If you ask someone, anyone from any generation, to name a magician off the top of their head, an incredibly likely and popular answer will be the world-renowned magician, escape artist, and “self-liberator” Harry Houdini. After reaching success in Vaudeville in the late 1800s, Houdini’s career spiraled into death-defying escape attempts.
Despite having passed 100 years ago this Oct. 31—that’s right; this magician capable of terrifying acts died on Halloween—the name ‘Houdini’ is so synonymous with his performances that it’s become its own verb, meaning to escape a difficult situation quickly.
On Sept. 11, the local chapters of the Society of American Magicians, the oldest organization for magicians in North America, and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world’s largest organization for magicians and magic enthusiasts, came to Kansas City for a very special reason; it turns out, Houdini performed in KC multiple times throughout his career, and even performed his very first public suspended straitjacket escape on Sept. 8, 1915…