Doug Henning

Doug Henning (1947–2000) was a Canadian magician and theatrical performer who brought large-scale stage magic to television and Broadway with an exuberant, theatrical style.

The Magic Show: A Broadway musical built around a magician, which opened in 1974 and starred Doug Henning. Henning’s starring role made this long-running production a defining Broadway showcase for his magic.
Toronto: Canada’s largest city and the capital of Ontario. Henning grew up and began developing his performance career in Toronto.
David Merrick: An American theatrical producer whose Broadway productions included Hello, Dolly! and 42nd Street. Merrick produced The Magic Show, helping bring Henning to Broadway.
Harry Houdini: A Hungarian-American escape artist and magician celebrated for dangerous escapes and public challenges. Henning revived Houdini’s water torture escape, while presenting it within a more theatrical television style.
Doug Henning's World of Magic: A series of American television specials featuring Doug Henning and large-scale magic performances. These specials brought Henning’s illusions and persona to a national television audience.
McMaster University: A public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1887. Henning studied psychology there before pursuing magic professionally.
Leslie Bricusse: An English composer and lyricist known for stage and film musicals. Bricusse collaborated with Henning on The Magic Show and the unproduced Houdini musical.
David Copperfield: An American illusionist known for large-scale stage and television magic. Copperfield followed Henning in making spectacular illusions central to television magic.
Water Torture Cell: An escape illusion in which a performer is restrained and submerged in a water-filled enclosure. Henning performed a version of this high-risk escape as a televised spectacle.
Richard K. Fox: A Canadian magician and magic instructor who taught Doug Henning. Fox gave Henning formal instruction in stage magic during his youth.

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