Houdini: A Magical Musical is setting its sights on the United States, with a 2028 national tour planned ahead of a limited Broadway engagement.
The Broadway-bound production will arrive after international runs in Italy and Spain. Casting, tour stops and performance dates will be announced later, while Bond Theatrical is handling the tour.
The announcement is tied to the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death on Halloween, October 31, 1926. Writer and director Federico Bellone has said he hopes the American tour can begin in Detroit, where Houdini delivered his final performance at the Garrick Theatre, a venue that has since been demolished.
“We would be thrilled to have the tour begin in Detroit, where Houdini gave his final performance at the now-demolished Garrick Theatre, before disappearing for the last time 100 years ago,” Bellone said. He also noted that Houdini’s final Broadway performance took place in 1926.
From Houdini’s Final Show to His Earlier Life
The musical is structured around the illusionist’s last show in Detroit. Its story moves among the onstage performance, events backstage that evening and flashbacks to specific moments from Houdini’s past.
Bellone’s production combines that story with more than 20 illusions. The effects include the appearance of an elephant created for the musical and a new interpretation of Houdini’s Chinese Water Torture Cell.
The show also draws on the promise Houdini made to his wife before his death: that he would return if he could. In the musical’s theatrical framing, the magician comes back from the afterlife a century later.
Bellone, whose credits include Dirty Dancing in London’s West End, comes to the project from a body of international work as a director, set designer, playwright, composer and executive producer. His credits include reimagined productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Ghost, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Bodyguard and The Addams Family. He previously served as artistic director at the Nazionale and Brancaccio theaters for Stage Entertainment.
An Award-Winning International Run
Houdini: A Magical Musical first premiered in Italy, performed in English by an American cast led by Broadway performer Ryan Silverman. The production subsequently moved to Madrid for an open-ended engagement with a Spanish cast.
Following the Madrid run, the show won Best New Musical at the PTMs, described as Spain’s equivalent of the American Tony Awards.
The project comes from members of the creative team behind the latest reimagined international production of The Phantom of the Opera, which opened with Ramin Karimloo in the starring role.
Giovanni Lori has composed the musical’s original score, which is influenced by Houdini’s Hungarian origins. Lori’s stage work includes Excalibur and Three Steps Over Heaven, while his other credits include arranging songs for Måneskin and Robbie Williams. He has also worked as a conductor under Ted Sperling, Patrick Vaccariello, Mark Hummel and Peter Howard.
Paolo Carta created the magic and illusions. His previous musical-theater work includes Mary Poppins, Ghost, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Prince of Egypt. Choreography is by London-born Gillian Bruce, whose credits include Dirty Dancing in the West End and international productions, along with new productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Newsies, High School Musical and Cabaret.
LetsGo is producing the musical. Led by CEO Iñaki Fernandez, the company was founded in 2009 and develops live shows and immersive experiences internationally. Its projects include reimagined productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Dirty Dancing, Cabaret and Ghost, as well as Tim Burton’s The Labyrinth, Jurassic World, Squid Game and Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail in New York.
The producers said the show’s themes extend beyond the feats that made Houdini famous.
“In a world where people struggle for recognition — especially on social media — without seeing the cost that pursuit can have on those they love most, this story feels more relevant than ever,” they said.
ShowBiz Take
The 2028 tour marks the next major step for a musical that has already traveled through two international markets and earned recognition in Spain. Rather than moving directly to Broadway, the production will introduce its mix of biography, music and large-scale illusion to U.S. tour audiences before beginning a limited New York engagement.
Its centennial connection also gives the production a clear dramatic anchor: Houdini’s final performance, his 1926 death and the promise that he would attempt to return. Bellone’s hope for a Detroit launch would bring the musical’s American journey back to the city at the center of its story, although that starting point has not yet been confirmed.
What Happens Next?
The U.S. tour is scheduled to launch in 2028, followed by the limited Broadway engagement. The producers have not yet revealed the cast, individual tour dates or confirmed whether Detroit will host the opening stop. Those details are expected to be announced later.