A family, a fair

Alicia Robinson

Tuesday was a typical workday for Edward and Stephen Russell, but

their workplace is a blue-and-yellow-striped tent at the Orange

County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

For this father-and-son team -- Edward is 70, Stephen is 36 -- the

daily grind is juggling, plate-spinning and performing magic tricks

for delighted audiences of children. Their act, the Russell Brothers

Family Fun Circus, performs several shows a day.

The tent was packed Tuesday with young spectators, most of whom

watched with rapt attention.

“I love it,” said Angelica Casas, 5, who came from Santa Ana with

her father, Joe, to visit the fair.

That’s what the Russells like to hear. Both father and son say

entertaining people is the best part of the job.

“I’ve done other things, and I enjoy this the most,” Stephen

Russell said. “A 9 to 5 job just doesn’t fit me.”

Edward Russell always wanted to be in the circus, and he has been

for 38 years. He’s worked for bigger circuses, where he’s tried

training lions, being a ringmaster and working with elephants, he

said. But he likes doing a family show the best.

“It’s something for everybody in this show,” he said.

As soon as the bleachers are full, Edward Russell introduces the

show with a carnival barker’s lilt in his voice. The action begins

with Stephen Russell juggling several balls, then switching to pins

and grinning at the audience when he occasionally drops one.

Edward Russell does the illusions. He blows up a balloon, and when

he pops it, a bird emerges. He sets a small tray ablaze with lighter

fluid and a match, covers it, and lifts the lid to reveal no flames

and two birds. But the big hit is when he puts a bird into a box with

a wire front, then opens all sides of the box to reveal a large fur

ball of a cat.

While the children clapped excitedly for most of the stunts, a few

of the tricks were standouts.

“They put the bird in the cage and the cat came out!” Angelica

Casas said.

Helena Johnson, 3, said she liked Stephen Russell’s

chair-balancing tricks. She had just arrived from Houston to visit

her grandmother, Susan Johnson of Newport Beach.

Stephen Russell performed handstands atop chairs stacked almost to

the top of the circus tent.

Helena’s family won’t have to warn her not to try those tricks at

home.

“I can’t stand on chairs because I might get hurt,” she said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].