henning is credited by many for the resurgence of the public's interest in magic, thanks to his breakthroug broadway show, "the magic show," which opened in 1974 and ran for almost five years. this was followed by eight television specials on nbc (the first of which remains the most watched magic television special in history, with over fifty million viewers). in 1982, he appeared in another broadway show, "merlin", which ran for seven months. though the magic in merlin was met with accolades, critics trounced the show's book and music.