MONTREAL -- Be prepared for a little stage magic.

The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts at the Saidye presents the world premiere of "Houdini," a new musical based on the life of magician Harry Houdini.

EIGHTEEN SONGS

It also marks the playwriting debut for book writer Ben Gonshor.

"Which is an industry term,' he said. "I didn't write a novel."

The term "book" referenced with a musical is the story and dialogue.

Collaborator Elan Kunin wrote the music and lyrics. "Eighteen songs throughout that heighten the emotion of each scene," Gonshor said.

He also said "Houdini" is not his project alone, but also that of Segal Centre artistic director and "Houdini" director Bryna Wasserman.

"I give full credit and much admiration to Bryna," he said.

"Houdini" began, said Gonshor, as "a very successful Yiddish theatre musical on the life of Harry Houdini called The Great Houdini,'" directed by Wasserman.

Kunin, who penned the musical score for the current edition, starred in and wrote the music for the 2000 version.

"It was very, very successful," Gonshor said. "The media praised it, and it was very well received by audiences."

Since that initial Houdini offering, he continued, both Wasserman and Kunin had always wanted to revisit the story. The stage door re-opened with the release of a biography in 2006 titled "The Secret Life of Houdini" by William Kalush and Larry Sloman.

"That got Bryna's mind going once again," Gonshor said.

ARTISTIC VISION