Illusionist wows audience with first performance of the season

The Jaws of Death is a dangerous escape, one only the most accomplished of magicians would attempt.

Suspended 15 feet above the ground — upside down — Jay Owenhouse was trapped in a strait jacket he had to escape in an average of two minutes. An extra second of struggling, and fire would burn thorough the single rope holding two steel doors open around Owenhouse. The moment the rope broke, steel spiked trap doors would snap shut, piercing Owenhouse if he didn’t escape in time.

Flames burned through the rope as Owenhouse struggled to unbuckle the strait jacket. With mere seconds remaining, he threw down the jacket, hoisted himself right side up and leapt down to the stage. The steel doors smashed together just above him.

“I really don’t enjoy doing the Jaws,” Owenhouse said after the show. “But I like doing it because I like that people have a chance to experience suspense and to see something like that live that’s dangerous. So it’s fulfilling to do it.”

Owenhouse, the Authentic Illusionist, has toured all over the world with his show, “Dare to Believe,” performed in Logan on Sept. 19 at the Ellen Eccles Theater. With help from his four kids, ages 11 to 25, Owenhouse works to provide entertainment for all ages.

“You want it to seem magical for the audience and so it has to still seem magical to you,” Owenhouse said. “The thing that keeps me focused is really wanting to inspire people in a subtle way, to realize that anything’s possible. I think all great things are achieved because people dream and believe.”

Owenhouse has been interested in magic since he was young, according to the show’s official website. He and his family have performed in many places, most significantly in Asia in 2007-08 where his show received the “Best Touring Family in Asia” award.

“Probably the most important thing we try to communicate is that this is one of the few forms of entertainment that spans all the age groups,” Owenhouse said. “A show like ours is one of the few things families can do together and enjoy it equally well.”

Performing in Logan was the start of the show for this coming season. This show included many vanishing and reappearing acts — tricks with his daughters concealed in steel boxes, illusions with the tigers appearing in Owenhouse’s place, and a disappearing trick while he was riding a motorcycle.

“I really like the one I do with him, with the origami box,” said Juliana, age 20. “And I like the motorcycle one.”

Family is central to Owenhouse’s performances, as each of his kids play important roles in running the show, according to Owenhouse’s official website. John, age 25, is the main illusion engineer and assistant in the show. Next is Peter, age 23, the sound and video engineer. Juliana and Christina, age 11, are first and second female assistants on stage.

They all agreed that performing with their dad was the best part of being in the show.

“I love being with family,” Christina said . “It’s really fun. I love being onstage.”

Adding diversity to the Owenhouse family are purebred Bengal tiger twin sisters Shekinah and Sheena. Shekinah is royal white tiger, one of about 200 left in the world. Sheena is a traditional orange tiger, one of around 3,200 tigers .

Both tigers appeared in Owenhouse’s performance, drawing awareness to their endangered species. According to the official website, part of the proceedings from the VIP tickets goes to the Corbett Foundation to support tiger reserves in India.

But aspiring magicians don’t need endangered tigers to become illusionists.

“Be bad until you’re good. Try not to be afraid to be bad, you know what I mean?” Owenhouse said. “Just perform as much as you can, and then find things that people seem to like and just keep doing them.”

—ashley.ruth.stilson@aggiemail.usu.edu