In 1977, Henning co-wrote a biography of Houdini, Houdini: His Legend and His Magic. More than 50 million viewers tuned in for the December 1975 broadcast of Doug Henning's World of Magic, hosted by Bill Cosby.
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Henning spent the next eight months reworking his stage act for TV and practicing the water-torture escape act. It was not until Henning suggested that he would reproduce live Harry Houdini's famous and dangerous water-torture escape-for the first time since Houdini performed it himself-that the NBC executives signed him. įollowing his Broadway success, Henning approached NBC with the idea of producing a television special. Debuting in 1974, the show ran for four and a half years and earned Henning a Tony Award nomination. : 278 Henning reworked the show after catching the attention of New York producers and took it to Broadway as The Magic Show, with songs composed by Stephen Schwartz. The show opened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, where it broke box-office records. It took so long to work out a plot around his illusions that there was time only for two dress rehearsals, neither of which was in the theater. One man found potential in the project and invested $70,000. They set up a backer's audition in Toronto. Henning borrowed money for the project and spent $5,000 to build and design illusions. Along with music by Howard Shore and co-starring actress Jennifer Dale, Henning created a musical that combined a dramatic story and his magic. Garnering financial support, he developed a live theatrical show, Spellbound, which was written by David Cronenberg and directed by Henning's college friend Ivan Reitman.
With the intention of returning magic to its "glory days", Henning worked to perfect his craft. Thereafter, Henning traveled to Hollywood to study with Vernon, then with another magic great, Slydini, whom he considered to be his primary teacher of magic. Since the terms of the grant required Henning to study magic, he got up the nerve later in the year to write the Professor and asked him if he could take lessons with him.
After an impromptu performance in the Wine Cellar, he met resident magician, guru, and fellow Canadian Dai Vernon, known as "The Professor". He visited the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, a private club for magicians. He sifted through magic literature in the hopes of developing an all-around magic education in manipulation and being an illusionist. Īfter being awarded the grant for a one year study of the art of magic, he studied mime under Adrian Pecknold as well as dance with a Canadian choreographer. Henning was awarded a Canada Council for the Arts grant for $4,000.
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He applied for a grant with the Canada Council Arts Bursary in the theater division with a proposal that used the equation that magic plus theater equals art. He soon realized that he needed more theatrical training as well as the principles of magic. Henning and Mars successfully performed with the top entertainers in Canada and traveled from one end of the country to the other. Career Īfter graduating with honors with a degree in science and psychology, Henning decided to take a couple of years off before entering medical school to continue with his magic. On May 19, 1967, Doug's father, an Air Canada pilot, was killed during a training flight when the DC-8-54 crashed near the Ottawa airport (CYOW). He found the work to be too heavy and tiring so, with the help of a female assistant, he formed the partnership of Henning and Mars, and performed at local bars and nightclubs. To support himself during this time, he worked at the Toronto International Airport loading and unloading crates. It was there that Henning met Ivan Reitman, when he appeared in the 1968 Reitman-directed production of Li'l Abner in the role of Lonesome Polecat. So, instead, he enrolled and became a student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and studied psychology, in preparation for a medical degree. magicians for kids, and magicians for nightclub acts. He felt that there were only two kinds of magicians, ".
Īfter Henning graduated from Oakville Trafalgar High School, he stopped doing magic, not wanting to do it for a living. Eventually he named himself "The Astounding Hendoo" and started advertising in local newspapers. He subsequently learned a variety of tricks and performed for his relatives. Henning became interested in magic after seeing the Peruvian magician Richiardi Jr. Henning was born in the Fort Garry district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and began practicing magic at Oakenwald School in Fort Garry, later moving to Oakville, Ontario. Douglas James Henning (May 3, 1947 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.
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