1983
Doug Henning
A New Evening of Magic and Wonder
Listen to the story
Wonder in Electric Blue
Narrated by Dominic
After decades of demons and formal tailcoats, Doug Henning arrives smiling in blue satin. Magic had changed clothes.
01
The artwork
The poster replaces Victorian density with a photographic star portrait. Henning’s bright costume, open hand, and direct smile create movement against a blue field of light. Debby Henning appears below in a flowing pose, while the title uses glowing pink and cyan lettering associated with early 1980s entertainment design.
Nothing here suggests occult danger. The key word is ‘wonder.’ The image sells warmth, energy, and accessibility, a visual reset after generations of magicians advertised as sinister masters of forbidden knowledge.
02
The performer
Canadian magician Doug Henning helped revive large-scale theatrical magic in the 1970s and 1980s. His Broadway success with The Magic Show, television specials, and touring productions presented classic illusions with a countercultural brightness and visible delight.
This poster advertises A New Evening of Magic and Wonder, featuring Debby Henning. The design is very much of its time, and cheerfully so. Even the moustache appears to have its own lighting cue.
“A New Evening of Magic and Wonder”
Read the complete audio transcript
Welcome to the Magic Poster Tour at Poe’s Magic Theatre, inside the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel.
This stop features Doug Henning, a 1983 piece billed as “A New Evening of Magic and Wonder.”
The poster replaces Victorian density with a photographic star portrait. Henning’s bright costume, open hand, and direct smile create movement against a blue field of light. Debby Henning appears below in a flowing pose, while the title uses glowing pink and cyan lettering associated with early 1980s entertainment design.
Nothing here suggests occult danger. The key word is ‘wonder.’ The image sells warmth, energy, and accessibility, a visual reset after generations of magicians advertised as sinister masters of forbidden knowledge.
Canadian magician Doug Henning helped revive large-scale theatrical magic in the 1970s and 1980s. His Broadway success with The Magic Show, television specials, and touring productions presented classic illusions with a countercultural brightness and visible delight.
This poster advertises A New Evening of Magic and Wonder, featuring Debby Henning. The design is very much of its time, and cheerfully so. Even the moustache appears to have its own lighting cue.