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left hand. The close-up magic was a nice change of pace. Doug has the ability to make everything he does look like real magic. We couldn't help but believe.
For added variety, Glen Campbell introduced the next scene -- a magical skit in which Doug, playing the part of a toy store janitor, rediscovers the magic of childhood. In the opening, Doug fell in love with a beautiful ballerina, produced earlier from a stack of boxes. The ballerina, played by guest star Sandy Duncan, suddenly came to life -- and then the fun began! Two handkerchiefs danced between Doug and Sandy and flew in and out of a giant water bottle. Then, Sandy climbed into the top of a huge chrome cylinder, slid through and came out the bottom transformed into a little girl -- as neat a bit of magic as I've ever seen! Next, a toy deer was placed into a cage and covered. The cloth was thrown off to reveal the toy had changed into a live fawn. Then Doug stepped into a cabinet, the cabinet shrank in size, and Doug walked out only a third his original height! After dancing with him, tiny Sandy decided she wanted to perform some magic, also. So, she led Doug into another box. He vanished from that and reappeared in a box suspended in mid-air. As a finale, both Doug and Sandy were covered with a a"rape with only their heads and hands showing through slits in the cloth. An alligator mask was placed over the head of each star. Suddenly, the two figures grew in size. They threw off their masks to reveal themselves to be Doug and Sandy, fully grown again! The dancing, music, and magic were beautifully blended together; for a few minutes we were able indeed to see the world through a child's eyes.
In a sequence entitled "The Artist's Dream," Doug offered to explain how he creates his illusions. Like an artist, the magician follows his dream until it becomes an actual physical reality. Saying so, Doug stepped into a cabinet just large enough to hold one person. His hands and face showed through holes in the front. "To show how powerful the mind can be," said Doug, "I will create something with my mind and not my hands." He opened the doors to reveal the artist's raw material, a lump of clay. He closed the doors and said, "Now the artist's dream begins to take shape." Once again the doors were opened; this time the clay was molded into a rabbit. Doug closed the doors and said, "Now the most important part in the work
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of art, the moment the artist breathes life into his creation. And when an artist transforms his dream into reality, he himself becomes transformed!" The doors opened once more to show the clay rabbit was now a real rabbit and Doug was dressed in an entirely different costume!
A comic interlude followed in which Doug tried, unsuccessfully, to teach Glen Campbell the color changing handkerchief trick. Then, Doug said, "There are other laws of nature we don't yet understand. We have, for example, the power to levitate." As an example, Sandy was hypnotized and stretched out on the points of three upright swords. Slowly, two of the swords were removed, yet she continued to remain suspended on the point of the remaining sword.
The closing number was Doug Henning's own version of Houdini's great illusion, "Walking Through A Brick Wall." A member of Local 2, Bricklayers and Masons Union, attested to the legitimacy of the wall. Measuring 10' x 10', 8h" thick, and weighing 7000 pounds, this would indeed be the ultimate test to prove that nothing is impossible! A translucent curtain was raised on both sides of the wall. Doug stood behind one curtain, hands raised. The next instant we saw him on the other side. To all appearances, he had literally walked thru a brick wall!
And thus came to a close a magical evening in the truest sense of the word. As Doug said at the end, "There is real magic. It's all around us all the time. Magic is always and everywhere. And all you must do to experience it is open your mind and heart. Then you can see the magic that life truly is." As a gift for those watching, Doug produced two tiny rose bushes and handed the flowers to members of the audience.
To the more than 130 members of the staff, congratulations on a superb show. Special credit should go to Producer and Director Walter C. Miller; Executive Producer Jerry Goldstein; Associate Producer Harry Water-son; Musical Arranger Peter Matz; Writer Buz Kohan; Art Director Charles Lisanby; Choreographer Anita Mann; Costume Designer Bill Hargate; Magic Consultant Charles Reynolds, and Constructor of the Illusions, John Gaughan.
Most of all, thanks to Doug Henning for such a splendid hour of theatre. Doug Henning is likable, energetic, and highly original. He always maintains the dignity of the art. His magic looks like real magic.
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