Shackled hand and foot and encased underwater in a steel canister, he broke free in under a minute, emerging wet and beaming. Theyve just saw the world together again and seem comfortable in their relationship. We've received your submission. Doug Henning Magic GIFs | Tenor Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Neil McNally and The Doug Henning Project with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. That led to his role in The Magic Show. "I had never felt anything like it in my life. Doug Henning The SIX: The Musical star originated the role of Chiffon in the current revival at the Westside Theatre. Steinmeyer has invented card tricks and box tricks and levitation tricks and ESP tricks and every other imaginable kind of theatrical deception, then some you couldnt imagine, and all this for the biggest names in entertainment, including Orson Welles, Siegfried & Roy, Doug Henning, and Ricky Jay. Steinmeyer does it all. I couldn't help myself. Upon graduating with a psychology degree in McMaster University in 1971, Henning and then-girlfriend Marsden Barrick performed as Henning and Mars at Yorkville coffeehouses, a military base near the North Pole, LAs famed Magic Castle, and on a 1972 episode of the CBCs Telescope program. Scene from movie "Elf" comes to life as Buddy meets dad in Boston Talaura Harms The project's status is uncertain. But the boy was more interested in sports and then began premed studies and earned a psychology degree at Canadas McMaster University. With a curly mane of hair and a near-constant grin, Mr. Henning was one of the most famous illusionists in the world during the 1970's and early 80's, appearing in three Broadway shows and a dozen television specials. The secret of magic is not knowledge, its feeling. Steinmeyer relies on both meticulous design and well-suited performers to construct tricks. If it didnt, it wouldnt be a trick, it would be reality.. David Howard has written for many national publications and is the author of two nonfiction books, most recently Chasing Phil: The Adventures of Two Undercover Agents with the World's Most Charming Con Man. A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Mr. Henning made his American debut in ''The Magic Show,'' a rock musical that opened on Broadway in May 1974 and subsequently ran for more than four years. He was 52. The escape literally made him the worlds most famous magician (overnight). When he offered to help launch the solo career of Alex Ramona former magician for the Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circushe asked Ramon to write down his favorite tricks, architectural styles, pieces of art, color schemes, and so on to garner a sense of his aesthetic and his way of thinking. He is a member of famous Writer with the age 53 years old group. As happened with ''The Magic Show,'' the musical portion of the show received poor marks while Mr. Henning's ingenuity was hailed. In honor of that special day, I thought it would be appropriate to post the above photo of Doug and Debbie in May, 1986. "I was scared to death the first time I performed," Debby recalled, "but then I started to love it. The family moved to Oakville when Henning was in his early teens, and in 1969, he lived in a third-floor apartment at 94 Winchester St. in Cabbagetown, where a plaque now commemorates his life as a magician, teacher and politician. It was an overwhelming experience. Doug was a guest and entertainer and Debby was a volunteer worker. When I was working in Walt Disney World EPCOT ( good friend Bev Bergeron invited Wife and self to come to WDW)- in the 80'90's my Mgr. Education I mention this to Steinmeyer on the drive backhed been in his meeting for the durationand he nods. They don't teach you anything.". Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. Doug Henning A native of Fort Garry, Manitoba, he moved to the United States and became an international star. | WebHe was living with his second wife, Debby Douillard, and he had no children. Given the nature of his business, he said, he had to be proprietary about sharing the way magic is accomplished. He was 52 years old when he died. After Falling Under the Spell of Wife Debby, Doug Henning Hopes to Charm Broadway Again (Part.2) My friends said there was practically a flash of light, says Henning, 35. WebDoug Henning seems unmarried yet he is married. (Check out the Toronto Magic Companys work with the citys budding magicians), It was 1975, and 50 million viewers tuned in to watch the stunt on live television unheard of today, says Henning expert Neil McNally. December 20, 1982, pages 70-72. He abandoned his illusion magic for what he saw as real magic--the transcendental meditation and levitation ability of his friend and guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with whom he began to study in the early 1970s. The act won a few local awards. In the more traditional world of magic, he brought a painted portrait to life and back again (The Artists Dream, performed by husband-and-wife team the Pendragons, among others) and designed a whole series of illusions in which the performer walks through a mirror, a wall, and a number of other impenetrable objects. He was a writer and actor, known for The Magic Show (1983), World of Magic (1977) and Doug Henning's World of Magic (1976). Doug Henning hippie magician television tv Published by travsd Writer and performer Trav S.D. True to form, Steinmeyer first gives a non-answer. There are 24 notebooks, 100 pages each. He knew that if he wanted to do what he loveddesign illusions from a molecule of an idea in his notebook and let it grow into something naturallyhe needed to be on his own. Doug Henning, a Superstar Of Illusion, Is Dead at 52, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/09/arts/doug-henning-a-superstar-of-illusion-is-dead-at-52.html. (Some of Dougs illusions are still being used by magicians, says McNally.) Im sitting in Steinmeyers studio in Burbank, California. The legend reads: LevitationThe Greatest Illusion in the World.. He starred on Broadway, toured with a large stage show, and popularized magic in his own television specials. MAGIC MAN DOUG HENNING DEAD AT 52 - New York Post Id be remiss in not mentioning that yesterday, March 24th, was Harry Houdinis 147th birthday. Steinmeyer went and saw a performance by George Goebel, a veteran magician with a grand-scale stage act. He was People who have been sawn in half - IMDb In the 80s Henning also created illusions for others, including Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire and the Toronto rock band Lighthouse. Among the judges are Olivier winner Amber Riley and Frozen star Samantha Barks. Despite his absence from the scene, the monthly Magic Magazine reported last July that Mr. Henning had been sighted at several magic stores around the country. Copyright 1991-2023 Playbill Inc. All Rights Reserved. Steinmeyer heads to his board meeting and leaves me to roam the castle, still only occupied by staff hustling to prepare for the first dinner seating. All Only when Steinmeyer finishes speaking do I realize weve barely moved from my starting point. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Steinmeyer allows that historically, the trick is that the woman pulls her knees up to her chest when the sawing happens. Henning spent his final years working with the Maharishi to build a meditation theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario. NEW YORK -- Doug Henning, the mustachioed hippie magician who helped repopularize the craft in the 1970s with TV specials and Broadway shows, has died at 52. This was after a show they did at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas, outside the stage door. Henning liked the way it spun off a trick called The Zig Zag Girl, in which the performer divides an assistant into thirds. Steinmeyer keeps his secrets out of reach as hours of conversation unfold. No one is sneaking a look at their phone, and no one resists the timeless astonishment that has come from magic audiences for decades, from Charles Morritt to today. Known for his curly locks and crooked smile, Mr. Henning was a familiar face on TV in the 1970s and early 1980s, and was the star of Broadway's The Magic Show (with a score by Stephen Schwartz), Merlin with Chita Rivera (and a score by Elmer Bernstein) and Doug Henning's World of Magic. Mr. Henning stood atop the chest and counted to three. Every magician thats out there working today owes Doug Henning a great debt.. I didnt have that engineering mind. Today, he has a trick in which his blond assistant materializes in an empty chair covered by a cloth. Well, if the town of Appleton, Wisconsin means anything to, Today I thought Id feature a four minute vintage clip of Doug and Debby on the classic 1980s program Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Whats cool about it is that it gives us a glimpse not only into Dougs home, but his famed workshop where many of his illusions were developed. Doug Henning was born on May 3, 1947 in Fort Garry, Manitoba, Canada. WebThe magician Doug Henning died at the age of 52. He is survived by his wife and former assistant, Debby. Also sported long hair and a long bushy moustache. His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! There is a century-old magic trick that Jim Steinmeyer finds particularly fascinating. During the evening on my second day in Hollywood, Steinmeyer drives me to the Magic Castle. Superstar magician Doug Henning led a wild life | The Star Will Self-Driving Cars Out-Smart Human Drivers? May 1, 2023, By My eyes flick across Steinmeyers studio, his array of artifacts and scale models. Between 1975 and 1982, he created and starred in several television specials, aired on NBC and CBS, under the title of "Doug Henning's World of Magic." Magician Doug Henning, who popularized magic and illusion on Broadway in such shows as The Magic Show, which earned him a Tony Award nomination, died of Shut out of basketball by his size, Henning revived his interest in magic. So I press: But theres no room for her to., He smiles and shrugs as if to say, What more do you expect? entertainment in the 1970s and popularizing it on television. (His senior thesis was on hypnosis. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution In each case, he stunned audiences with a seemingly impossible array of disappearing assistants and levitating ladies. Steinmeyer shows them to no one. Rene Clement wrote: I remeber years ago they did a dueling magicians parody supposedly Henning vs. Copperfield. Also, what I, After Falling Under the Spell of Wife Debby, Doug Henning Hopes to Charm Broadway Again (Part.3) He stuck with magic. Though the assistants silhouette appears at first to be human, it turns out to be Ramons dog. I asked one of his crew after the show if I might meet Doug and get his autograph. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Rather than perform for a small circle of spectators, the tuxedoed Goebel stretched his act across the entire stage, employing costumed assistants in larger illusions like levitation and sawing someone in half. Debby became Doug's assistant, appearing as a singer and dancer, as well as designing all of the costumes, for Merlin and on tour. If I produce a 450-pound Bengal tiger, its going to create a lot more wonder than if I produce a rabbit.. Henning eventually bought a piece called Modern Art, an illusion in which the magician stands inside a frame and, when the frame is moves, is subsequently split in halftheir legs stay in place while their torso and head slide with the frame. He died in Los Angeles Family Wife Barbara De Angelis, American psychologist Awards (1) Awarded Canada's Walk of Fame in 2009 . Over the next decade, he was a regular presence on television, adding splashy new tricks to his repertoire, like a 1980 show where he appeared to have been eaten by a shark. After I borrow a tie at reception to pair with my sport coat and meet the dress code, the manager greets us. In 1975, Mr. Henning broke through to an even larger audience when he performed Houdini's ''Water Torture Escape'' on a live television special. Henning died Monday in Los Angeles, his business office in Toronto said. Doug Henning Biography - Life of Canadian Magician - Totally They havent been touched by cynicism. He also tried to help the maharishi develop a series of theme parks to be known as Vedaland with pavilions devoted to enlightenment and transcendental meditation--first in India, then in Orlando, Fla., then in Niagara Falls, Canada. Doug Henning had no children. He made a firm impact on audiences of the time, and because of this, he is a permanent part of magics DNA.. Hes a large man, around six feet tall, sturdily built. Into a notebook it went, and years later he excavated it for the play. Despite his enormous success in the US, Henning always considered Canada his home and was proud to tell people that he was Canadian, Nancy says. Debby Douillard (6 December1981 - 7 February2000)( his death), Barbara De Angelis (20 December1977 - 1981)( divorced). Thats what this has become, he says, lifting Albert into his lap. Thanks for contacting us. Magicians of Our Time Rebecca Taylor Henning / AP. We say hello to Steinmeyers wife, television producer Frankie Glass, whose many documentary credits include Ancient Aliens and a series called History vs. Hollywood. As is customary for first-time guests, Im given the password that, when spoken aloud, opens the hidden door into the castle. "I will not have that in our house," she said. Debby received her B.F.A. Debby Henning Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. "I proposed to her four days later, Doug said, I made a diamond appear in a rose petal and it rolled out into her hand." The Magic Show with Doug Henning I remember thinking that was a really good idea, but I had no use for it at the time, Steinmeyer says. Once settled, I make an opening gambit: I ask Steinmeyer about the state of magic today. Once magicians manipulate audience members toward certain expectations, those expectations can be subverted, and the audience can be dazzled, and fooled. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Woman has 'loud, full body orgasm' in the middle of LA concert, All the red carpet highlights and star-studded fashionfrom the Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala, Bride killed, groom seriously hurt by drunk driver just minutes after leaving reception, Bodies of two missing teen girls and a registered sex offender among seven people found dead on Oklahoma property, The best-dressed celebs at the 2023 Met Gala: Rihanna, Gisele Bndchen, more, Kim Kardashians Met Gala 2023 look sparks comparisons to Playboy cover, Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson reunite at Met Gala 9 months after breakup, Katy Perry will be temporarily replaced on 'American Idol' amid drama. One of his most impressive acts was ''Metamorphosis,'' an illusion borrowed from Harry Houdini, his idol. There are two walls of reference materials: books about magic, of course, but also books about furniture, graphic design, screenplays, and antique apparatus. Henning went to India for a time to work with the maharishi, telling The Times by telephone in 1988: It was the fulfillment of my career to do this. In each show, his illusions became increasingly complex. Its also, The date was October 9th, 1985. It has to be all three things: That you keep it, that its messy, and that its a notebook. A spiral-bound Strathmore Sketch pad sits on the table between us, and he flips through it, pausing just long enough for me to glimpse the pages. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? TM devotees claim that the silent meditation technique promotes relaxed awareness, stress reduction, access to higher states of consciousness, and reduces heart disease and high blood pressure. Doug But with Wakelings box, you can still see her feet sticking out the bottom, and beyond that, the box looks too narrow for a knee lift. Natural Law Party. Its cool enough, but somehow learning the answer isnt as exciting as Id expected. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. At the time of my visit, Steinmeyer served as president (though his tenure has since ended), and we arrive about an hour before opening. Doug Henning Survivors include his wife, Debbie. Its hard for people to comprehend this today, but he was like a rock star.. His job is to think of something completely impossible, then figure out a way to apparently accomplish itand that process can be messy. Lloyds of London would soon insure his hands for $3 million, or $300,000 per finger. After this, there was no looking back for Doug, says McNally. I nod. Its from the master thief. May 2, 2023, By Well, thosehe points to a stack of notebooksare all that. Harry taught Jim it was about more than propsyou had to engage the audience with a storyand between this tutelage and the television and Chicagos booming local magic scene, a fascination took hold. He died on 7 February 2000 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Doug Henning - Biography - IMDb May 1, 2023. Suddenly the assistant was standing in his place, and Mr. Henning was in the trunk, handcuffed. He was all over the newspapers, magazines, talk shows, and (had) yearly television specials. His first wife, Barbara DeAngelis, was a TM instructor, and when Doug married his second wife, Doug Henning - NNDB Steinmeyer sees Im not going to let the sawing-in-half trick go, and maybe against his better judgment, he relents. | For magic to accomplish the impossiblemaking something disappeara flaw in the magic has to be hidden, like a trick mirror or special compartment. Henning sees no one at any. Tony-Nominated Magician Doug Henning is Dead at 52, Magician Doug Henning, who popularized magic and illusion on Broadway in such shows as, Glenn Davis and Chris Perfetti Star in Rajiv Joseph's, 2023 Tony Awards Nominations Announced May 2, Olivia Valli and Celia Hottenstein Are New Leads in National Tour of, Joy Woods Returns to Skid Row as Audrey May 2 in Off-Broadway's, Broadway Eatery Glass House Tavern Targeted With Negative Reviews Following Dispute With Pedicab Drivers. Something bigger is happening, Steinmeyer says. Debby Henning was the wife, assistant, business partner and muse to illusionist Doug Henning. Doug Henning's Death - Cause and Where was it taken you ask? He added stage sets and dancers and speeded up the illusions. Its a great commercial in the sense that its most likely one of a few he used as he moved from town to town. It still coaxes grasps from a crowd. Huh. My heart was racing. Kellars arms are elevated skyward, a woman floating above his hands. Will Virtual Reality Ever Live Up to the Hype? May 2, 2023, By Henning performed occasionally in the mid-1980s to raise funds for the maharishi, but also sold many of his illusions to magician David Copperfield. He never lost interest in the magic world, says Nancy. However, this married later ended in divorce. So when I abandon something because its not working, I can go back and find it. Steinmeyer demonstrates a version of the sawing-in-half illusion. Tony-Nominated Magician Doug Henning is Dead at 52 | So as one of historys greatest conjurers of magic continues to explain and not explain the safe trick, I find myself wondering: If anyone can dig up the secrets behind many of Steinmeyers tricks, why is he so intent on hiding them? The result was The Magic Show, which lured mesmerized audiences to Broadway for 4 1/2 years and earned the young illusionist the first in a string of annual NBC television specials. I definitely owe a big chunk of my career to Jim, he says. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In a room tucked behind the main entrance, I test Irma, the ghost operating the grand piano, and she nails my softball request (Hotel California). Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Morritt had come up with a new twist on a familiar routine: Magician presses his fingers to his temples, closes his eyes, and sees the un-seeable. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and WebWho Is Doug Henning's Wife? | Doug Henning Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, I remember something Id read in one of Steinmeyers books: Magicians dont protect their secrets from the audience, they protect the audience from their secrets. Indeed, part of Mr. Henning's popularity could be laid to his style of performing, one that immediately set him apart from the vaudevillian conjurers of the past. Coincidentally, Id seen that exact trick at the Magic Castle the night before. Thats why we press for answers. The production, with songs by Stephen Schwartz and book by Bob Randall, earned Henning a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and, says McNally, a reputation as a legitimate Broadway star. A version of The Magic Show was also mounted at Torontos Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 1980, where it was filmed and aired on CBC. Steinmeyer began as an audience member. His story about the burglar and the safe is as much about what he doesnt say as what he does. Audiences should recognize the magic about to be performed. I ask where his ideas come from. Because Zig Zag was so fresh in the 70s, things that felt like that were attractive.. In college, he started pitching tricks to Doug Henning, arguably the worlds most famous illusionist during the 1970s.