.gif)
Kristen Johnson (escape artist)
Encyclopedia
Kristen Johnson is an award-winning escape artist
who works with her husband magician Kevin Ridgeway under the names Living Illusions, Ridgeway & Johnson and Breathless. She was the featured magician on the cover of the June 2009 issue of the magicians' magazine The Linking Ring
.
's grandson in May 2008. As their act has become more successful they expanded into doing larger venues, fairs and festivals with a show under the name of Ridgeway & Johnson geared specifically for that market. In 2007 they launched a full-length touring theater show under the name Breathless, which has played across the United States.
Kristen's signature escape is the Full View Water Torture Cell - in which she is chained up and locked inside a water filled tank from which she escapes in full view of the audience. The full view aspect differentiates it from Houdini's water torture cell escape
, which required a curtain to be drawn to obscure him from the audience while he escaped. She performed the original version of the stunt as part of the Worldwide Escape Artist's Relay in 2005, which was an attempt to set a world record for the largest number of escapes performed in a day.
In addition to the water cell escape, the Ridgeway and Johnson show includes other large-scale stunts and illusions. A current highlight is an illusion in which Kristen passes through the turbine blades of a 747 jet engine.
On October 29, 2006 Kristen received one of the top honors in her field during the 4th Annual International Escape Convention where she was presented with The Masters Award by Thomas Blacke of Escape Masters magazine. She performed a new version of her Full view water cell, making her one of only two artists to have performed at the first four international escape artist conventions that had been held.
Kristen's Water cell stunt requires her to hold her breath while she picks a series of locks that fasten chains and secure the lid of the cell. She averages 2 minutes and 48 seconds underwater on one breath, however she has occasionally taken up to 3 minutes and 18 seconds to free herself. She ends her shows with this escape and has performed it as often as 30 times in ten days. She offers a $10,000 challenge to anyone who can prove that she takes a second breath, uses an underwater breathing apparatus or a key once she has dropped below the water. Escapologist and convention organizer Mark Cannon has stated that this escape "is fast becoming one of the most talked-about stunts in the world of escapology". And Wayne N. Kawamoto from About: magic has written: "Her escape was the most dramatic and involving that I have ever witnessed. Johnson set a high bar for the other performers that will be difficult to match."
Kristen performed her Full View Water Torture Cell during a halftime show
on March 17, 2008, for the New Orleans Hornets game. That evening, footage of her escape was shown on ESPN
's Sportscenter
. On May 8, 2008, Kristen was featured on the hit television show, Mucizeler Gecesi, which airs in Istanbul, Turkey. There she performed her Full View Water Torture Cell, her Rope Tie escape and her Diamond Plated Steel Box for a live studio audience.
She performed during the finale on the second episode of the Masters of Illusion
television show broadcast on January 12, 2009, where she passed through the spinning blades of a jet turbine engine. Kristen performed again on the fourth episode of Masters of Illusion, January 26, 2009, where she closed the show with her water torture cell.
She attempted a performance of her Water Torture Cell escape during a halftime show of a basketball game featuring the Detroit Pistons
versus the Oklahoma City Thunder
on January 16, 2009. After removing her chains, she lost consciousness while attempting to open the top of the cell. She had to be quickly rescued by assistants. Johnson apparently had no emergency escape plan for this performance attempt. A week later she was back at it, doing her signature escape for 4,000 people at Ford Park Event Center in Beaumont, Texas. This was Kristen's 600th attempt.
She is billed as "The World's Premier Female Escape Artist".
Escapology
For the Jessica Mauboy song, see Inescapable.Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks and other perils, often in combination.-History:The art...
who works with her husband magician Kevin Ridgeway under the names Living Illusions, Ridgeway & Johnson and Breathless. She was the featured magician on the cover of the June 2009 issue of the magicians' magazine The Linking Ring
The Linking Ring
The Linking Ring is a monthly print magazine, published by the International Brotherhood of Magicians. It is also available in electronic form to members of the IBM. All members of the IBM are entitled to receive this periodical. It was first published in 1923...
.
Early life
Kristen was born in Glens Falls, NY and grew up in Carmel, Indiana. Her mother, Sunny Johnson, was also a performer, being best known as a clown although she also did magic. Sunny, who was featured on the front cover of the The Linking Ring magazine in March 2002, still lives in Carmel, where she owns a clowning supplies company. Kristen began learning magic when she was a teenager and used it to earn money to help pay her way through college.Performing career
Kristen and her husband Kevin Ridgeway are Christians and, under the name Living Illusions, built up a strong reputation as performers specialising in faith based events. These included the Will Graham Celebration with evangelist Billy GrahamBilly Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
's grandson in May 2008. As their act has become more successful they expanded into doing larger venues, fairs and festivals with a show under the name of Ridgeway & Johnson geared specifically for that market. In 2007 they launched a full-length touring theater show under the name Breathless, which has played across the United States.
Kristen's signature escape is the Full View Water Torture Cell - in which she is chained up and locked inside a water filled tank from which she escapes in full view of the audience. The full view aspect differentiates it from Houdini's water torture cell escape
Chinese Water Torture Cell
The Chinese Water Torture Cell is a predicament escape made famous by Hungarian-American magician Harry Houdini. The illusion consists of three parts: first, the magician's feet are locked in stocks; next, he is suspended in mid-air from his ankles with a restraint brace; finally, he is lowered...
, which required a curtain to be drawn to obscure him from the audience while he escaped. She performed the original version of the stunt as part of the Worldwide Escape Artist's Relay in 2005, which was an attempt to set a world record for the largest number of escapes performed in a day.
In addition to the water cell escape, the Ridgeway and Johnson show includes other large-scale stunts and illusions. A current highlight is an illusion in which Kristen passes through the turbine blades of a 747 jet engine.
On October 29, 2006 Kristen received one of the top honors in her field during the 4th Annual International Escape Convention where she was presented with The Masters Award by Thomas Blacke of Escape Masters magazine. She performed a new version of her Full view water cell, making her one of only two artists to have performed at the first four international escape artist conventions that had been held.
In the media
Kristen has been featured on The Travel Channel's Inside the Houdini Museum. This show documented Houdini and modern day escape artists. Kristen was the only woman selected for the show, in which she performed her Spike Escape and, together with her husband, a version of Origami. She has been mentioned on the front page of The L.A. Times in a story about the re-emergence of escape artists.Kristen performed her Full View Water Torture Cell during a halftime show
Halftime show
A halftime show is a performance given during halftime, the period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of divisions , or for sports that do not have an extended...
on March 17, 2008, for the New Orleans Hornets game. That evening, footage of her escape was shown on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Sportscenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
. On May 8, 2008, Kristen was featured on the hit television show, Mucizeler Gecesi, which airs in Istanbul, Turkey. There she performed her Full View Water Torture Cell, her Rope Tie escape and her Diamond Plated Steel Box for a live studio audience.
She performed during the finale on the second episode of the Masters of Illusion
Masters of Illusion (TV show)
Masters of Illusion is a magic show broadcast on MNTV, debuting in spring 2009. The show derives its name from the profession's term Master of Illusion. The show performs on the grand stage at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California...
television show broadcast on January 12, 2009, where she passed through the spinning blades of a jet turbine engine. Kristen performed again on the fourth episode of Masters of Illusion, January 26, 2009, where she closed the show with her water torture cell.
She attempted a performance of her Water Torture Cell escape during a halftime show of a basketball game featuring the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
versus the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
on January 16, 2009. After removing her chains, she lost consciousness while attempting to open the top of the cell. She had to be quickly rescued by assistants. Johnson apparently had no emergency escape plan for this performance attempt. A week later she was back at it, doing her signature escape for 4,000 people at Ford Park Event Center in Beaumont, Texas. This was Kristen's 600th attempt.
She is billed as "The World's Premier Female Escape Artist".
External links
- Ridgeway & Johnson
- Living Illusions
- Breathless
- Toronto Star article, Houdini torture revived right before your eyes
- Second Toronto Star article, Wondrous awe at the Ex
- Blogto.com article, Grand Illusion & Escape Artist Wows CNE Goers
- Casket Crash Video
- Magic Sanctum
- Escape Montage video
- Three minute breath hold during Full View Water Torture Cell video
- Kristen's flickr picture site
- In Utah This Week article
- Top 10 Most Dangerous Magic Tricks