Dean Gunnarson by Carolyn Gray

Author:Carolyn Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography;Canada
Publisher: Great Plains Publications
Published: 2016-05-03T17:21:47+00:00

chapter 11

Doug Henning did stay in touch with the Hornans. He called to check in on a regular basis, and Marilyn called him to update him on Phil’s health. She came to count him as a real friend, like family. Someone who was interested, who cared about their welfare. In 1985, Doug came to Winnipeg to perform his big solo show, Doug Henning and his World of Magic at the Centennial Concert Hall. The Hornans, this time with Dean in tow, were his special guests. The show had been sold out. Afterwards there was a swirl of fans wanting to meet him. You could barely press forward. Henning emerged from his dressing room in his post-show outfit of white suit with massive padded shoulders and lemon yellow button-up shirt, calling, “Philip! Philip Hornan! Where is Philip Hornan?”

“Doug!” shouted Phil.

They fought their way through the crowd and embraced. Doug maneuvered the unwieldy group backstage.

“This is Dean!” cried Phil. “The one I told you about!”

Dean finally got to shake hands with one of his heroes. Because they were all magicians, Doug gave them a quick, confederates tour of the set and props and introduced them to the stage hands. Dean’s awe of the tour didn’t stop him from examining the “Lighter than Air” illusion with an expert’s eye.

“You understand this?” Doug asked Dean.

“Yes—and I knew how you were doing it from the audience, too. But I still believed you were floating anyway. It makes no sense, I know.”

“You believe in real magic, then?”

“I believe...it can exist.”

“Me too. Dean, you really are following in Houdini’s footsteps, aren’t you? The escapes you’ve done, Phil told me all about them,” said Doug. “You’ve chosen very dangerous and demanding tricks to do.”

“You’ve done them too.”

“Yes. When I was much younger.”

“I wanted to ask you something about Houdini,” said Dean, the one single moment he was able to get Doug to himself.

“Of course. I love to talk about Houdini to true fans.”

“Have you ever seen him, and talked to him?”

“Talked to Houdini? How old do I look to you?” laughed Doug.

“That’s not what I mean exactly,” said Dean. “I know you’re way too young to have met him while he was alive.”

“You mean have I talk to his spirit? His ghost?”

“Something like a ghost. But more solid.”

“No,” said Doug. He answered Dean soberly, respectfully. “No ghost. I do sense his presence, though.”

Dean gazed out over the bustling, brightly lit backstage, curtains pulled back and T-shirt clad roadies packing equipment away with clean efficiency. The vast bank of seats was now empty. How easy it would be for someone to sit there quiet and still and go unnoticed.

“Have you seen his ghost?” asked Doug with a tilt of his head.

Dean opened his mouth to answer, but just then Doug got pulled back into the fray. Amazing, after all this time, that he couldn’t imagine Houdini.

Dean and Doug didn’t get a chance to speak one-on-one again. Henning wanted the Hornans to himself. In the middle of the backstage party, he pulled them into a far corner of the green room altogether.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.