Doug Henning's second and last Broadway musical, in which he starred as the wizard Merlin. It went into previews at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on December 10, 1982, opened February 13, 1983, and closed August 7, 1983 after 199 performances — famous in theatre lore for a stormy run and a lead who did real illusions eight times a week.
A full discussion of the production of Merlin can be found in Chapter 14 of the biography Spellbound: The Wonder-filled Life of Doug Henning.
From the wiki: a tape-trade exchange
The original wiki page carried this exchange between two collectors looking for a watchable recording of Merlin. It is preserved here as it stood.
Hi Guys! Looking for a video of Merlin. I bought a copy from eBay but it was unwatchable. Also looking for a copy of the Magic Show (the play, not the movie) — would love the Doug Henning version but would take any version (Australia’s version with Larry Anderson, or the road show, or anything else). I have several other rare videos to trade. Thanks — Mike Keating
Hi Mike, I’m also a BIG Henning fan and have some unique/rare videos in my collection (of Henning and many other illusionists from the past 35 years). I’d love to compare notes and discuss a trade.