Illusionist to perform feat for mall crowd

It’s been said that Harry Houdini could escape from the confines of a straitjacket in less than 90 seconds. That’s impressive, but illusionist Jay Owenhouse aims to make Houdini’s stunt look like child’s play.

Owenhouse will demonstrate one of his harrowing escape attempts at River Park Square at 2 p.m. this Saturday. He’ll be bound in a straitjacket, but he’ll also – get this – be secured in a contraption known as the Jaws of Death.

These jaws are two rows of razor-sharp spikes held open by a single rope, which is set on fire. Owenhouse has less than two minutes to escape the straitjacket and the Jaws of Death before the rope burns away and he’s crushed and impaled.

Oh, and the jaws will be lifted 16 feet into the air.

And you thought there was nothing new to see in the mall.

Owenhouse also will perform two stage shows at the INB Performing Arts Center on Sept. 28; tickets are available thorugh TicketsWest. We’ll have complete coverage of his act in next week’s 7.

Nathan Weinbender