‘Abracadabra’, Kiwanis supported by magic

NEDERLAND August 11, 2007 06:15 pm

— C.J. Johnson remembers loving C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia books that tell tales of magicians in imagined places. Drawn into the world of magic and tricks, it is no wonder that Johnson has been in the world of magical entertaining for over twenty years.
His experience and skill were on display for ladies, gentleman and children of all ages Saturday afternoon as he performed his magic at Central Middle School as part of a Mid-County Kiwanis fundraiser.
The comedic and entertaining Johnson stunned his audience with amazing tricks of disappearing handkerchiefs, vanishing bananas and even a floating 6-year-old. The magician entertained children with his smooth, swift moves of magical wonder, but he did not forget about the parents as he often made jokes that went well over the childrens’ heads.
“I often say that my shows are entertaining on three levels: for the children, for the parents and for the parents that are paying attention,” he said.
Sandi Voegele, an attentive parent from the audience, said she was grateful for the humor in the show and that it made the performance that much more enjoyable. She was not the only non-child glued to the performer.
Guests — adults and children alike —could not keep their eyes from the stage as Johnson successfully pulled off one magical trick after another, including pushing a young female audience member through a mirror — without breaking the glass. With the help of another young lady, he used his magic to lift a table clear off the ground, a trick he says he loved reading about in Harry Potter.
While Johnson’s performance was generally fun, safe magic, his partner, Brian Brushwood, lived a little on the wild side using fire and a straight jacket during his part of the show.
“I was scared,” Orion Carr, 8, said. “I didn’t think he was going to get out of that straight jacket. I wish my dad could’ve been here to see him swallow the fire because he’s a fireman.”
A professional magician for eight years, Brushwood has traveled the nation over doing his shows at college campuses. He moved into another realm of stardom, though, after he performed on the Tonight Show.
“It’s just like you’d think it would be with limos and a dressing room with the lights around the mirror and your name on a star on the door,” he said.
But he has not let his fame stop him from coming to small towns like Nederland to perform for local community groups. Brushwood said his profession hardly seems like a job at all, unless he is loading his supplies.
“The best part is after the show when the kids come up and just want to shake your hand and tell you their favorite part of the show,” he said. “I just get such a rush from making so many people happy. It’s really addictive.”
The two magicians met several years ago when Brushwood was simply a stage hand for Johnson’s show. Now, the two famed magic men hardly cross paths in their busy lives and look forward to shows when they get to work together again.
For more information on the performers, visit their websites at www.cjjohnson.com and www.shwood.com.
The show was sponsored by the Mid-County Kiwanis and proceeds go to Nederland and PN-G ISD scholarships.

Photos

Guiseppe Barranco/The News Using hand-held props, C.J. Johnson stretches before attempting his ?wo-handed Juggling?routine during his magic show at Central Middle School on Saturday. The performer then juggled the prosthetic limbs.