From Dua Lipa to Broadway, Houdini never disappears

<p>There may be no one alive who saw Houdini perform magic. Yet we still know his name and his legend. Dua Lipa namechecked the escape artist in a 2023 dance hit and she's not alone. Houdini is still a cultural reference point, despite having died 100 years ago. And that’s pretty much what he would have wanted.<em> IDEAS</em> explores why his name persists in our imaginations and how his magic helped his family escape poverty.</p><p><br></p><p>Guests in this episode:</p><p><br></p><p>Adam Begley is a biographer living in London, and author of <em>Houdini: The Elusive American</em>.</p><p><br></p><p>David Ben is a conjuror, writer, and consultant in Toronto.&nbsp;He’s writing a graphic novel featuring an imagined adventure for Houdini.</p><p><br></p><p>Katie Bender is a playwright and actor. Her interactive performance about Houdini is called Instructions for a Seance.</p>