SecretS by Ben Robinson

Modern Houdini Dies at 52
Doug Henning 1947-2000

Doug Henning died in Los Angeles on February 7, 2000.

I saw The Magic Show on Broadway four times. The last performance I saw was the last performance the Broadway company gave, December 31, 1979. Although Doug Henning was not in the show at that time, the exuberance critics first pointed out was apparent in his understudy, Joe Abaldo. Henning made sure that his understudy conveyed a sense of wonder, just as he had.

When The Magic Show opened, I was 14. As with many other youngsters, Doug Henning became my idol. Due to his generous and friendly spirit and my persistence, I got to know my idol.

Doug Henning and I met on the first anniversary of his historic Broadway show. On May 28, 1975 I waited for almost an hour, after a long line of autograph seekers, to have an audience with the master magician. He received me politely in his dressing room, and after answering many questions and giving me advice I still adhere to, he wrote his number on an envelope, tore it off, and with a wink said, "Hey, call anytime." Doug introduced me to Transcendental Meditation in 1976, and while I was in high school and college, Doug was never too busy to return my call about some burning question I had about magic.

TM became the source of my college major and later, a trip I would take to Nepal. Doug Henning not only influenced me to become a professional magician with my own show at the same age he achieved this, he gave me the gift of peace of mind for the rest of my life.

Left: Doug Henning levitating Ann Reinking above fountains. A flaming hoop showed her unattached to anything but the air.

Right: Ben Robinson , age 21, helping Henning with the Houdini Metamorphosis illusion with his wife Debby Henning. Ed Sullivan Theatre, New York City, 1982, on Henning's last TV special "Doug Henning on Broadway."

After college I came to New York to begin my career as a professional magician. Because I had pulled a rabbit from my graduation cap, Doug offered me a job working as a production assistant on his last TV special, taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater. I am there on the final tape checking his Metamorphosis box. When his second Broadway show, Merlin, opened at the Mark Hellinger Theater I worked to promote the show during an advertising tie-in with Revlon products. For several weeks I stood at the "color magic" counter at Bloomingdale's and did magic for the people who passed by. Doug introduced me to the crowd that had come to see him, and watched as I very nervously changed a handkerchief into an egg.

Doug Henning is historically similar to Houdini. Like Houdini, he did something revolutionary with the art of magic. Like the great escapist, he achieved world fame at age 27, and died at age 52. Unlike most magicians who present magic on TV, Henning stuck to his belief that the audience must have a chance to believe in the magic. He accomplished that by performing live. Performing Houdini's water torture cell escape live on his first TV special was a gutsy move that resulted in 11 years of hard touring and 7 more TV specials.

Though Doug forsake his career as a performing magician in 1986, I believe he never gave up the quest for, and belief in, real magic. The belief carried over to the audience and brought great joy. Jai Guru Dev, Doug.