People have had to get creative with birthday celebrations under quarantine. There have been drive-by birthdays and car parades, and now, virtual magic.
Soon to be 11-year-old Isaiah Paik is in to all things magic.
“My kids, like a lot of kids these days, are watching YouTube and they got stuck on these David Blaine card tricks, and I knew my son really enjoyed those sleight of hand tricks,” said mom Christine Paik.
But she wasn't sure how to make his birthday special and different and full of that kind of magic, while under quarantine. So, she did the first thing that came to mind.
“I Googled, ‘what are parents doing to celebrate birthdays during this quarantine?’” she said.
And that is how she was introduced to Magic Evan. The New York City entertainer has been performing for kids for more than 10 years. Overnight, his calendar, which is usually booked with some 300 events, was stripped.
"Everything I had built over the past decade disappeared,” he said. “It was magic; it disappeared."
So, Magic Evan upped his virtual game. A month in, and he's done countless events around the world. Now, he can add San Diego to that list.
To make the magic even more magical, Christine and Isaiah prepped favors, complete with birthday cupcakes. Then, they went for a walk so that every invitee could share in the birthday song together.
“If they can look back and say, ‘Oh, remember when I had to have my birthday online?’ that was pretty cool,” Christine Paik said.
“I think now more than ever it’s so important to find that light,” Magic Evan said. “Maybe its magic, maybe it’s dancing. Find that light and hold on to it."
A magical light that will certainly never fade in the birthday boy's memory.
“Thank you for everything, I loved it,” Isaiah Paik expressed. “I appreciate it, and I’ll always remember it. Thank you.”
