The world is her stage
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 9 years, 9 months AGO
SANDPOINT - Sydney Capri has crossed more items off her bucket list and experienced more life than most Americans will ever dream.
She's hiked the trails of Moab, Utah, swum with dolphins in the Bermuda Triangle, and dipped her body into the warm-water currents of the Caribbean Seas. She's traveled to 15 states and 11 countries, and received standing ovations night after night for the better part of 2014.
Her world is the stage; and by the way, she's only 2 years old.
For her, life is magic, and her parents are the corridor to a world of wonders. David Womach, who performs under the name David DaVinci and his wife Jamieleigh are headlining entertainers onboard the Norwegian Cruise Line's ship, Dawn, a 2,800-passenger luxury cruise ship. There, they appear and disappear nightly in their own production show, "Thrillusionst," and have even catered to their daughter's wishes and given her a surprise appearance in the show.
"She pretty much demands to be on the stage," DaVinci said. "Every time she hears music in the theater, she bursts out of our room, runs down the hall and into the theater, where she's overcome by the beat and can't help but wiggle and follow along."
"As parents, it's our job to provide opportunities for our daughter, and guide her along whatever path she embraces, and right now, that's the stage," said Jamieleigh, David's wife of more than 10 years, and lead assistant in the show.
Raising a child is tricky business, especially when you're in the business of tricks. Not only does Sydney Capri travel with her parents, but also two tons of cargo, and a flock of nine feathered siblings that require more paperwork to travel with than a toddler.
"The first rule of show business is to never work with kids, or animals ... we do both," said DaVinci.
After a long day of travel, the family boards the ship and immediately begins to set up illusions, train their parrots, and rehearse for the shows. This provides a very unique opportunity for Sydney as she runs through the theater, entranced by the endless new mysteries and hidden surprises left by previous theater goers in the crevices of every seat. Under the watchful eye of "Candy Apple," an early years development coordinator and makeshift nanny, they seamlessly turn each new discovery into an educational opportunity.
The ship sways slightly back and forth, as the theater fills with fog. The lights come up, the sound pours in, and Sydney gleefully shouts, "Ta-Ga!" as she points to the blue throated macaw, as he flies over her head, after appearing from nowhere. Having now watched the show hundreds of times, she always gives away the ending by joyously shouting "Mommy!" and pointing, before Jamieleigh appears in the audience.
At the end of each performance, Sydney Capri is introduced as she runs across the stage to her parents' open arms, while waving, smiling and blowing kisses to the audience.
"It's not all ships and giggles," DaVinci says with a smile. "On land, we're just normal people, but out here our family is famous. This means we have a lot of people who are excited to see us, and are patient with our daughter as she learns. But it also means that we get the occasional grumpy grandma who insists that her set-in-her-ways approach to parenting is the only way to do it. But fortunately that's not the norm. An overwhelming amount of people are so loving, it's amazing. We always joke that it's easier out here because there's 2,800 grandparents each week!"
Despite the disapproving Delilahs and grimacing Gramps, Sydney is totally entrenched in culture, language, and the arts. She's actively learning to communicate in English, Russian, French and even a little Tagalog.
In many ways, her life is much the same as any other toddler. Sure, she frolics wildly around the running deck on the ship, but she can often be found spending much of the day playing in "Guppies" with other kids younger than 3. There, they all learn to paint, play instruments, and get along.
"During our time off, we were driving from Sandpoint to Moab, when we asked Sydney if she wants to be called Sydney, or Capri," David says, "She quickly replied 'Ca-peee!' Now if we call her Sydey, she corrects us... I guess it's officially Jamieleigh, me, and Capri!"
Information: www.David-DaVinci.com