09/28/2026
WHAT HAPPENED at THE JOHN FEDKO RING
on August 25, 2026
Maestro Robert Baxt
BAXTED us at the John Fedko Ring
Maestro Robert Baxt was in the house! We had a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun! Nah! Just the right amount of fun. Baxt brought with him priceless props for sale at reasonable prices.
We were Baxted!
The meeting held at the IRWD on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, featured a lecture by Robert Baxt. While President Longacre was gathering w**e corks in Portugal vice-president Josh Serrano presided over the meeting. Serrano called the meeting to (dis) order at 7:11 pm. Serrano welcomed members and guests then gave the schedule of the remaining months of 2026.
Upcoming schedule of regular meetings.
September 29 Cassandra
October 27 Kevin Brown’s Evening of Bizarre Magic and Mentalism
November 24 Dealer’s night and Swamp Meat
December 8 Holiday Party and Potluck dinner
Serrano asked Kevin Brown to give a personal invitation to attend and participate in the October evening special member performance of Kevin Brown’s Evening of Bizarre Magic and Mentalism. Brown announced that there is space for eight performers with a maximum of eight minutes for each performer. You can get your name on the program by contacting Profundo (aka Kevin Brown) at [email protected] or (949) 347-0305.
Serrano invited members to sign up to join the party at the Irvine Global Village Festival on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Ring 313 sponsors a booth in the Children’s Village section of the one day festival. We have been a part of this annual event for more than 15 years. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Irvine Global Village Festival that began with 800 festival visitors in 1998 and last year welcomed more than 30,000 people. Admission and parking are free to enjoy more than 80 live performances of dancers and musicians, forty vendors selling international products, more than forty food vendors from numerous countries, and exhibits from all over the globe.
We are the featured entertainers at the Children’s Village. Thousands of children bring their parents to our booth to see magic performed and to learn easy magic tricks. Our booth has been so successful over the years that the festival organizers gave us two exhibit spaces side by side to accommodate the crowds. Each year more than eight members of Ring 313 have a great time showing magic. If you have not signed up what are you waiting for.
Members who have volunteered at the exhibit before include Sam Konugres, Can Tang, Kevin Brown, Western Palacios, Josh Serrano, Richard Zucker, Steve Longacre, Gary Meier, Alan Hanson just to name a few. Ask any of them what this activity was like for them and they will be excited and happy to tell you how much they enjoyed the time at this Festival.
Please contact Josh Serrano to sign up for a two-hour slot (or longer). Josh began volunteering at this event when he was still a junior member of the Ring. At that time, we didn’t have a booth we just were used as walkaround performers. Now vice-president Josh Serrano is the leader of the Ring 313 exhibit. Josh can be reached at [email protected] or (714) 248-1877.
And now, without further ado . . .
Prepare to be BAXTED! Josh turned the program over to our featured speaker maestro Robert Baxt.
Robert Baxt introduced himself as a full-time entertainer performing magic shows for more than 35 years. Baxt has a wife, a thirteen-year-old son, and a . . . retirement account. He performs whenever and wherever he is asked including many repeat engagements and many referrals from happy customers.
Baxt showed us a typical 45-minute show using time between effects to demonstrate the methods he uses. Many of the props required to perform his show were available for purchase. On the stage was a bright yellow sign with his name in black and a large Q/R code. If you follow the code, you have an opportunity to give him a Google testimonial. He has more than 2,500 five-star reviews. This tactic has placed him high on the Google ratings and has certainly helped him to sign up new clients.
Baxt has an opening that he has remastered to make a re-set in less than one minute of the famous newspaper torn and restored effect. This highly visual effect proves to the audience that, hey this guy Baxt is a magician. He establishes his credentials as a magic man. He created a new method to perform torn and restored newsletter that is foolproof and convincing, He sells the Baxt new and improved newspaper effect.
His next effect is the Professor’s Nightmare. His story line is that he is the third child in his family with an older sister (longest rope), a brother (middle rope) and himself (short rope). The story is about the family not the ropes so he makes a relationship as a magician with a family story helping make him relatable to his audience not just a magic man.
In his next effect he tells a story about his 13-year-old son who is a superhero fan. Some kids like the DC superheroes and others the Marvel cast of characters. Baxt says that his son is a fan of Thor.
Baxt shows a placard with the names of various superhero characters from DC and Marvel. He asks an audience member to choose a number between 5 and 15. The placard is like a balloon that would contain the words spoken by the superhero, two empty balloons then the faces of the superheroes. If the spectator gives the number 8, then Baxt counts the two ballons then following clockwise the next six characters. Baxt then reverses the count this time without stopping on the empty balloons. No matter which number the audience selects the final spot is Thor. Baxt then opens a bag which says, you will choose Thor. He reaches into the bag and retrieves Thor’s hammer.
He has several child’s versions of this effect and several adult versions each landing at the spot where Thor was located. This is purely a mathematical method but will appear as magic to any audience. The prototype for this effect is available on Baxt’s website.
Baxt told us that he does not use playing cards in his performances. He said bluntly that he does not have a personal relationship with the three of clubs or the four of hearts. Nor do his audience members, so nothing is lost. The Ringers of the John Fedko Magic Club enjoyed a wonder filled evening living in the world of Robert Baxt.
Notes prepared by Philip H. Henderson, Newsletter Editor
