Doug’s first show “Spellbound” is the stuff of legend.
It’s the kind of show that is spoken of reverently in terms of magic history. However, for those who saw it at the time, there supposedly wasn’t much to show for it.
The following review, while not favorable in the least (especially to Ivan Reitman), shows you that Doug overcame these reviews with his winning personality. If that weren’t enough, the bright shining lights of Broadway were just around the corner.
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 
I’m not exajurating when I say this; the day after this revue came out the sales skyrocketed and three more mantinees had to be added to the run.
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I won’t speak ill of the dead, but the reviewer was dead wrong. I was there opening night. I was 13 and always had an interest in magic, having seen the Tony Curtis movie Houdini as a youngster. My dad, who ran a ticket agency out of a smoke shop at Spadina and College in Toronto, got us tickets on the isle, second row, centre.
Before the show I was treated to zany tricks from legendary Canadian magician John Girordmaine, producing giant pocket watch out of his vest and doing the rubber pencil trick with a foot long, one inch around pencil. I was entranced from the first trick, even though siting so close the rabbit from the hat trick wasn’t very fooling. But it still brought me closer to the magic and unlike what the reviewer said, it only got better. I very much remember The Neon Tubes, but it was the Sidewalk Shuffle and linking rings that made me feel that I could do magic too. And I did perform both during my professional career.
However, it was Metamorphosis that changed my life. Because on opening night the skinny kid that was invited on stage to examine the trunk, was me. I kind of think it was set up as a surprise for me. Standing on the stage, behind and to the side of the trunk, was not as magical as sitting in the audience, but from that moment on, I wanted to perform magic like Doug and Houdini. I built my first sub trunk that summer and eventually that, and the milk can escape were part of my show.
I am thankful that the world saw a different show than a pretentious theatre critic. It was Spellbound that lead to The Magic Show and live specials that no one had ever done before. It was truly a magical evening.
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