Doug Henning
| Doug Henning | |
|---|---|
Henning in 1976.
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| Born |
Douglas James Henning May 3, 1947 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | February 7, 2000 (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Liver cancer |
| Occupation | Magician, illusionist, escape artist |
| Spouse(s) |
Barbara De Angelis Debby Douillard |
Douglas James Henning (May 3, 1947 – February 7, 2000) was a Canadian magician, illusionist, escape artist and politician.
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.
He performed his first show at the age of 14 at the birthday party of a friend and was inspired by his audience's spellbound reaction. Within a few months of placing an ad in a local newspaper, Henning launched a series of performances on local television in Toronto, and as an entertainer at parties.
He was a student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and studied psychology. Henning met Ivan Reitman there when he appeared in the 1968 Reitman-directed production of Li'l Abner in the role of Lonesome Polecat.
Shortly after university, Henning was awarded a Canada Council for the Arts grant. The terms of the grant required Henning to study magic. He did so, traveling to view first hand the talents of such magic greats as Slydini and Dai Vernon. Doug studied under Tony Slydini and considered him his primary teacher of magic.
With the intention of returning magic to its “glory days”, Henning worked to perfect his craft. Garnering financial support, he developed a live theatrical show, Spellbound, directed by Ivan Reitman, with music by Howard Shore and co-starring actress Jennifer Dale, a musical that combined a dramatic story and Henning's magic tricks. The show opened in Toronto, where it broke box-office records. 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. Debuting in 1974, the show ran for four and a half years, and earned Henning a Tony Award nomination.
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