Today is a first for “The Doug Henning Project” as I am featuring an item from my own collection. While I can no way lay claim to some of the amazing Doug-related items I’ve seen in private collections, this simple pamphlet is special in what it would eventually become.

“Spellbound” was Doug’s vision for a magic show to end all magic shows. It would combine rock, visual effects, and magic in a way that no one had seen before. Along for the ride, were a who’s who of Canadian creative talent.  Directed by Doug’s old McMaster University theater friend Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Animal House, Ghostbusters), the script by David Cronenberg (The Fly, Scanners, History of Violence) and music by Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Silence of the Lambs) featured the bones of something special, unique, and pure 100% Doug.  

Presented over Christmas, 1973 the show would attract the interest of Broadway producers Edgar Lansbury and Joe Beruh. While “Spellbound” as originally presented didn’t make the transition to Broadway, its star Doug Henning and its heart and soul did as “The Magic Show.”