BY KARA BETTIS  [email protected]

When David Hersh arrives to a party, he’s decked out in plaid pants, a sparkly vest and probably a crazy hat.

He has all sorts of tricks up his sleeves – quite literally – but what makes him different from most entertainers or magicians is that what pops out of thin air is often alive.

Will it be a monkey? A bunny? A bird? In his case, it could be any of the above, and even a few surprises among the total half-dozen animals he incorporates into his “Magic by David”shows.

“I like to tell customers, you hire me, and it’s like a magic shop comes to your house and explodes,” Hersh said.

Not only might confetti fall from the sky, or some small bursts of fire – “we have a lot of pyrotechnics,” Hersh said – but sugar gliders could appear out of a sugar jar. After a flash of fire in a cage, a monkey might suddenly be inside. Even a small, green parrot can act like a bat.

Hersh, one of the most popular magicians in eastern North Carolina, has been practicing magic since he was 11-years-old. His first animal was a dove.

“My sister had a birthday party and they hired a magician – and that was it,” he said. “My mom would take me around from show to show.”

Magic shows put him through college in New York, and after school, it took him about three years to build up his business through word-of-mouth.

Sometimes, he’ll do special tricks on request – like helping the star of a Sweet 16 party make a grand entrance, or help a model at a catwalk in Raleigh have a dove appear in her birdcage hat.

Fifteen years ago, he upgraded to training Einstein, a service Capuchin monkey – yes, he can retrieve cell phones, flip on lights and complete other services – who is often the star of his show. He’s worked at retirement communities and can even change the battery out of a wheelchair.

“He’s a member of the family,” Hersh said of Einstein. “I’m his daddy monkey.”

Einstein will hop onto Hersh’s arm, curl around his neck, and smile on command.

While his shows range all over Johnston County, Wake County and beyond, Hersh’s weekends are often booked, up to a month in advance. The hour-long shows start at $250, but keep even parents riveted as he launches from one trick to the next.

He totes around three trunks, full of illusions, gimmicks and tricks. For adult shows, he focuses on mind-reading and extra-sensory perceptions. Unlike many magicians, he avoids slight-of-hand tricks and instead focuses on tricks that engage the audience or interact with children.

Recently, business has grown so much that he has hired 11 employees for face painting and creating 3-D balloon animals, like unicorns or parrots that can sit on your shoulder, at parties.

“I can’t hire another magician, because he won’t be as good,” Hersh said. “And I want the best.”  Source..  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/eastern-wake-news/article25948801.html