I recently had the pleasure of asking original “Magic Show” cast member Annie McGreevey to reflect on her time with the show. Playing Donna, part of club Top Hat’s rock group “Donna & Dina, Annie was more than happy to oblige. 

I attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. Within the first year of graduation, I was selected, by Bob Fosse, to be in his Las Vegas production of “Sweet Charity.” After four months, I was transferred to the Broadway production with Gwen Verdon.  

My next Broadway show was Sondheim’s “Company,” directed by Hal Prince. That directly followed by my being part of the London production. I played Marta in both productions, and sang “Another Hundred People.”

I first heard about “The Magic Show” through my agent. Stephen Schwartz was the composer, so I naturally wanted to be part of it. The audition process was arduous for me. I suffered with Dyslexia, and had Left-Right confusion. Director Grover Dale was a task master. I think (he) did a really good job in creating a theatrical piece that was clever and inventive, and at the same time showcased the magic.

My first impression of Doug was that he was adorable, and very sweet. Doug was a lovely, kind human being, who was also a very savvy businessman…We had a very strong and talented cast… However, the rehearsal period was tough.

A couple of things stand out for me. I believe it was during the invited dress rehearsal that the bar, a particularly heavy set piece started to fall over. Anita Morris, one of our stars, and Grover’s wife, wasn’t going to let that happen! With the strength of Wonder Woman, she swooped in and righted the piece that was probably ten times her size. Another took place during a blizzard. The cougar, which was usually kept on a farm outside of the city, couldn’t get in  for the matinee. So, our stage manager Jay went on in a cougar suit.

I left the show after being with it for 18 months. I think the show hasn’t been revived because it would be hard to find another Doug Henning. There were several talented young men who replaced Doug, but none quite like him. He was really so dear and charismatic, and most importantly, he owned the copyright to those illusions. Grover’s choreography was also a wonderful and clever addition to the show, and would be hard to top.

The first image I have when thinking about Doug is one of a very young spaniel. He looked to me like a frisky puppy, who was able to conjure up these giant illusions – Pure Magic!

For more information on Annie and her career, please visit: HERE