On This Day in Magic History: Doug Henning’s Merlin Ends Its Broadway Run

 

On August 7, 1983, the final curtain came down on Merlin, Doug Henning’s ambitious combination of grand illusion, musical theater and Arthurian fantasy.

Presented at Broadway’s Mark Hellinger Theatre, Merlin closed after 199 regular performances and an unusually long 69-preview period. Although the production did not achieve the lengthy run of Henning’s earlier Broadway success, The Magic Show, it remains an important chapter in the history of theatrical magic.

The musical brought together Doug Henning, Chita Rivera, Nathan Lane, Christian Slater and a remarkable team of illusion designers and builders. Its goal was nothing less than to place spectacular magic at the center of a full-scale Broadway fantasy.

Doug Henning Returns to Broadway

By the time Merlin began previews on December 10, 1982, Doug Henning had already helped transform the public image of the modern magician.

Henning’s colorful costumes, enthusiastic personality and genuine sense of wonder offered an alternative to the formal tuxedo-clad magicians of previous generations. His Broadway debut in The Magic Show had become an unexpected success, running for more than four years after opening in 1974.

Merlin represented an opportunity for Henning to return to Broadway with a much larger production.

Rather than playing a contemporary nightclub magician, Henning stepped into the title role of the legendary wizard Merlin. The story imagined Merlin as a young apprentice who was still discovering his magical abilities and learning how to use them.

The production was conceived by Henning and Barbara De Angelis, with a book by Richard Levinson and William Link. Elmer Bernstein composed the music, Don Black supplied the lyrics and filmmaker Ivan Reitman served as director and producer.

What Was Doug Henning’s Merlin About?

The musical followed a young Merlin as he attempted to protect the future of Camelot.

Chita Rivera played the villainous Queen, who wanted her son, Prince Fergus, to become king instead of the rightful young Arthur. Henning’s Merlin had to develop his powers, confront the Queen and help ensure that Arthur reached his destiny.

The magical theme gave Henning and his creative team a natural reason to fill the stage with illusions. Instead of stopping the story for a traditional magic act, the effects represented Merlin’s developing powers and became part of the fantasy world surrounding the characters.

That was the production’s most ambitious idea: magic would not merely decorate the musical. It would help tell the story.

A Broadway Cast Filled With Future Stars

Doug Henning was joined by legendary Broadway performer Chita Rivera as the Queen. Rivera brought theatrical power and experience to the production, receiving a Tony Award nomination for her performance.

The supporting cast also included performers who would become major stars.

Nathan Lane played the Queen’s son, Prince Fergus, years before his Tony-winning performances in productions including The Producers and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

A young Christian Slater appeared as both Young Merlin and Arthur. Slater was still several years away from the film roles that would make him one of the most recognizable actors of his generation.

George Lee Andrews played Old Merlin and the Old Soldier, while Rebecca Wright appeared as Philomena and Michelle Nicastro played Ariadne. Henning’s wife and longtime stage partner, Debby Henning, also appeared in the ensemble and as Merlin’s Vision.

The complete cast and production credits can be found in the official Playbill record for Merlin.

Doug Henning Assembles an Extraordinary Magic Team

The magic created for Merlin involved some of the most respected designers, consultants and builders in the history of modern illusion.

The Internet Broadway Database’s official production record credits the illusions to Doug Henning, supported by an extensive creative and technical team.

Charles Reynolds served as magic consultant. Glen Priest was the magic technical supervisor and designer, while Jim Steinmeyer worked as magic designer and creative coordinator. Master illusion builder John Gaughan handled illusion development and construction.

Steve Kirsner and William Kennedy were credited as illusion engineers, with Kirsner also overseeing pyrotechnics. Wellington Enterprises contributed additional illusion development and construction.

It was an extraordinary concentration of magical knowledge. Many members of the team would continue shaping major stage productions and the careers of some of the world’s most successful illusionists.

Spectacular Magic Filled the Mark Hellinger Theatre

Audiences attending Merlin saw illusions presented on a scale rarely attempted in a Broadway musical.

One of the production’s most famous sequences involved Henning and a white horse. The effect began with magician and horse entering a large structure that was raised above the stage. The enclosure then opened to reveal that both had vanished, only for Henning to make a spectacular reappearance elsewhere while still mounted on the horse.

Another sequence allowed Merlin to fly through a setting filled with enormous stone arches. The scenery was designed to make the levitation appear especially open and impossible.

The production also featured a giant suit of armor that appeared to assemble and come to life onstage, along with transformations, appearances and other visual impossibilities woven into the story.

These effects are described only as audiences experienced them. Their methods remain part of the artistry and ingenuity of Henning’s remarkable creative team.

An Unusually Long Broadway Preview Period

Merlin became known for its extended preview process.

The first preview took place on December 10, 1982, but the production did not officially open until February 13, 1983. By opening night, it had played 69 previews—far more than most Broadway musicals of the period.

The extended preview period reflected the complexity of combining a developing musical with large illusions, elaborate scenery, live animals, choreography, music and technical effects.

Songs and scenes were revised as the creative team worked to strengthen the production. The size and mechanical demands of the show made every change more complicated than it would have been in a conventional musical.

After opening, Merlin continued for 199 regular performances before closing on August 7.

Merlin Earned Five Tony Award Nominations

Despite its relatively short Broadway life, Merlin received five Tony Award nominations in 1983:

• Best Musical
• Best Book of a Musical
• Best Original Score
• Best Actress in a Musical for Chita Rivera
• Best Direction of a Musical for Ivan Reitman

Rebecca Wright also received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

Most importantly for magic historians, the illusion team received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Special Effects. The nomination recognized Doug Henning, Charles Reynolds, Glen Priest, Jim Steinmeyer, John Gaughan and scenic designer Robin Wagner.

The recognition demonstrated that theatrical magic could be evaluated alongside Broadway’s other creative disciplines.

Jim Steinmeyer Remembers Doug Henning’s Merlin

Years later, Jim Steinmeyer recalled Henning’s performance as a young Merlin and the quality that made him such an effective magician.

In his essay “Lessons From Doug Henning”, Steinmeyer explained that Henning’s personality invited audiences to follow him into a world of wonder. His enthusiasm did not feel like a character he adopted for the stage—it appeared to be an authentic part of who he was.

That quality made Henning an ideal young Merlin. He did not look or behave like an ancient, all-knowing wizard. He appeared to be discovering the magic alongside the audience.

Even when the musical surrounding him received a divided response, Henning’s illusions and unmistakable personality remained the production’s greatest attractions.

The Magical Legacy of Doug Henning’s Merlin

Merlin may not have duplicated the commercial success of The Magic Show, but its importance cannot be measured solely by the length of its Broadway run.

The production demonstrated the possibilities and challenges of integrating major illusions into a scripted musical. It assembled a creative team whose influence would be felt throughout the magic industry for decades.

It also placed a professional magician at the center of a Broadway fantasy alongside one of musical theater’s greatest performers and two young actors who would later become major stars.

On August 7, 1983, Merlin disappeared from the Mark Hellinger Theatre after 199 performances. More than four decades later, however, the show remains a fascinating example of Doug Henning’s determination to make theatrical magic bigger, brighter and more wondrous than audiences had ever imagined.