Although he was already a well-known magician and escape artist, he didn’t really take off until Harry Houdini made an appearance in Cumberland. When Houdini opened the show last night, he referred to Cumberland as a significant period in his life and stated that if he ever wrote an autobiography of his life, he would dedicate a chapter to his experiences there, starting a new chapter in his career as a public entertainer, according to Patrick Culliton’s article “Houdini: The Key.”
As a vaudeville star, Houdini performed on stage alongside a variety of other acts even though he was the main attraction. He seldom stayed on stage for longer than thirty minutes.
According to the blog Wild About Harry, “But Vaudeville was the mass entertainment of its time, and not only was Houdini initially the highest paid performer in American Vaudeville, but he dominated the circuits and the cities in which he played.”
One could argue that Houdini’s all-encompassing fame was partly due to the fact that he performed more frequently than any other significant magician of the era on more stages and in more locations.
Clothes fashioned by his wife
For years to come, he could have continued performing in vaudeville and continued to be the big fish in a pond that was gradually getting smaller. But he wasn’t one to sit back and enjoy his success. He constantly challenged himself to become more proficient at everything he did.
According to advance advertisement for the show, he partnered with renowned theatrical manager L. Lawrence Weber, and the two met every day to create what Houdini claimed would “be the most unique and magnificent entertainment of its sort ever seen.” He employed a total of eight assistants and commissioned fresh music for the program. 
The clothes were fashioned by his wife, Bess. The exhibition filled a 60-foot railroad car and 50 containers when it was boxed up. In his Magic Detective blog, Dean Carnegie claims that “Houdini was hands on with every detail, which included all the tour and travel, the theaters and the technical aspects, accommodations, promotional material, and all designing decisions.”
“This was another major move for Houdini in his performing career, and every detail was planned fully and how everything was to be executed was very important to this great legend.”
“Houdini made another significant move in his performing career, and this great legend placed a great deal of importance on how everything was to be carried out. Every detail was meticulously planned.”
From August 31 to September 2, he gave performances at the theater. A special matinee geared toward youngsters was also part of his last day. The Wild About Harry blog claims that it was “in many ways the culmination and a celebration of his entire career.”