"It's a masterpiece." -David Copperfield

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Houdini's "3 Shows in One" turns 100

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Houdini's full evening 3 Shows in One at the Maryland Theater in Cumberland, Maryland, on August 31, 1925. Below is the ad for that very first show from The Cumberland Evening Times.


The 3 Shows in One was unlike anything Houdini had ever presented before. In many ways, it was the culmination of his career, with acts devoted to Magic, Escapes, and Fraudulent Mediums Exposed. The show played in Maryland for three days. This appears to have been a test run for the new show. After a week off, the show opened in its primary 1925-26 tour at the Alvin Theater in Pittsburgh on Labor Day.

This wasn't the first time Houdini played Cumberland. On September 24, 1898, the Welsh Bros. Circus played the city with The Houdinis as the feature of their concert. Houdini recorded in his travel diary that day: "Rain hard. No dinner." He'd come a long way!

Want more? To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 3 Shows in Own, I've created a Google map showing every stop on both his 1925-26 and 1926-27 tours. You can see that as a member of my Patreon below. My September reward will also be a review of the Maryland show.

1 comment:

  1. He set himself apart with his 3 in One. It would be all Houdini, as he pointed out. A homage to the greats of magic history like Dr. Lynn and Houdin.

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