning Center
On behalf of the entire staff, students, and families of Todd Early Childhood Center (West Aurora School District #129, IL) I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Kipley and his puppets for performing at our school.
The show was entertaining, educational, and very age appropriate. Our students are 3-5 yrs. old with various language representations, and some children with special needs.
We all were engaged and enjoyed the Wild City Safari that Mr. Kipley led us on. Our students do not always have the opportunity to experience live puppetry and this was a wonderful, interactive adventure for them. We are looking forward to his return next school year – – I highly recommend Mr. Kipley and his puppets.
-Gina Zager, Todd Early Childhood Center, Aurora
Hi Kipley, Thank you so much again for coming and performing for Noah’s birthday. It was great seeing you again! Everyone (including us) had so much fun and we got great feedback! Noah keeps talking about the show… we put little finger puppets in the kids‘s goodie bags and they used them right away to make up their own little stories, that‘s how inspired they were. -Catharina M., Evanston
“Kipley, Thanks so much! I will never forget that day. You did a marvelous job with the crowd and my son obviously had a blast (as did my 4-year old niece and nephew). I’m so glad you were able to be a part of the party. Still hearing people talk about it. ? Thank you again”
-Leah Rimkus, Chicago
“Kipley was amazing! The children and teachers were so engaged and had the best time! The show has plenty of learning built in, which is especially important to our Montessori program. We can’t wait until he comes back again and again!”
– Maria Hassel, Director Childrens Learning World Montessori
Hi Kipley, I just wanted to let you know that a bunch of my friends have told me that their children are still talking about “Stinky Pete” from your show at Stuart’s birthday party.
My two-year old daughter still loves to tell the story of Stinky Pete from her brother’s party. It was a great show and the kids are still talking about it three weeks later — a true sign of a success. Thanks again!
-Megan Weisberg, Glencoe, IL
I just wanted to send out a HUGE thanks to you from Northbrook Community Nursery School! It is not easy to keep 80 + kids plus their parents entertained that late at night, which you did! You engaged the children very well and had them laughing and intrigued the entire time! I have heard a lot of positive feedback from the parents and staff at our school! Bravo!!
-Annie Porthan, Northbrook, IL
Kipley, Now that I’ve gotten a moment to catch my breath from my daughter’s birthday weekend, I just wanted to say thank you so much for helping to make Peyton’s 3rd birthday party a success.
All of the children seemed very engaged in your show and it held their attention for the entire time. And, you were great with handling the younger ones that would get extra enthusiastic and stand up or try and come up front. So thanks again.
All of the parents were quite impressed with your show and I know I already gave a couple of them your contact info because they wanted to store it in their arsenal for future birthday party ideas. Again, my sincere thanks for helping us all relax and enjoy Peyton’s party.
Regards,
Daniella S., Glencoe, IL
Hello Kipley, Now that we have had a chance to recover from the party, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for a wonderful performance. My husband and I were a little nervous about having 14 children at our home and were really counting on you to provide the entertainment.
Boy, you did not disappoint. That you were able to keep all the kids engaged for 45 minutes and also provide a show that had the adults wondering, “How did he do that?” was truly a feat.
Our children have been talking about the show almost nonstop since the party. I wish I could have seen more of the show, but am grateful that I had the time to prepare for lunch. Thank you again…the kids were absolutely enthralled!
-Jennifer W., Chicago, IL
I knew as soon as Mr. Kipley concluded his performance at my son’s 6th birthday party that there wasn’t any question we would have him back again…and we did!
Mr. Kipley’s performances are a wonderful blend of puppetry, magic, humor and crowd participation that engage the children for the length of the show and bring about genuine, uncontrolled laughter from the kids throughout.
The smile on my son’s face and his hysterical laughter were all I needed to consider his birthday parties a great success. Thank you, Mr. Kipley!
-Bradley C., Wilmette, IL
“Kipley had our kids in stitches! All the adults were completely entertained just listening to the little ones’ laughter!”
-Lori Nelson, Cornerstone Baptist Church – Groveland, IL
“Mr. Kipley was prompt, fun and engaging. The Super Heroes show is very well suited for the under 9 yrs age crowd of boys. Both of my birthday sons had a wonderful time. Thanks for a nice experience!”
-Caroline Gau, Northbrook
“I highly recommend Mr. Kipley Wentz for a birthday party. We had a party for a boy turning 7 and Mr. Kipley performed the super hero magic show. Not only did the boys love the show, but the adults stayed, watched and were thoroughly entertained by the show.
At certain points, I don’t think I had ever seen a group of boys laughing so hard. The structure of the show was designed at a good pace that allowed both physical interaction and observation. The show started on schedule and everything ran very smoothly – all well worth the reasonable fee charged by Mr. Kipley.”
-Jason Wagener, Evanston, IL
“I just want to thank you for the amazing performance at Samantha’s birthday party today. Every parent was raving about how great you were and how you kept EVERY child engaged and captivated the entire show.
I’m still thinking about it and Samantha can’t stop talking about how great her party was. Thank you so much- I’m so happy to have come across you during my search for birthday party puppet performers in the area. Outstanding!!!”
-Michelle Ebner, Buffalo Grove, IL
“I can honestly say I’ve never had so many adults come up to me after a childrens’ show with compliments about a performer. Everyone wanted to know where I’d found you. The kids had so much fun and the adults laughed throughout the show. Thank you!”
-Elysabeth Ashe, Chicago, IL
“I usually don’t write reviews unless someone is exceptional, and Kipley was exceptional! I booked him for my son’s 3rd birthday party. He was on time, professional yet very friendly, and was great with the kids (11 of them ages 2-11) even though some of the older ones were getting rowdy (he kept them all under control).
He put on an awesome show that kept all of them very entertained for 45 minutes! I was very pleased with every aspect of what he did. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for quality entertainment for kids!”
– Brian Shin, Glendale Heights, IL
“We were looking for something special when we were planning the 6th birthday celebration party for our daughter. After spending countless hours researching different options, we stumbled upon Mr. Kipley’s website. Once we saw the videos of his past performances we immediately decided that this was exactly what we needed, and this was a great decision!
Mr. Kipley delivered a spectacular show for our guests. His show was a unique combination of puppetry, music, and stand-up comedy for kids that even adults could appreciate. The show was very age-appropriate, and Mr. Kipley completely engaged and had full attention of about a dozen kids age 5 to 7 for the complete duration of the show. It was a marvel to witness the children so engaged and well-behaved.
He also provided the party with some pre-show activities which were fun for children, and really helped some of our little guests who were shy at the beginning to feel welcome and become part of the celebration. He really helped us pull off of a great party, and our daughter was absolutely delighted.
We highly recommend Mr. Kipley for your children parties, and will remain his loyal customers from now on.Thank you very much, Mr. Kipley!”
-Oleg and Yana Kozyrenko, Chicago
“Thank you so much for doing those 2 wonderful shows. The kids and their parents were very appreciative and it was very obvious that they had thoroughly enjoyed your performances. I heard from the adults that the kids were quite mesmerized and that was evident because after your shows they went all back to being their rambunctious selves!
Tanmoy & I wanted to thank you for making Annika’s party so special with your performances and being so patient and accommodating amidst the chaos. I really regret that I could not sit down and watch the entire shows .. I just caught bits and pieces of it… one of those pieces was the finale for the magic show where you have the flying handkerchief which is supposed to have the snow angel hidden… it was absolutely amazing!!”
-Puja Roy, Hoffman Estates, IL
Dear Kipley, The kids LOVED your show. And what a joy it was for me and all the parents to witness their peals of laughter and exuberant dancing. Thanks so much for engaging the children at their level.
-Clare Pinkert, Chicago, IL
“With three kids under the age of 10, we have been to a lot of birthday parties over the years. Mister Kipley was by far the best performer we have seen in a children’s party setting. With an audience of active kids ranging from 3-11, we were not sure how well and how long the kids would sit still. Fortunately, our fears were quickly dispatched with a truly unique and dynamic performance.
Whether it was Mister Kipley’s interplay with his puppet friend, Charlie or his ‘magical’ interactions with the kids at the party, he never lost the kids’ attention and provided great entertainment for the kids and parents alike.”
-Erin & Judd Hines, Glencoe, IL
“I am so thrilled that we booked Mr. Kipley for my son’s 3rd Safari Birthday Bash! His Safari show was a perfect fit for our party. I couldn’t believe how well he kept 20 children (and their parents!) entertained for 45 minutes.
I loved the mix of singing, dancing, puppetry and audience participation. Several parents mentioned that it was one of the best shows they have seen and one of my friends has already booked Mr. Kipley for her next event! My son is still talking about Mr. Kipley…and his birthday was over a month ago! He definitely made our son’s party unforgettable and I can’t wait to book him again one day.”
-Jamie Tiplitsky, Deerfield, IL
“I just couldn’t wait to say thank you so much for such a wonderful show last night!! Everyone raved about how great you were. I still can’t believe you held all the children’s attention for that long! It was a great evening and we really appreciate you being a part of it.”
Heather Davey, Joyful Noise Preschool, Kenilworth, IL
“We will think of you again for sure. We had a board meeting last night and the members that were there expressed how impressed they were with your ability to keep the kids captivated! We were very pleased with how the afternoon went and really thank you for your energy and spirit!”
-Stephanie Kohn, Glencoe Social Club
“I had heard a lot of positive things about Mr. Kipley in the past, but I was beyond pleased to have hired him for my child’s birthday party. He was incredibly entertaining and not just for the kids ? The parents loved him as well.
The whole booking process was well communicated and very professional and we found hid pricing a great deal overall. I would recommend him to anyone….fun, original, funny and highly entertaining!”
-Heather Moran, Grayslake, IL
“Thanks so much! The kids had a great time. I passed your cards to a few neighbors too!”
-Liesel Brown, Wilmette, IL
“It was a fabulous show last Saturday at Isabel’s birthday party! She can’t stop talking about it. Thank you so much!”
-Inge Van Nijmeijer, Chicago, IL
“Thank you, Kipley. It was a wonderful day. Your performance was outstanding. Thank you for being so accommodating with your schedule.” Heather Miehl, Northbrook, IL
From Sheridan Road Magazine: “Watching distinguished North Shore puppeteer-musician-performer Mister Kipley at work is like entering another world. Using a variety of voices and delightful props, Kipley can sweep anyone into the atmosphere of a wild safari or a magic beach party.”
(Note: I moved to the Chicago area in August of 2012 – prior to that, I was performing in NYC and surrounding areas.)
Park Slope Parents “Highly Recommends” Mister Kipley Music & Puppets for birthday party entertainment based on client recommendations from parties.
“I wanted to thank you for performing and engaging all of the kids so entirely in the show. They LOVED it. Pippa and Toby are in love with lions and couldn’t stop talking about how fun it was to hunt for lions in their house. You have a gift. I’ll be happy to spread the word and again thank you for making their birthday so special.”
Kirsten Axelsen Carmel, NYC
“I’ve been bringing my son to Mr. Kipley’s classes for over a year. It is the only thing we have stuck with. In fact, we never miss it! It is rare that you find an entertainer that works so incredibly well with children. We have also attended a birthday party where Mr. Kipley put on a show. I was amazed to see all the children, from different age groups, all engaged, laughing and having a terrific time. The same was true of the Holiday Show that we got to see. I can’t say enough positive things about Mr. Kipley!!”
Sara Baker, Hoboken, NJ
“I just want to thank you for the great job you did at my son’s 1st birthday party… you kept all the children thoroughly engaged and entertained. You were great… thanks again!!”
Dawn Tanzosh, Staten Island, NY
“I first took my daughter to Mister Kipley’s show about 1yr ago. She was one then and was a little shy and not as outgoing as the other kids. By the end of the show Mister Kipley had her dancing, singing and fully engaged.She felt confortable and loved the show. I took her every chance I got. He knows how to engage the kids and they have a blast.”
Sandra Gomez, Union City, NJ
“Kipley did the birthday party puppet show and I thought it was worthwhile to mention how great he is. His show was so, so funny and our mixed-age group of kids all loved him. He kept a group of kids – all under the age of 8 – completely mesmerized for 45 minutes. We all know how amazing that is, right?”
Ellen DiMeglio, Hoboken, NJ
“Hi Kipley! Your show on Saturday was really AMAZING! Avery and his friends had a blast! You’re really an awesome talent, I’m so glad I found you and lucked out that you were available ? Thanks so much, we LOVED LOVED LOVED the show!!!!”
Khaliah Noel-Gibson, Colts Neck
The children were riveted by his unique blend of comedy, music, magic, storytelling and props. Even the adults were entranced by the performance. Mr. Kipley is extremely talented and appears to have mastered how to engage 4-5 year olds.
–Chris And Sonia C, Birthday Party (Children), Sleepy Hollow, NY
Everyone enjoyed Mr. Kipley’s performance. The adults had fun too! I would definitely use him again and recommend him to all the mom’s out there planning a party for their kids.
–Tammy L, Birthday Party (Children), Lyndhurst, NJ
Mr. Kipley helped make our son’s 1st birthday party on June 11th very special with his amazing performance. I am so happy that I was able to book him. He arrived on time, was very profesional and friendly. He kept the children entertained throughout the whole performance and incorporated every child aged infant -8 years old. I can’t say thank you enough and recommend his show to anyone looking to make their children’s birthday party special!
–Mavel D, Birthday Party (Children), Bronx, NY
Mister Kipley performed his puppet show at my daughter Elizabeth’s birthday party at her preschool. She just turned five and adores puppets. Mister Kipley was a huge hit. The puppets were great – not only from an appearance standpoint, but also with their distinct personalities – a great mix of fairy tale elements with lots of animals thrown in to engage everyone. All the kids loved his show. He was extremely professional, accomodating and good with children. My son, who is 2.5 y.o., also attended the show and loved his act too. After the show, Mister Kipley made balloon animals for all the kids.
–Chris Y, Birthday Party (Children), Fresh Meadows, NY
Mr kipley was a hit! He was friendly and very “kid” friendly. He was prompt and courteous to all our guests! His show kept the kids entertained the entire time! I am always a little nervous when booking new entertainment but gigmasters makes it easy with honest and awesome entertainment choices! We will definitely recommend mr kipley to anyone looking for a quality puppet show and all around nice guy!!! Thanks mr kipley we wish you much success!
–Sherry J, Birthday Party (Children), Pemberton, NJ
Mr. Kipley was awesome! The children were completely captivated by My. Kipley and his puppets. The show was so good that parents were even laughing and taking part in the show. I had a couple that was so blown away by his performance that they took his contact information before he left and called me later that evening to ask me all about him. I would definitely hire Mr. Kipley again; he helped make my daughter’s 5th birthday a day to remember.
–Rana A, Birthday Party (Children), East Orange, NJ
Great entertainment! Very engaging for kids ages 3-5, but kept the younger ones interested also. Mr. Kipley is very talented and professional. Absolutely recommended!
–Olcay B, Birthday Party (Children), New York, NY
Was very entertaining and sang many songs that my 2 year old daughters recognized. Held their interest and it was very interactive allowing the kids to be a part of the show. Great job!
–Lynn W, Birthday Party (Children), Ridgefield, NJ
“I had my daughter’s 3rd B’Day party at her daycare. The kids were completely enthralled and were sorry when the show finished. The adults enjoyed it as well – a teacher even took his contact information. Thanks Mr. Kipley.”
Lalith Sugavanam, Jersey City, NJ
“I could not have been MORE THRILLED with the show you did… A number of parents commented how much THEY had enjoyed the show. It was so incredibly entertaining and I was so happy to see the kids 100% engaged throughout the whole show. The sound of laughter was lovely to hear. [My son] had an absolute blast!”
Sally Robertson, Hoboken
“Yesterday we had our son’s 4th birthday party with thirteen kids. We hired Kipley Wentz (aka Mr. Kipley) to do a puppet/music show, and he was FANTASTIC! He kept all the kids mesmerized and laughing for a full 45 minutes, and he peppered his act with little inside jokes for the grownups. He’s a real professional–talented, fantastic with little kids and easy to work with, and his price is very reasonable for the quality of entertainment. ”
Susan Baer, Hoboken
“AMAZING! The staff thought you did an AMAZING JOB… they could hardly contain their enthusiasm still today! I can’t thank you enough.”
Zabrina Stoffel, HOPES Head Start, NJ
“Our daughter had such a fabulous time, as did all the kids. We couldn’t have had such a great party without you! We have already recommended you to a few friends and will keep you in mind for future ‘gigs’!
Kim Atwater-Moses, NYC
“Thank you so much! You were wonderful! The kids really enjoyed the show! I was told that some of the kids were talking about it for days!”
Alyse Heilpern, Livingston, NJ
“Mr. Kipley was prompt and professional and his show is fast-paced and funny. Children from age 2-7 were all entertained by the songs and riveted by the plot that wove them together… it really made the event special.”
Susie Felber, Weehawken, NJ
“Thanks again! Lots of good feedback from both the adults and the kids on the show!”
Lori Perbeck, Hoboken, NJ
“Thank you so much for the show, everybody loved it, especially the magic tricks!”
Inga Reznik, Barrow Street Nursery School, NYC
“Kipley’s puppet shows have captured the imagination of Beyond Basic Learning’s children by providing a rich repertoire of language and music!”
Zuleika J. Fertullien, Executive Director, Beyond Basic Learning
“Everyone had a wonderful time and thought your show was excellent. You kept them all entertained, from the little ones up to the adults! Thanks again!”
Debbie M., NYC
“Thank you very much for the show at Emma’s party – the parents told us they’ve never seen their kids so focused and well-behaved :)”
Anna R., Brooklyn, NY
“Kipley performed his pirate themed show for my son’s party and they were ENTRANCED. An excellent performance – we got great feedback from the parents of the other children! Well done!”
Noelle O., NYC
“Thank you, the kids enjoyed a fabulous party and the best part was your show. They are still talking about the magic tricks you did!”
Diana S. Wonder World Preschool
“It’s very common to hear that a show is good for ‘the whole family’, but your show really delivers on this promise. Everybody loved the show!”
Grace C., Brooklyn, NY
“I wanted to say thank you… all the kids really enjoyed the show. The next day some moms told me that the kids wanted to have you at their parties! Thanks again for being part of this celebration.”
Vanessa Rubin, West New York, NJ
“Kipley has been great in giving another perspective in learning. The children look forward to the puppet show and are able to connect the puppet show with their learning experiences. Thank you, Kipley, for being a great part of our program!”
Dr. Chandra Budi – Director, Agape Learning Circle
“Kipley Wentz (aka Mr. Kipley) is AWESOME at birthday parties. We had him perform at my son’s 4th birthday and several people told me it was the best kids party they had ever been to!”
HobokenMoms Yahoo Group
“Seconding Kipley….he performed for my daughter’s second bday…. mesmerized a room of 1-5 year olds!”
HobokenMoms Yahoo Group