The Magic Show

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 2:59pm

I recently got Spotify and was looking around and came across "Lion Tamer" and I fell in love. Such a pretty, simple song. And then I discovered "West End Avenue." It almost sounds like Meadowlark, but not quite. It's a pretty song too. I've heard both songs sung by men, but I know the character is a women, yeah? The show ran for quite awhile. Do we think a revival would be worth while? I can't get into Schwartz's Pippin and I'm not a fan of Godspell because I just find it way too "Bible School," but this show I really enjoy. I can't seem to find a recording of it on Itunes or Spotify though, so I can't comment on the rest of the show. I'd love to see Roundabout or someone do a revival.

[dreaming]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:00pm

I love "Prestidigitation". It's a great song. I'd love to see it remounted.

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:07pm

If I am properly recalling my Broadway trivia, the show was written around the non-singing and mostly non-acting performance by illusionist Doug Henning in the lead role. When he left, the show was retooled somewhat to make the lead sing and act more, but it has never been revived because actor/singer/magician is a hard role to cast.

Why hasn't Neil Patrick Harris, whose love of illusions and stage magic is well-known, tried to get himself into this show yet?

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:17pm

This was the first Broadway show I ever saw in June of 1977. Doug Henning had left, and some guy named Joe had taken over.

I remember it being.. well, magical!!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:44pm

Two of my favorite camp numbers/performances are on this OBCR. David Ogden Stiers is hilarious singing "Style" and I still crack up every time I hear Anita Morris belt out, "Where is Gloria Steinem whey you need her?" in "Charmin's Lament."

They make owning The Magic Show completely worth it.

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 3:58pm

THE MAGIC SHOW, rather surprisingly, is a very cherished CD for me, though I sincerely doubt we'll ever see a revival.

Does the OP realize that Dale Soules who introduced "Lion Tamer," and "West End Avenue," in the original Broadway production was in the cast of HANDS ON A HARDBODY?

[eperkins]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:01pm

There is a DVD of the show - I don't remember how good the video is compared with seeing it live.

I always liked Solid Silver Platform Shoes. Anita Morris was the darling of the day - and for good reason.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:02pm

I myself love "Solid Silver Platform Shoes" performed by Cheryl Barnes (later of the movie "Hair" - singing "Easy To Be Hard") and Annie McGreevey.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:10pm

This show would be ripe for Encore revival of a off Broadway revival.

Don't think it would stand a chance of a Broadway revival today.

[newintown]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:14pm

Isn't it orchestrated for like 5 pieces? I don't think Encores would get into something that doesn't show off an orchestra.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:16pm

Love the score and OBC, but if you want a thrill, check out Alice Ripley's "West End Avenue".

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:17pm

If it is revived I think it would be better suited for a revisal. Maybe refashion the show around another performer and Schwartz could write some new songs for it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:19pm

I will! And yes, NPH seems like a great fit. I'm not sure of the show's requirements, but if the actors in Pippin can pull off all those circus stunts, and I don't think any of them are circus performers, why can't they teach a cast some magic tricks? With today's technology and whatnot, I think it could be such a fun show. I don't think it's a commercially viable show, but it seems like a fun, fluff show that Roundabout would do.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:19pm

^ I wonder if they won't just chuck in the towel and make The Magic Show into Houdini. Honestly, that's the only reason I see for retreading ground Schwartz has already tilled.

[eperkins]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 4:29pm

The magic illusions (don't call them "tricks") in The Magic Show are mostly pretty stock affairs these days, and really, it would be quite easy to teach someone to do them. In fact, a friend of mine did a national tour of the show, playing the Doug Henning role, and he did not know any magic prior to doing the show. They taught him everything. One essential thing was that he be quite small (and Doug was a very little guy)to fit into some very tight spaces.

If there was a revival, I'm quite sure it would be necessary to amp up the illusions considerably, but I doubt that would really present a big challenge.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 8:24pm

Well, yeah. If they brought it back I'm sure the tech elements would def. need to be amped up. With all the "magic" going on on Broadway nowadays, it seems ripe for some sort of revival or concert staging.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 8:45pm

I saw THE MAGIC SHOW while on my first visit to new York in November 1977. It was the 6th of 7 shows I saw that trip. I knew the cast album well and enjoyed seeing how the songs fit into the show (Bell records did not include a synopsis on the Lp jacket.) There's really nothing to revive..it was stunt show to include Henning's magic tricks in a musical, and the plot was never really well thought out. Lion tamer and West End Avenue are fine songs and still show up occasionally, but the rest is pretty uninspired. But in retrospect I later wished I had gone with my first choice for that Saturday matinee, GREASE. This was about 6 months before the movie of GREASE came out an it was fairly easy to get tickets, but I was more curious about MAGIC SHOW at the time.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 8:52pm

It ran for awhile though. So I'd hardly call it just a stunt to showcase some magic. It would have grabbed someone's attention.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:04pm

Crazy to imagine that it ran for 1920 performances and is so forgotten today.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:14pm

As good as Meadowlark or Another Hundred People


West End Avenue

[ARTc]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:20pm

Saw the Magic Show with Doug Henning, who was dreadful. I mean totally stiff with zero stage presence. The book was about the only thing worse than he was.

The Magic Show survived on the strength of it being Stephen Schwartz's show right after Pippin and Doug Henning's name as a magician. With Godspell playing Off-Broadway and Pippin on, there was a fair amount of interest.

Much of the music is good in a Stephen Schwartz way (who I love), but for this to play it needs a complete reworking, rethinking, re-everything except the songs. And, it would need additional songs. The score was sort of light.

Having typed this, a new musical with magic and illusions at its core would be wonderful... wait, isn't that the current revival of Pippin? Hmmm?

[egghumor]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:21pm

A few things to address here... First and foremost, frontrowcentre is correct in his ultimate assessment of the show. It was overtly put together primarily as a showcase for Doug Henning. There wasn't any pretense about that at the time. Stephen Schwartz was also hot at the time and he provided a far more buoyant score than the material probably deserved.

It caught on with tourists mostly because it succeeded in maximizing pixie-wizard Mr. Henning and the musical comedy aspect was adroitly handled by a very gifted cast. All that being said, the show will always be remembered by those of us living in NYC at the time as a sort of Doug Henning TV Special. No rich subtext/theme in play here. Check out the DVD and you see how weak it truly is. Luckily, we're left with a very winning (and deceptive) OBCR.

Also, speaking of the long run it enjoyed... It was a very unique tourist attraction, and as we often think of the Cort as an unlucky house, they hit pay dirt with THE MAGIC SHOW. Four and a half years of performances, all played there.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 9:54pm

And the run was prolonged by offereing discounts. Twofer coupons from the Hit Shows Club were available in most hotel lobbys and tourist stops.

It was big family show and I remember a lot of kids there. That same evening I saw the 10th anniversary revival of HAIR (which folded the very next day) and the man sitting net to me happily brought his two very young Children (guessing ages 8 and 10)...They all left at intermission.

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 10:27pm

>> Saw the Magic Show with Doug Henning, who was dreadful. I mean totally stiff with zero stage presence. The book was about the only thing worse than he was.

Yes indeedy!! Holy cr@p, he was awful! Even his magic was the kind of stuff Oliver O'Oliver or Wizzo would do on Bozo's Circus.

But there were a lot of actors who if they weren't top names at the time, went on to be. Patti LuPone's brother Robert had a supporting role and Whizzer mentioned David Ogden Stiers and Anita Morris. Someone else mentioned Cheryl Barnes.

The plot was a very extended version of a Love Boat script. I guess, for the 70s, that was palatable. If the show were to be revived, I would think that Vegas would be the place to do it.

Anita Morris in The MAgic Show Updated On: 5/28/13 at 10:27 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/28/13 at 11:17pm

I imagine that this would be one of the most acceptable cases for a "class four revisal:" if a show was designed exclusively around the talents of a "specialty performer," the show must be revised if revived for a different specialty performer, or for a non-specialty performer.