So whats the trick? In the 1993 federal election, Henning ran, unsuccessfully, in the riding of Rosedale in 1993 as a member of the TM offshoot Natural Law Party of Canada. | Henning By almost any estimation, Steinmeyer is the greatest creator of illusions in the history of magic and theater, but describing Morritts idiosyncratic piece of stagecraft still animates and energizes him. As happened with ''The Magic Show,'' the musical portion of the show received poor marks while Mr. Henning's ingenuity was hailed. He had been ailing for five months. My eyes flick across Steinmeyers studio, his array of artifacts and scale models. 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. I ask where his ideas come from. Henning returned to Broadway in 1983 for the Tony-nominated musical Merlin, and the following year Doug Henning and His World of Magic toured across North America. Hes not going to let me flip over his mirrors or rifle through his drawers, and when I give him a straight-line question, he responds with misdirectionlabyrinthine tangents and looping alternate pathways. 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). Though his thinning hair and beard have gone gray, at 61 Steinmeyer retains a striking youthfulness that manifests in an easy grin, a cheerful chattiness, and eyes that seem lit from behind. After this, there was no looking back for Doug, says McNally. Shut out of basketball by his size, Henning revived his interest in magic. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us. Doug and Debbie Houdini Plaza 1986 Performance, Close Encounters of the Doug Kind: Part Three, Nathan Lane Discussing "Merlin" on Playbill.com, Remodeled James Earl Jones (Cort) Theatre Interior, Follow THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT on WordPress.com. It says, in essence, Ive decided not to crack that safe and steal the contentsits not worth my time. 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. Its become like, lets talk about magic as a puzzle. Rebecca Taylor Henning / AP. Before long, he developed what was known as a medicine pitch act, in which he played an old-timey snake-oil salesman and incorporated tricks into demonstrating his various cures. Copyright 1991-2023 Playbill Inc. All Rights Reserved. He begins a mesmerizing filibuster about the illusions evolution, citing his friend and mentor Alan Wakeling, who in the 1970s came up with an incredibly elegant design for the trick in which two audience members shackle the hands and feet of the woman, and instead of sawing the box in two, the magician stabs four blades through the sides. I always hate reading that stuff.. While attending elementary school in suburban Chicago, he went home every day for lunch, flipped on the TV, and watched Bozos Circus, a variety show sometimes featuring touring magicians. Soldering 101: How To Bond Wires, Cables, and More, How the Microwave Was Invented by Accident, How Noise-Cancelling Earbuds Actually Work. I couldn't help myself. Davis' Death of a Salesman co-star Wendell Pierce hosted a screening and talkback for the new film. Kellars arms are elevated skyward, a woman floating above his hands. My secret, he says, is that I keep a messy notebook. WebKristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. 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. He walked through a brick wall, made an elephant disappear and switched places with a person who was locked inside a trunk. Debbie told Beverly Hills [213] magazine in 1986. What I call illusion magic uses laws of science and nature that are already known. Some of the more recent ones Steinmeyer wrote himself. | Discover Doug Henning's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "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." But the boy was more interested in sports and then began premed studies and earned a psychology degree at Canadas McMaster University. (December 6, 1981 - February 7, 2000) (his death), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. The illusion has been around for more than a century, and Steinmeyer has mentioned its timelessness and layers of innovation. He made a real-seeming flying carpet for the latest turn of Aladdin on Broadway. Henning sees no one at any. 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. Huh. When Steinmeyer was 13, his father died, leading to what he describes as a hell of a year. As the family wrestled with grief, his mother encouraged him to attend a magic convention in Michigan with his friends, to plug into something that might distract or excite him. Doug Henning was previously married to Barbara DeAngelis, a self-help author. Thats the point of my visitIm here to understand what Steinmeyer does and how he does it. He is survived by his wife of nearly 20 years, Debby. Was nominated for Broadway's 1975 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for "The Magic Show.". No, he died on 02/07/2000, 23 years ago. Its from the master thief. If a magician cant conceal this secret, the trick is worthless. Thats why we press for answers. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Henning became intrigued by magic as a child when he saw a magician levitate a woman on televisions Ed Sullivan Show. His mother bought him a magic kit. He was the face of magic, McNally says. Henning, the man who performed Harry Houdinis legendary water torture escape on national television before a live audience and later became a spokesman for the spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, died of liver cancer Monday in Los Angeles. I asked one of his crew after the show if I might meet Doug and get his autograph. 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. WebWho Is Doug Henning's Wife? For one it was written as Merlin was just about to open on Broadway, and the other being that it delves into Dougs new Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. Only when I press does he finally relent. Born May 3, 1947 Lloyds of London would soon insure his hands for $3 million, or $300,000 per finger. But even given Steinmeyers relative anonymity compared with the Cooperfields and Blaines of the world, magic as a whole exists now in the age of YouTube. (Houdini traded places with a prisoner in a trunk in 20 seconds; Henning did it in one-third of a second. Every magician thats out there working today owes Doug Henning a great debt.. WebThe magician Doug Henning died at the age of 52. Natural Law Party. 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. Also, what I, After Falling Under the Spell of Wife Debby, Doug Henning Hopes to Charm Broadway Again (Part.3) He stuck with magic. Steeped in the pop philosophies of the 1960's, Mr. Henning meditated daily and did yoga between shows. Debby Douillard (6 December1981 - 7 February2000)( his death), Barbara De Angelis (20 December1977 - 1981)( divorced). He married Debby Douillard in 1981. | Beverly Hills [213]. https://geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php?title=Debby_Henning&oldid=85761. Doug Henning was stiff as a board, and as he didn't sing, the musical numbers were never really landed in the show. 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. There are three scripts in a magic show, he explains. .css-v1xtj3{display:block;font-family:FreightSansW01,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:100;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-v1xtj3:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.1387rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-v1xtj3{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}Top 3 AI Image Generators. He admires a trick well done. My heart was racing. Jim is an expert in virtually every area of magicin fact, hes singular in that, says Richard Kaufman, publisher of the industry magazine Genii and the author of scores of books about magic. After Falling Under the Spell of Wife Debby, Doug Henning Hopes to Charm Broadway Again (Part.3) He stuck with magic. Steinmeyer sees Im not going to let the sawing-in-half trick go, and maybe against his better judgment, he relents. It was that performance with that guy. Survivors include his wife, Debbie. He sold off all his illusions props, sets and secrets at auction to devote his time to Transcendental Meditation. May 1, 2023. 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." Mr. Henning stood atop the chest and counted to three. Moments later, a telegram arrives for Morritt. At 53 years old, Doug Henning height from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science in New York where she majored in painting, graphics and video art. My brain fizzes with unsated curiosity. I had never felt anything like it in my whole life. "Those magic tricks you buy in stores are junk. Talaura Harms In a world of deepfakes and identity theft and warfare by invisible computer viruses, real-life deception has consequences. In 1973, he borrowed $5,000 from his mother and, with a friend, launched a rock musical-cum-magic show called Spellbound in Toronto. After my heart finally calmed down, time literally seemed to go into slow motion. knew I did Magic as an Ad-Vocation and had me go over to the United Kingdom Unit to asst Doug the day he was there - Don't exactly remember what he did -though did remember Doug was like a Big Kid. But heres a list of everything inside.. Its hard for people to comprehend this today, but he was like a rock star.. Which Celebrities Still Have Twitter Checkmarks? Help us get to over 4,000 biographies in 2018. All of us wish them nothing but happiness and the joy that comes from a loving partnership. Email Magician Doug Henning a favorite of TV, Broadway and arena audiences died Monday in Los Angeles after battling liver cancer for the past five months. TV magician and escape artist who brought Merlin to Broadway and became known for his groovy mustache and rainbow-colored clothes. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Also sported long hair and a long bushy moustache. All The box incorporates design elements that make it appear narrower to the audience than it actually is. He vanished and gradually restored on stagefrom veins, to nervous system, to skinthe titular character of The Invisible Man. 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. ''He was a kind of Peter Pan,'' Mr. Willmarth told The Associated Press, ''who led magic away from the tuxedo approach.''. 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. Debby Henning was the wife, assistant, business partner and muse to illusionist Doug Henning. With Ivan Reitman, a university classmate, Henning conjured Spellbound, a musical magic show, written by David Cronenberg and with music by Howard Shore. Thats really what this is. Suddenly the assistant was standing in his place, and Mr. Henning was in the trunk, handcuffed. He was always pleasantly surprised by the reception, Nancy says. Thanks for contacting us. The SIX: The Musical star originated the role of Chiffon in the current revival at the Westside Theatre. Share the best GIFs now >>> There is a century-old magic trick that Jim Steinmeyer finds particularly fascinating. Cause of death: cancer. True to form, Steinmeyer first gives a non-answer. This story has been shared 125,059 times. He is survived by his wife, Debbie. One of his most impressive acts was ''Metamorphosis,'' an illusion borrowed from Harry Houdini, his idol. Eagle-eyed observers can spot, if you look closely, Dougs first wife Barbara DeAngelis standing behind Dougs right shoulder. People Weekly. Thats when I became interested in stage magic, Steinmeyer says. Join Facebook to connect with Doug Henning and others you may know. Just like a real-life movie, the story of Buddy the Elf meeting his biological father has come to life, just in time for the holidays. entertainment in the 1970s and popularizing it on television. Because Zig Zag was so fresh in the 70s, things that felt like that were attractive.. Whats striking, besides the polished performances, is the feeling in the building. However, this married later ended in divorce. To order copies of Once settled, I make an opening gambit: I ask Steinmeyer about the state of magic today. Nobody else is working at this level. All Rights Reserved. He launches into a commentary about how people dont just receive entertainment anymorethey see it as a challenge. So when I abandon something because its not working, I can go back and find it. His shows led to a general resurgence of interest in magic, said Phil Willmarth, editor of The Linking Ring, a magic magazine. By Over in the larger Parlor of Prestidigitation, Bill Abbott presents a mashup of puppetry and magic featuring a lustful monkey. He felt he had achieved his goals in performing and he wanted to move along to other challenges, says Nancy. Biography - A Short Wiki. Part of the challenge is that a trick has to tell a story, because magic above all is about storytelling. During the evening on my second day in Hollywood, Steinmeyer drives me to the Magic Castle. He was a writer and actor, known for The Magic Show (1983), World of Magic (1977) and To order His wife, Deborah, was at his side, Reuters reported. Andrew Gans He returned often to visit family and to do the occasional performance. Its also, The date was October 9th, 1985. 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. Where was it taken you ask? Steinmeyer helped Ramon create what has become a signature part of his act. Its important to me to create the largest wonder, Henning told The Times in 1984 before appearing at the Los Angeles Music Centers Ahmanson Theater. In the Close-Up Gallery, Tom Craven peppers his card, rope, and metal-ring tricks with a stream of old-world patter. Hennings own sense of wonder fueled his professional success and personal appeal. In a sense, Dougy forced me to overcome my natural shyness.". Also learn how He earned most of Doug Henning networth? | They become cynical and jaded, especially in modern-day society. WebDoug Henningwas first married to Barbara De Angelis. WebWife of. His long-suffering wife is always willing to do everything he asks of her. Secrecy is the coin of the realm here, and Steinmeyer is an open secret himself: Most people who see magic shows assume the performers invent their own tricks, but its illusion designers like Steinmeyer who conjure most of the magic offstage. Steinmeyer began as an audience member. He honed his skills touring North America with veteran magicians, and with a bit of luck, he opened a magic-music show in a Toronto theater. Will Self-Driving Cars Out-Smart Human Drivers? Today, running his own business requires an astonishingly disparate set of skills. In ''Merlin,'' for example, Mr. Henning created the image of a flying horseman disappearing into thin air and his co-star Chita Rivera being turned to stone. If you know of a past magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them or Email us your suggestion. Stay tuned to Playbill as Broadway gets ready to reveal its top honors. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Hes not even sure what to call the act. Shackled hand and foot and encased underwater in a steel canister, he broke free in under a minute, emerging wet and beaming. Ran for the House of Commons in Canada as a candidate for the fringe Jims bounty: a P&L Change Bag (turn one item into another, or pull something from an empty bag), an Ireland set of cup and balls, and a collection of mystifying instruction books. ", They were engaged within a week. 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. What happens, he says, is that an idea branchesyou start working on something and you go, Oh, it would really be good if it was like this. And you pursue that for a little while and you go, Yeah, thats not right. And then you go back and you pursue this for a little while, and this starts working. Most illusion creators stay in a lane: big-stage illusions, escapes, mind reading, theater productions, or close-up magic. In fact, theres just enough room for the woman to drop her knees to one side and avoid the blades. Its a mind-reading trick, but instead of the magician playing the part of the clairvoyant, its the third-party burglar. He was 52 and lived in Los Angeles. This story has been shared 381,315 times. The parks is linked to Indian spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation. 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. Doug Henning & His World of Magic (Dec 11, 1984 - Jan 27, 1985) Performer: Debby Henning [Assistant] He was a writer, known for The Magic Show (1983), World of Magic (1977) and Doug Henning's World of Magic (1976).