Touring magician stops in East Portland

Discover why a ‘man of mystery’ put on his entertaining show in this unique, outdoor venue …

Bakersfield-based magician Chris Lopez entertains, showing his dexterity with playing cards, as the audience gathers.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Ticket prices for live entertainment are increasing, so outer East Portland families were delighted by a free show by a professional magician on August 30.

“I did shows in Utah two weeks ago,” said Chris Lopez, as he set up his performance area at “Scott Mountain by the Brooks”, in the amphitheater.

Where do the silk scarves really come from? Only magic man Chris Lopez knows.

“And, I’ve been on a summer ‘library show tour’ of 40 performances in two months from California north. I decided to end my tour by visiting Portland.”

The Bakersfield, California, based entertainer said he was visiting friends who moved to Portland earlier this year from his hometown, to “check out the scenery. And, it’s so beautiful, just like they say it is!”

That’s not a frog in Chris Lopez’s throat – it’s what appears to be yards of paper streamers.

Lopez, a member of the Society of American Magicians, and the Academy of Magical Arts (at Hollywood’s Magic Castle), said he’d been performing since he was seven years old. “I’m 29 now, so I’ve been doing this for 22 years.”

Although the extensive traveling gets tiring, Lopez commented that “it’s all worth it when I do a show. I love seeing the audiences’ faces light up when I make something disappear, or make an object float. The delight I see on those faces, when I do something that looks like a miracle to them, right in front of their noses, makes mine the best job in the world.”

A young helper from the audience blows on the knotted rope – and makes it vanish.

As his outdoor show got underway, there were plenty of smiles, mixed with “ooohs” and “ahhhs”, as the people watching took in one “miracle” after another.

Want to learn more about this talented young man? See his website: CLICK HERE.

These kids are grabbing imaginary color markers to help magician Chris Lopez color pages in his coloring book.

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