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February 13, 2008

Musical captures magic of Houdini

By STEVEN HOWELL

MONTREAL -- Be prepared for a little stage magic.

The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts at the Saidye presents the world premiere of "Houdini," a new musical based on the life of magician Harry Houdini.

EIGHTEEN SONGS

It also marks the playwriting debut for book writer Ben Gonshor.

"Which is an industry term,' he said. "I didn't write a novel."

The term "book" referenced with a musical is the story and dialogue.

Collaborator Elan Kunin wrote the music and lyrics. "Eighteen songs throughout that heighten the emotion of each scene," Gonshor said.

He also said "Houdini" is not his project alone, but also that of Segal Centre artistic director and "Houdini" director Bryna Wasserman.

"I give full credit and much admiration to Bryna," he said.

"Houdini" began, said Gonshor, as "a very successful Yiddish theatre musical on the life of Harry Houdini called The Great Houdini,'" directed by Wasserman.

Kunin, who penned the musical score for the current edition, starred in and wrote the music for the 2000 version.

"It was very, very successful," Gonshor said. "The media praised it, and it was very well received by audiences."

Since that initial Houdini offering, he continued, both Wasserman and Kunin had always wanted to revisit the story. The stage door re-opened with the release of a biography in 2006 titled "The Secret Life of Houdini" by William Kalush and Larry Sloman.

"That got Bryna's mind going once again," Gonshor said.

ARTISTIC VISION

In addition, Gonshor said Wasserman wanted to do a show-biz-style musical to celebrate the re-launch of the new and improved Segal Centre, formerly the Saidye Bronfman Centre, which underwent a stunning makeover in the fall.

Gonshor had a few things on his side to get the playwriting gig: He received his Master's Degree in film producing from the University of Southern California (screenwriting was part of the program); he is the current director of marketing at the Segal Centre; and, growing up in Montreal, he's known Wasserman for most of his life.

"We've known each other forever," Gonshor said. "But this is truly a testament to Bryna's artistic vision."

And what he calls a gift.

"You know how they say in life you're lucky to have mentors and people who take you under their wing or open a door -- I see this as one of those times, and I'll never forget it," Gonshor said. "Writing a play is timing, luck and hard work -- but it wouldn't have happened if Bryna hadn't said yes.'"

Gonshor feels the end result is something both dramatic and entertaining.

"If you tell the story of a famous person, you've got to tell how they became famous," he said. "So we definitely tell how Houdini becomes Houdini."

SPIRITUALIST MOVEMENT

The production indeed shows some of the tricks and illusions that made Houdini famous.

"But what I think people will find fascinating is Harry's obsession or passion in trying to believe that you could communicate with the other side following the death of his mother," Gonshor said.

When Houdini's mother died, he continued, the magician was approached by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

"Doyle was a passionate evangelist from a spiritual movement," said Gonshor. "And one of their big tenets was that you could communicate with the dead."

Doyle prompted Houdini to hold a séance in order to communicate with his mother. Eventually the pair struck up a friendship.

"Harry, being an immigrant and who rose up from the street, loved the fact that he could befriend a famous intellectual," said Gonshor. "As for Doyle, if he was able to convert Houdini to this spiritualist movement, it would be a huge boom."

At the séance, Doyle tried to convince Houdini that his mother was there. Houdini was not convinced.

"At that point on for the last 10 years of his life, Houdini was on a crusade to debunk the spiritualist movement," Gonshor said.

That movement had grown in popularity following World War I with the death of a whole generation of young soldiers.

"But Harry said look, you're duping the public, you're making people pay you, and I'm going to expose you," Gonshor said.

FREE FROM CHAINS

In essence, Houdini was trying to run mediums and the like out of business.

Gonshor said Houdini died of a ruptured appendix.

"But is it possible he was poisoned by a spiritualist?"

Some 80 years after Houdini's death, the story still rings pertinent as there will always be people wanting to believe as well as those waiting to prey.

"But Houdini was the man who broke free of chains literally and figuratively," Gonshor said. "And that story never grows old."

"Houdini" continues until March 2.

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts at the Saidye is at 5170 Cote St. Catherine Road. Tickets cost $35 to $47 for adults, $32 to $43 for seniors and $25 for students. Call the box office at (514) 739-7944 or visit www.segalcentre.org.

Directions: Take 15 North and continue over the Champlain Bridge. Take exit 66, Cote St. Luc/Queen Mary and continue on the Decarie Expressway service road for about five minutes. Turn right on Cote Ste. Catherine Road. The Segal Centre is two blocks on your right.

writeonbetty@sympatico.ca

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