Doug Henning
Doug Henning was a renowned Canadian magician and illusionist, born on May 3, 1947, in Fort Gary, Manitoba. His fascination with magic began in childhood after witnessing a magician levitate an assistant on television, which inspired him to perform his own levitation act during his teenage years. Henning pursued higher education, earning a degree in psychology from McMaster University in 1970, but his passion for magic led him to seek professional opportunities in the field.
He gained recognition for his innovative performances, particularly with his show "Spellbound," which combined magic, music, and dance, ultimately leading to his successful Broadway production, "The Magic Show." This show not only became a hit but also earned him a Tony nomination and opened doors to television, where he produced several popular magic specials for NBC.
In the mid-1980s, Henning shifted away from performance to focus on transcendental meditation and other personal pursuits, including a brief political career. He passed away on February 7, 2000, at the age of fifty-two after battling liver cancer. Throughout his life, Henning was married twice and left a lasting legacy in the world of magic.
Subject Terms
Doug Henning
Magician
- Born: May 3, 1947
- Birthplace: Fort Gary, Manitoba
- Died: February 7, 2000
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Contribution: Doug Henning was a Canadian magician and illusionist who captured the world’s attention in the 1970s with his innovative brand of modern, musical magic. Though he later abandoned his magical craft in favor of transcendental meditation and a short political career, Henning is still regarded as one of the foremost illusionists in contemporary history.
Early Life and Education
Douglas James Henning was born May 3, 1947, in Fort Gary, Manitoba, to Clarke and Shirley Henning. As a young boy growing up in Winnipeg, Henning saw a magician levitate his assistant on an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show and immediately became enamored. By the time he was a teenager, Henning was performing his own levitation act with the assistance of his sister. Unsure whether a career in magic was a realistic goal, he enrolled in college and earned a degree in psychology from McMaster University in Ontario in 1970.
Professional Career
Deeply committed to his pursuit of a career as an illusionist, Henning appeared before the Canada Council for the Arts and successfully persuaded its members to award him a $4,000 grant to study the art of magic. He used the money to hone his skills at the Hollywood Magic Castle, where he learned from the master craftsmen of illusion. In 1973, he staged his first major performance with Spellbound, which artfully blended magic and illusion with rock and roll music and dance. Spellbound attracted the attention of several Broadway producers, who offered Henning the chance to bring his act to New York City.
Sticking to his proven format, Henning retooled his act and dubbed his new presentation The Magic Show. The Magic Show was a smash hit, which ran for four years, earning Henning a Tony nomination and establishing him as a top-tier illusionist. The success of The Magic Show quickly ushered Henning into the next phase of his career: television. NBC executives, awed by Henning’s sensational act, offered him the opportunity to do a live primetime show, and Henning quickly accepted. This agreement resulted in The World of Magic, a special on which Henning performed Harry Houdini’s famous Chinese water torture chamber illusion. He went on to produce a total of seven such specials within an eight-year period.
Life After Magic
After years of television specials and stage performances around the globe, Henning eventually drifted away from the world of magic. In the mid-1980s, Henning retired his act and immersed himself in the study of transcendental meditation. He sold the secrets of his illusions to other top magicians of the time and traveled to India to learn from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In the early 1990s, the pair announced plans to construct Veda Land, a proposed transcendental meditation–centered theme park in Niagara Falls; the project, however, never came to fruition. Henning also made a brief foray into politics around the same time, unsuccessfully running for parliament as a member of the Maharishi’s Natural Law Party.
Henning spent much of his later life outside the public eye. He passed away February 7, 2000, after a battle with liver cancer. He was fifty-two years old.
Personal Life
Henning married twice. His first marriage was to Barbara De Angelis, a self-help guru. Following their separation, he married Debby Douillard, an artist, in 1981. The pair remained together until Henning’s death. He had no children.
Bibliography
Christopher, Milbourne and Maurine Brooks Christopher. The Illustrated History of Magic. New York: Carroll, 2006. Print.
Cynthia Wang, et al. “Grand Illusions.” People 53.7 (2000): 115. Print.
Harrison, John. Spellbound: The Wonder-Filled Life of Doug Henning. New York: BoxOffice, 2009. Print.
McKinley, Jesse. “Doug Henning, a Superstar Of Illusion, Is Dead at 52.” New York Times 09 Feb 2000. Web. 9 Aug. 2013.
Oliver, Myrna. “ Magician Doug Henning Dies of Liver Cancer at 52.” LATimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2000. Web. 12 Aug. 2013.