Owenhouse thrills local audience

By ELAINE SANDMAN

Staff writer

Magic has always been tied to illusion and magic performed by illusionists has fascinated mankind throughout the ages. On the evening of June 29, the Bonners Ferry DARE program in conjunction with the Bonners Ferry Police Department brought the magic of Jay Owenhouse to the community in an effort to raise funds for the DARE program.

Owenhouse produced a program called Magic on the Edge that brought gasps of astonishment from the audience in the gym at Boundary County Middle School.

Owenhouse proudly dedicated his show to the Bonners Ferry DARE program because he feels it is a very important the program for helping young people make the safe choice and keep drugs out of their life.

Heidi Moore brought her children to the show, and all were enthralled by Shere-Kahn, a male Bengal Tiger.

"It was fun, I like the Tiger," Wyatt said.

"I like when the Tiger was a baby," Jessica said.

Because of the questions Owenhouse always gets about his Tiger, he shows a movie about the Tiger's life.

"I like when the man (Owenhouse) turned into a Tiger," Donnie said, in reference to one of Owenhouse's spectacular tricks. "I like the Tiger," Kylan said.

Shere-Kahn was born Jan. 10, 1996, and is part of the Magic on the Edge production. Owenhouse and his family have had Shere-Kahn since he was 11 weeks old. The show was a blending of what appeared to be simple tricks, and those that seemed impossible.

There were tricks that left the audience totally terrified and then puzzled about whether they'd really seen what they thought they'd seen. Did Owenhouse truly impale himself on a sword? How could he possibly be on a motorcycle suspended in a cage in mid-air only to disappear, and then reappear roaring into the audience on the same motorcycle as the one that had been suspended in the cage.

For Shaun Morgen and his daughter Michelle, it was their first ever magic show. "I was very impressed," Morgen said. "Michelle's eyes were as big as saucers."