IT WAS MAGIC AT ITS BEST WITH DOUG HENNING

DOUG HENNING WAS BORN IN WINNEPEG HE GREW UP IN ONTERIO AT THE AGE OF 14 HE PERFORMED HIS FIRST SHOW FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY OF A FRIEND AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE EXCITEMENT OF HIS AUDIENCE. HE SOON WAS PERFORMING ON LOCAL TELEVISION IN TORONTO. SHORTLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM McMASTER UNIVERSITY HE WENT ON TO STUDY MAGIC FROM A GRANT AWARDED HIM. HE TRAVELED AND STUDIED THE TALENTS OF THE GREATS. THE IDEA WAS TO BRING MAGIC BACK TO THE GLORY DAYS.


HENNING WORKED AND WORKED TO PERFECT HIS CRAFT AND HE DEVELOPED A LIVE THEATRICAL SHOW COSTARING JENNIFER DALE CALLED SPELLBOUND. WITH MUSIC BY HOWARD SHORE. CONBINING A STORYLINE WITH HENNINGS MAGIC WHEN THE SHOW OPENEDF IN TORONTO IT BROKE BOX OFFICE RECORDS FOR THAT CITY. HENNING REWORKED THE SHOW AND BROUGHT IT TO NEW YORK AND RENAMED IT THE MAGIC SHOW SONGS BY STEPHEN SCHWARTZ IN 1974. THE SHOW RAN FOR 41/2 YEARS AND HENNING WON A TONY NOMINATION, FOR HIS WORK.
IN 1975 HENNING REWORKED HIS SHOW AND BROUGHT IT TO TELEVISION VIA NBC AS DOUG HENNINGS WORLD OF MAGIC. A LARGE FOLLOWING WITH 50 MILLION VIEWERS, AND FOR THE NEXT 7 YEARS HE CONTINURED HIS ANNUAL SHOW AND WINNING 7 EMMY NOMINATIONS.
IN 1976 HE CREATED HIS OWN PRODUCTION COMPANY AND RELOCATED TO LAS
HENNINGS BIGGEST ATTRACTION WAS HIS COSTUMES AND ENTHUIASM, MADE OLD TRICKS LOOK AND SEEM NEW AGAIN. HIS SECOND WIFE DEBBY DOUILLAD WAS HIS COSTAR FROM 1981 AS WELL AS HELPED HIM DESIGN THE STAGE AND COSTUMES
THE BROADWAY SHOW MERLIN PRODUCED AND STARRED IN 1983, WHICH WAS BASED ON THE CHARACTER FROM TIMES OF KING ARTHUR.
DOUG ALSO WROTE THE BOOK HOUDINI:THE LEGEND AND HIS TIME. ALONG WITH CHARLES R. REYNOLDS.
DOUG HENNING PASSED ON TO THE MAGIC IN THE HEAVENS IN 2000 FROM THE AIDS EPEDEMIC.