Friday, January 7, 2011

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus comes to Macon Coliseum
Magician David DaVinci serves as ringmaster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Zing Zang Zoom.

Passion is what drives David DaVinci to perform in Zing Zang Zoom, the latest in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Illuscination series.
“I think I speak for all of the performers: If I didn’t have the passion, I couldn’t do it. It’s very demanding, but equally as rewarding,” he said. “Some of the performers risk their lives every night to create a memory for these kids and their families and put a smile on their faces.”
DaVinci risks his life during the show when he attempts to escape a straitjacket while suspended three stories in the air above a den of lions, in a nod to Harry Houdini, a magician whose performances inspire DaVinci.
“I think any entertainer intends to create a legacy and put on a good show. In terms of being a magician, the straitjacket escape is a tribute to (Houdini),” said DaVinci, who once set a world record for escaping from a straitjacket 220 times in an eight-hour period.
The “thrillusionist” got his start playing with his brother’s magic set and soon began performing for family and friends. As his audiences grew, so did his craft. He began competing -- and winning -- against magicians much older than he and from all over the world. After winning one of those international competitions at age 17, DaVinci was invited to perform on a television show in China, and later performed a solo show in Saipan for more than 13 months.
“To perform live like that was such an amazing experience and led to being the host of The Greatest Show on Earth,” he said. “It’s been such an incredible opportunity. I grew up reading about the circus; this is amazing.”
In addition to his daring straitjacket escape, DaVinci serves as ringmaster and performs with eight birds, which include an African Grey, a Blue Throated Macaw, Rose Breasted Cockatoos and Camelot Macaws.
read more at:
http://www.macon.com/2011/01/07/1399507/an-amazing-experience-davincis.html#ixzz1ALYzWyj2

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