I’d be remiss in not mentioning that today is the 49th anniversary of the premiere of “The Magic Show.” It goes without saying that the show itself continues to live in the hearts and minds of Doug and magic fans everywhere. It’s a special show indeed, and one that is worthy of a revival. Whether that…
Tag: Wonder
Slash Film: Howard Shore Article
Before “The Magic Show,” there was Doug’s first stage show, “Spellbound.” While, it is not very remembered today, it laid the groundwork for Doug’s future career, as well as many others. With a creative team of Doug, Ivan Reitman, David Cronenberg, and Howard Shore, “Spellbound” was a confluence of Canadian creativity. For those not aware…
1,000th Post: “Merlin” Commercial BTS Photo
Well, today is my 1,000th post. I know right? When I think about that I’ve posted on this site 1,000 times, it’s a little mind boggling. But, Doug has always been worth the effort, and it’s an honor to do it whenever I can. Here’s to another 1,000! Anyway, I recently came across this behind…
Toronto O’Keefe Center: Backstage Photos
The above photo was taken by Ken McCreedy, and was taken at an after show backstage meet and greet in the 1980s. The show itself took place at the O’Keefe Center in Toronto (now known as Meridian Hall). I love the candid nature of this photo, and the look of joy in Doug’s face. It’s…
Pantages Theater 1981 Billboards
The above photo features the west wall advertising of the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. The year was 1981, and Doug Henning was about to play his still talked about, and legendary shows at this venerable theatrical institution. At the top right, you can see Doug’s small, but effective poster detailing the opening date of October…
Happy 76th Birthday Doug!
It goes without saying that today is Doug Henning’s 76th birthday! Feel free to add your own fanfare, trumpets, and rainbows here. Doug was born on May 3, 1947, and the world has never been quite the same since. His is a rich life worth celebrating, and while we all wish he was still here,…
Six Years of “The Doug Henning Project”
Well, here we are again. Six years ago today, I began “The Doug Henning Project” with a hope and a wish to bring a greater appreciation to Doug Henning’s life and work. As the site is rapidly approaching its 1000th post, I feel it has accomplished this task and then some. It’s now a resource…
“Merlin” Opening Night Photo
The above marquee photo is from the opening night of “Merlin” which “officially” occurred on February 13, 1983. I say officially because the show had 69 previews before this “official” opening night…which was postponed 3 times by the way. All of this was unheard of at the time. Not least of which was never formally…
Nathan Lane Discussing “Merlin” on Playbill.com
This newly filmed video for Playbill.com is a must for Doug fans. At the 1:33 mark, Lane reminisces about his time on the “Merlin,” and hints at the drama that ensued during its production. Other than a few jokes in other interviews, I’ve never heard Lane talk about the show so much. It’s fascinating getting…
Doug and TM Group in Switzerland Photo
The above picture comes from sometime in the 1970s, and shows Doug entertaining a contingent of TM followers from Latin America. According to Rafael De la Puente Araven’s Instagram account, this group had just met with the Maharishi at his academy in Switzerland. Afterwards, Doug entertained them with some magic to show the group “how …
Doug at Hollywood Magic Photo-Late 90s
Doug’s later years are the stuff of legend, even today. Having been told by the Maharishi to return to LA to fundraise for the theme park, Veda Land, Doug found himself in a curious situation. At fundraisers, prospective donors responded most when he would do close up magic. So, what began as a fundraising means…
Yoko One and Julian Lennon at “The Magic Show”
The above photo, and very rare photo, was taken on January 12, 1978, and, obviously, shows Yoko Ono and Julian Lennon leaving a performance of “The Magic Show.” How do we know it’s “The Magic Show? Well, it doesn’t take much investigating to see that Julian is carrying the deluxe souvenir program that was for…
Vintage 1968 Doug and Mars Performance Photo
The above photo comes from John Harrison’s in-depth biography on Doug, “Spellbound: The Wonder-Filled Life of Doug Henning.” It’s a great image, and one that’s been on my “To-Do” list of photos for some time now. Aside from Mars Barrick as his assistant, and the photo itself probably being from the late-60s, I don’t know…
Doug and the 1985 WDW Disney Easter Parade: Revisited
Happy Easter everyone! I very rarely repost items on this site. However, how could I resist doing it for today’s post? In 1985, the Walt Disney World Easter Parade featured Doug as its official “Grand Magical Marshal!” It’s a great moment in time for Doug as he’s about two years away from officially retiring. Also,…
“Double Dare,” Doug, and Charles Dickens
If you were a kid in the 1980s (myself included), there was nothing better each afternoon than watching the kid based game show “Double Dare.” From jumping in piles of questionable looking slop to rummaging around in giant nostrils, kids competed in what is still one of the most unique and gross out game shows…
“Oakville Beaver” Interview-March, 1982
Five years ago, I posted a 1982 interview Doug did with the “Oakville Beaver.” Oakville, as you may know, was Doug’s old stomping grounds, and where he lived and attended high school. Recently, that same article was sent to me again by chance. I realized that in the original 2018 post, I posted it as…
Paul Shaffer on Marc Maron’s “WTF Podcast”
Today’s post comes from musician Paul Shaffer of David Letterman and comedy fame, among other things. Appearing on Marc Maron’s popular “WTF Podcast,” Schaffer recalls his career and how he’s gotten to where he is today. However, an unexpected story along the way is how Shaffer spent a year as the bandleader in the original…
Newly Discovered Doug Costumes: Part 3
It was certainly an eventful week of posts concerning possible Doug costumes. Wasn’t it? So, what did we learn? Well, the general consensus was that the costumes that looked like they were originals from “The Magic Show,” were more than likely from the touring version. Abb Dickson, in addition to owning a generally massive costume…
Newly Discovered Doug Costumes: Part 2
Yesterday, I received A LOT of responses regarding the two costumes that photographer Drew Perlmutter has in his possession that may or may not be from “The Magic Show.” Before, I get into specifics on the provenance of these tomorrow, I wanted to show you the rest that were sent to me. The second set…
Newly Discovered Doug Costumes
Photographer Drew Perlmutter, recently contacted me with a treasure trove of magic costumes that had recently come into his possession. As he explained to me: “The clothes had been sitting for a while in bags in a trailer, presumably since the 90s. My girlfriend’s best friend’s aunt… had come into them from a friend named…
Original “Magic Show” Poster Concept Art
I recently received an email from Lon Cerel shedding some light on whatever happened to “The Magic Show’s” original concept art, as well as a previous post I had done regrading it. Just a subtle hint, it’s with Lon: I recently stumbled upon your posting regarding David Byrd’s original artwork that was used to create The…
“World of Magic ’82:” Canary Cage Illusion
Original Air Date: February 14, 1982
Cherish Alexander Interview: Behind the Scenes Photos
In addition to the interview, Cherish also sent me a load of personal photos from her collection. Some I featured in the article, however there were too many to include overall. So, I’m presenting them in all their glory here. Thank you again to Cherish ALexander, and enjoy! For more information on Cherish, please visit…
Cherish Alexander Interview: Part Three
What was it like working with the other celebrities in the special? I was so young at the time so I didn’t really know any of them professionally…yet as people they were all funny, kind and so sweet with me. Especially, Bruce (Caitlyn) Jenner, we laughed a lot together. All in all, they looked out…
Cherish Alexander Interview: Part Two
Had you heard of Doug Henning before you got the special? Yes! I had watched his magic special before when he featured my childhood crush Ricky Schroder. Do you remember meeting him for the first time? Yes. He was very kind and friendly, yet mostly professional….one of the first things he had me do was…
Cherish Alexander Interview: Part One
I’m delighted this week to be posting a recent interview I conducted with Cherish Alexander. As I’m sure many of you you know, Cherish was Doug’s co-host on “World of Magic ’82,” along with Ann Jillian, Kaitlyn Jenner, and Billy Crystal. She was more than happy to remember her time on the special, and working…
“World of Magic” MP4s Needed
Hey everyone! Just a quick post for tonight. I am looking for any MP4 downloads that anybody may have for “World of Magic ’80” (Guest: Barbi Benton) and “World of Magic ’82” (Guests: Ann Jillian, Billy Crystal, Caitlan Jenner) If anyone has access to these, please let me know. You can DM me via Facebook…
“World of Magic ’75:” Lorri Lieberman and “Killing Me Softly With His Song”
Even a magic special needs a breather. In what was presumably a moment to change set pieces, Doug called upon his friend singer Lori Lieberman to sing the now legendary song “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” It’s an all around nice moment, and one that is different from the specials that followed, as this…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 