Robert Baxt, a well-known comedy magician and TV personality, developed an offbeat trick based on the venerable Vanishing Bandana trick called Red Bull. If you aren’t familiar with the Vanishing Bandana trick it is a comedy magic routine where the performer “tries out” the trick he just received in the mail from the “trick of the month club”. Unfortunately, the magician mistakes the phrase bandana and banana which ultimately leads to some very funny by play. The Vanishing Bandana trick has become a classic because of its appeal to audiences of all ages. Some magicians have considered this routine as played out because of its one-time popularity.
Many performers have attempted to modernize this routine by reconstructing a similar type of act with newer themes. Many have fallen short though. The difficulty lies in the fact that the bandana/banana routine set such a high bar to exceed that not many have come close. I can recall the first time I saw the Vanishing Bandana routine in Scout Camp. I laughed so hard I practically fell off my chair. However, as difficult of a task this is Robert Baxt developed his Red Bull routine. The idea is similar to the Bandana / Banana trick. The magician receives a trick in the mail and demonstrates to the audience the learning process that a magician goes through in learning a trick. The audio CD is played (it may come as an MP3 now) and the magician follows along. The premise in Red Bull is that the confusion arises due to the language barrier between the instructor and the performer. Since so much magic is made abroad in China the instructions are given by an “English” speaking Chinese woman. Hence the confusion with what “Red Bull” she is referring to on the CD.
When you order Red Bull from Robert Baxt you will get everything you need to perform the trick including a Red Bull mascot puppet which you cannot find anywhere else. The only item you would have to purchase is a can of Red Bull energy trick which you can buy just about anywhere. The trick is cute if you feel compelled to include a puppet in your act. My only reservation is that after actually seeing a great performance of the Vanishing Bandana, I’m not sure this would have as much universal appeal.
To watch the trailer for Red Bull click below:
https://www.robertbaxt.com/red-bull/