My eyes flick across Steinmeyers studio, his array of artifacts and scale models. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Id approached Steinmeyer with this intent a few weeks earlier. 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. Will Virtual Reality Ever Live Up to the Hype? Real magic uses laws that havent yet been discovered.. He was 52. I couldn't help myself. At 53 years old, Doug Henning height Kellars arms are elevated skyward, a woman floating above his hands. Thats the point of my visitIm here to understand what Steinmeyer does and how he does it. I cannot imagine why.Sideshow Gathering 2010 He was previously married to Debby Douillard and Barbara De Angelis. 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. The SIX: The Musical star originated the role of Chiffon in the current revival at the Westside Theatre. 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. 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." 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. As well, Debby starred in several summer theater musicals (including Fiddler on the Roof and Applause) and studied mime, jazz dance and singing. Taking its name from basketball star LeBron James, the work comes to New York after runs at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Center Theatre Group. Steinmeyer sees Im not going to let the sawing-in-half trick go, and maybe against his better judgment, he relents. Magic is something that happens that appears to be impossible, he said in an interview with The Times. He was a writer and actor, known for. WebMini Bio (1) Doug Henning was born on May 3, 1947 in Fort Garry, Manitoba, Canada. In the mid-1980's, Mr. Henning retired from the stage and became increasingly interested in transcendental meditation. The parks is linked to Indian spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation. WebHe was living with his second wife, Debby Douillard, and he had no children. He was 52. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Moments later, a telegram arrives for Morritt. But the boy was more interested in sports and then began premed studies and earned a psychology degree at Canadas McMaster University. Shackled hand and foot and encased underwater in a steel canister, he broke free in under a minute, emerging wet and beaming. WebDoug Henning. ''When I was in college, being a magician was not the classiest thing to be,'' he said. He conquered Broadway with his smash rock musical, The Magic Show, which ran for more than four years at the Cort Theater. 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. In a sense, Dougy forced me to overcome my natural shyness.". Henning was also a disciple of transcendental meditation and its leader, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Share the best GIFs now >>> 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. Debbie told Beverly Hills [213] magazine in 1986. Superstar magician Doug Henning led a wild life | The Star Major General Dany Fortin, military officer acquitted of sexual assault, sues government, PM for $6M The guy very snobily said Mr. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. By Lets deconstruct it.. We've received your submission. Theres the script where you ostensibly say whats happening, which is often a lie. Henning died Monday in Los Angeles, his business office in Toronto said. My heart was racing. Its hard for people to comprehend this today, but he was like a rock star.. Thats why we press for answers. Davis' Death of a Salesman co-star Wendell Pierce hosted a screening and talkback for the new film. He is credited with reviving the magic show as a form of mass entertainment in the 1970s and popularizing it on television. Aside from its ambition and quality, what stands out is the breadth of Steinmeyers work. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? 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. Talaura Harms To prepare for his career, Henning studied psychology in college, to learn more about the human mind and perception. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He was the face of magic, McNally says. 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. Audiences should recognize the magic about to be performed. So we went somewhere and talked a long, long time, and I remember having this powerful feeling of recognition. Suddenly the assistant was standing in his place, and Mr. Henning was in the trunk, handcuffed. Solid metal, right?before doing another. Sign up for reopening news, announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows! Encouraged students of magic to make their own props and equipment, and not rely on ready-made magic kits. Huh. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 3 May. Stay tuned to Playbill as Broadway gets ready to reveal its top honors. He wears a khaki vest over a tie and pinstriped Oxford, a look that combined with his affable demeanor conjures him as a boy haunting Chicago-area magic shops in the 1950s, hobnobbing with performers, probing for tips. Will Self-Driving Cars Out-Smart Human Drivers? As is customary for first-time guests, Im given the password that, when spoken aloud, opens the hidden door into the castle. Actor: The Magic Show. "Those magic tricks you buy in stores are junk. WebWho Is Doug Henning's Wife? He is survived by his wife and former assistant, Debby. Henning spent his final years working with the Maharishi to build a meditation theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario. WebDoug Henning seems unmarried yet he is married. ''He was a kind of Peter Pan,'' Mr. Willmarth told The Associated Press, ''who led magic away from the tuxedo approach.''. From the mid-70s to the early 80s, Toronto-raised master illusionist and escape artist Doug Henning was inescapable. 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. Doug is unique in that he didnt copy anyone before or after him, he says. 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. 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. At the time of my visit, Steinmeyer served as president (though his tenure has since ended), and we arrive about an hour before opening. "When I perform, I could love a million people, but I had trouble loving one person Debby's helped me overcome my fear of intimacy.". It made me think about magic in a different way, Ramon says, I was just a performer. You want that thing to be very clear.. After I borrow a tie at reception to pair with my sport coat and meet the dress code, the manager greets us. Steinmeyer doesnt know how the safe illusion works. There are 24 notebooks, 100 pages each. WebWife: Barbara DeAngelis (div. Steinmeyer uses the mind-reading trick as a launchpad into a disquisition on how magic tricks evolve, which is fascinating, but it temporarily walls me off from a question Im eager to ask about the trick, or, really, any trick: How does it work? Will the greatest illusion designer in the world tell us his secrets? This story has been shared 125,059 times. What we want, instead, is to sign what Steinmeyer calls a mysterious pact between a performer and the audience. We want to be in the midst of that credulous, shrieking crowd at the Magic Castle. Debby became Doug's assistant, appearing as a singer and dancer, as well as designing all of the costumes, for Merlin and on tour. May 2, 2023, By And the stories involve multiple layers of deception. What I call illusion magic uses laws of science and nature that are already known. At one point derided as crazy and a has-been, Henning insisted to one Canadian political reporter in 1994: Im a visionary., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Hollywood writers strike over streaming pay after talks fail, Models and climate activists hit the streets to protest the star-studded 2023 Met Gala, Gordon Lightfoot, mournful Canadian singer-songwriter, dies at 84, Tim Bachman, founding guitarist of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, dies at 71. The feet are fake, he explains. The Canadian version even promised a building that would levitate. For one it was written as Merlin wasjust about toopen on Broadway, and the other being that it delves into Dougs new marriage to Debby Douillard (Henning) and the, I love this vintage 1986 commercial not only for its obvious camp value, but for the fact that it gives you a glimpse into Dougs touring productions and promotions. With his magic shows, he rejected the traditional tuxedo and top hat costume and prefered bright multi coloured casual clothing and tights. He added stage sets and dancers and speeded up the illusions. When their mother was diagnosed with cancer, he spent several months caring for her in Toronto. 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. How a Legendary Magician Builds the World's Greatest Illusions. Among the judges are Olivier winner Amber Riley and Frozen star Samantha Barks. ", They were engaged within a week. When were little kids, were filled with wonder for the world its fascinating and miraculous, he once said. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. Where was it taken you ask? Given the nature of his business, he said, he had to be proprietary about sharing the way magic is accomplished. 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. Magic plus theater equals art, the 20-year-old psychology major argued, convincing the government in his native Canada to give him a $4,000 study grant with the goal of reviving magic as a theatrical art. In the 80s Henning also created illusions for others, including Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire and the Toronto rock band Lighthouse. May 2, 2023, By 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?