Doug Henning

Doug Henning didn't just perform magic; he repackaged it for a modern audience that had come to see it as dusty and quaint. Bursting onto television in the 1970s with his flowing hair, colorful costumes, and palpable joy, he made the impossible feel fresh and exhilarating. His Broadway show 'The Magic Show' became a long-running sensation, and his annual television specials were event viewing. Henning's approach was less about mysterious sorcery and more about wonder shared with the audience, a philosophy that inspired a generation of performers, including a young David Copperfield. His later turn toward Transcendental Meditation and an attempt to enter Canadian politics were unexpected final chapters for a man who spent his life making people believe in the unbelievable.