Illusionist David DaVinci discusses Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's 'Zing Zang Zoom' circus

David DaVinci was 6 when he found a magic kit in the closet. He was instantly hooked.

But perhaps the real magic was that he had finally discovered a way to compete with his brother.

"He's three years older than me, and I would always try to be as good as he was," DaVinci said in a phone interview. "Magic was a creative outlet."

DaVinci performed his first show in fifth grade. By high school, he had a full-time career, and, as DaVinci puts it, he's "never had a full-time job since."

The 27-year-old illusionist headlines Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's "Zing Zang Zoom, Gold Edition." The magical circus -- complete with transformations, daredevils and animals -- is coming to Cape Girardeau's Show Me Center for six shows April 22 to 24.

Tickets are $10, $15 ($11 April 22), $20 and $35, and can be purchased at the Show Me Center ticket office, Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com. The all-access preshow, free to ticket holders, allows audience members to meet the performers and animals an hour before show time.

"When people come out to the show, I can guarantee they're going to see something they haven't seen before," DaVinci said. "And I truly believe it is the 'Greatest Show on Earth.'"

Question: What's the most challenging part of your job?

Answer: What most people don't realize is how much goes into the literal term 'show business.' It really is less than 10 percent of our time actually doing the shows, and 90 percent or more is the business side. It's figuring out the logistics of traveling with birds and the paperwork that goes along with that. As soon as that light comes on and I appear it's a walk in the park. I love doing what I do.

Q: Which act has generated the most reaction from audiences on this tour?

A: For me, personally, it's the work that I do with my birds. I have exotic parrots, and they appear and disappear and fly around the arena and shoot out of catapults. Those [segments] get pretty good reaction. That's one of the cool things about our job. When we're out there, you get this immediate feedback. If they don't like it you'll know. On the other side, if they love it, you get this immediate scream or people spilling their popcorn because they get so excited.

Q: Have you ever been in physical danger during your shows?

A: The thing that injures me the most is when I go through the fans. I crawl through industrial sized fans that are spinning. What I'm doing is so dependent on skill and technique and timing of not just myself but my entire team. If anybody's off, I'll cut a finger or worse. ... There's really no room for error.

Q: How many animals will be part of the show?

A: Three elephants, six horses, a dozen dogs, a half-dozen house cats and five parrots.

Q: What will we see at the circus in Cape Girardeau?

A: It's unlike any other circus out there. We have women who are literally suspended by the hair on their scalp and do all of these aerial stunts. We have a Chinese duo that dives through these rings full of machetes spread out across these rings. You can look at a close-up and watch the video in slow motion, and the danger is so real. My wife [Jamieleigh] gets into a box that compresses into a burst of pyro, and she's gone. We have performers that perform gymnastics on the backs of horses. We have trained house cats.