Celebratory year winds down for Lincoln reenactor

He was expecting to give the same speech President-elect Abraham Lincoln gave at Independence Hall in 1861.

As a Lincoln reenactor, Christian Johnson of Cherry Hill had delivered the 16th president's words hundreds of times.

But at this year's observance of Lincoln's visit and birthday, he was happily surprised to find that National Park officials had given the honor to a 16-year-old African American who gave a thumbs-up as he stepped forward to speak.

"I never said a word," said Johnson. "I was just in tears - and not of disappointment.

"It was very emotional," he said. "Everyone was in tears. We've come a long, long way."

Johnson's appearance Feb. 12 was one of the most memorable of more than 100 this year - at least twice the number he normally makes.

The 71-year-old semi-retired actor has found that he - or really Abraham Lincoln - is in great demand on the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

While his visits have been mostly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the last year, he has also traveled to Washington and many states, including Maryland, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida. He has even been to Paris for an art exhibition on U.S. presidents attended by 35 U.N. ambassadors.

And along the way, there has been one memorable encounter after another, topping everything he has experienced during 21 years of portraying Lincoln.

In Washington, Johnson appeared at the 200th birthday celebration in February at the National Portrait Gallery, where there was an exhibit on Lincoln.

"Everybody wanted their picture taken with me," he said. "A lady had baked 1,000 cupcakes, each with a different colored icing to create mosaic images of [President Barack] Obama and Lincoln - two skinny lawyers from Illinois. It was magic."

During visits to Southern states, Johnson ran into some playful ribbing at commemorative events.

"Someone would say, 'Don't go to the theater on Friday, Mr. Lincoln' " - a clear reference to Ford's Theatre, where the president was shot, he said. "You just have to win them over. I like to have a sense of humor all the time.

"I'll say, 'That reminds me of a story,' then tell a bad joke."

This month, at a dinner in Gettysburg, where Lincoln's famous 1863 address was commemorated, Johnson again portrayed the Civil War president, but was not the only celebrity.

He sat at a table with other reenactors - Confederate President Jefferson Davis and three others taking the part of Southern Gen. Robert E. Lee, who was defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg.

"Jefferson Davis looked good - but he kept glowering at me," said Johnson.

In Mount Holly, the actor had another great encounter in front of the historic courthouse there. "There was an art contest where students were asked to produce pictures of Lincoln," he said.

"An African American girl won the third prize of $100, and she looked up at me, and I said, 'What were you thinking when you painted that?' " said Johnson.

"She said, 'Mr. President, you freed the slaves. Thank you.' "

Johnson switches from his normal melodious announcer's voice to a higher pitch to match the president's tone when sharing Lincoln with audiences. He knocks down myths about the president's being chronically depressed and tells stories that bring a smile.

Lincoln's "mother used to tell him to make his ears twice as big as his mouth so he would learn something," he said. "She also told him, 'Abraham, you're going to make a lot of mistakes. Make a new one next time. Don't repeat your mistakes.' "

Johnson has been an actor and broadcaster his entire career. He spent two years at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan and later became creative director for the former "Easy 101" radio station in Philadelphia.

But in 1987, another opportunity came his way.

As part of a KYW-TV program commemorating the anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, Johnson portrayed James Wilson, who helped draft the document and had earlier signed the Declaration of Independence.

And that's when he met the late William Sommerfield, who reenacted George Washington and had a company called American Historical Theatre in Philadelphia. Sommerfield hired Johnson to re-create various American heroes, including Lincoln.

"In many respects, he was born to this," said Marlene Sider, executive director of American Historical Theatre. "He's a trained actor with a resonant voice and wealth of information on Lincoln.

"He takes it personally to embody Lincoln. Besides similar features, he has that wonderful height and intensity," she said. "Even his carriage is indicative of Lincoln. When Chris comes into a room, you really are aware of his presence."

Over the years, Johnson's Lincoln portrayal took him to the White House, where he has been introduced to Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush and Bill Clinton.

But 2009 has been even more exciting. The curtain calls never end.

This month, he was called to appear at the Woodbridge Historical Society and will attend an event Dec. 9 in Wayne, N.J.

"I can't stop learning about Lincoln," said Johnson. "How could a man - 56 years old when he died - accomplish that much?

"He's a phenomenon, a total genius," he said. "He had an understanding of the human condition, and that's something I have strived for all my life."

Though especially in demand this year, Johnson knows the party is almost over.

"Everywhere I go, everybody is singing happy birthday to me," the actor said. "I enjoy every minute of it.

"But this is it," he said. "Another month and no more birthday cake."