Rob Lake Brings Magic and Enchantment to U.S. Troops Abroad

By David Althouse   

For two weeks in November 2009, Norman illusionist Rob Lake performed his captivating feats for American troops stationed in Europe. To be sure, the thrills and enjoyment he brought to these fighting men and women was no fantasy. Now he’s heading back for at least two more tours.

If anyone needs amazing grand illusions and spellbinding theatrics, it’s America’s fighting men and women stationed overseas.

For Rob Lake, internationally renowned illusionist from Norman, enthralling U.S. troops abroad with mesmerizing magic is more than a matter of hocus-pocus. Two years ago, when the Pentagon asked Lake to tour with Armed Forces Entertainment, the master illusionist took the request personally.  

“My grandfather, who served in World War II, told me of how entertainers such as Irving Berlin performed for troops stationed in the South Pacific and how wonderful that was,” Lake said. “We performed, and it was a gigantic honor for me to be a part of that.”

Lake’s grandfather encouraged him to participate in an entertainment tour for the military if he ever got the chance. “Because of my grandfather, I had always wanted to be a part of it, so I jumped at the opportunity right away,” Lake said. “With my show, we suspend disbelief for a brief moment and anything is possible; audience members are like kids again.”

From the time of the military’s first call to Lake, nearly two years was spent coordinating with offices from the Pentagon, Army, Air Force and NATO. It all came together for two weeks last November when Lake performed for troops and their families stationed in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Germany.

During those two weeks, Lake and his cast members kept up a whirlwind pace. “We didn’t have a single day off or a single day of down time,” Lake said. “We were on the road every night doing shows, then packing up and doing a show the next day. We got to Europe and didn’t even have time to adjust from the jet lag.”

Lake has nothing but fond memories of the entire tour. “My most awesome memories are of the smiles, the wonder, and the amazement on the faces in the audience,” Lake said. “I get that feeling every time I perform, but it was especially gratifying to me overseas in Europe.”  

Lake said he enjoyed visiting with the troops after the shows, signing autographs, and giving away magic tricks.

“I was able to visit with them and thank them personally for their service, to hear their stories and get to know them,” Lake said. “I met people from Oklahoma who hadn’t been home in over a decade, whose children were born overseas and had never seen the United States.”

Many of these troops, who fly in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan on a regular basis, reside in remote areas where the opportunities for quality entertainment are few to nil. Their few available television stations offer only reruns of programming enjoyed by American audiences as far back as ten years ago.

“Our audiences were very appreciative and excited, and it was a wonderful time for creating a sense of wonder and magic, even for only a moment,” Lake said. “We offered something they hadn’t seen for a long time or maybe ever before. It was eye opening to meet these people and hear their stories.”

Lake’s shows over the two-week period stand as the highest attended family performances in the long history of Armed Forces Entertainment. Each performance was filled to maximum capacity, resulting in people being turned away at the door.

Lake had barely completed his first trek across Europe before Armed Forces Entertainment asked him back for a second tour.

“Our shows were well attended and they definitely want us back, so we will do multiple shows in each location to fill demand,” Lake said. “Other bases in the area want to bring us on, so we will be away for a longer period of time. We will have repeat visits to everywhere we went last time, with several new shows added.”

Lake is currently working out the details of the next European tour while also preparing for an Asian and Pacific tour early this year.

“In March, we will start out in Australia, then go to Guam and several south Pacific islands,” Lake said. “From there, we go to Japan and then do several dates in Hawaii.”

Lake’s first tour with Armed Forces Entertainment inspired him to create a new program for the troops called “Operation Magic.” The program includes added performances for American service men and women, free magic tricks for audience members, instruction in magic for troops and their children, and bringing in additional magicians to volunteer for added shows.

“The first tour inspired me a great deal,” Lake said. “That’s because these troops are sacrificing so much – their lives and their time away from family. Operation Magic is still being developed, but we’ve started the early stages.”

With Lake, America’s troops get a world-class illusionist who tours his large-scale production internationally. They get a master magician who took home the Merlin Award as International Stage Magician of 2008, considered the equivalent of the Oscar for film, Emmy for television, or Tony for theater. Lake received the award at age 25, making him the youngest recipient ever to be awarded the honor. He joined the ranks of previous Merlin Award winners David Copperfield, Kirby VanBurch, Siegfried & Roy, Doug Henning, Penn and Teller, and Chris Angel.

“It’s the most prestigious award a magician can receive,” Lake said. “It is truly the highest honor to be recognized by my peers and the International Magicians Society.”

According to the International Magicians Society, The Merlin Award is presented only to those entertainers who have achieved the highest level in their craft on a global scale. The voting members begin with approximately 100 names and narrow the list down to a select few. The criteria considered for a winner include talent, showmanship, originality, skill, and above all, the rare ability to entertain under all conditions.

So how did Lake become the youngest winner of this most coveted award? Well, you might say he received a sort of epiphany early enough in life to give him a good head start.

“At age ten, my family took me to Branson, Missouri where I saw my first magic show,” Lake said. “When I saw the show on stage, I was hooked. I knew immediately that was what I wanted for my life, and I have known that every day since then. I wake up every day feeling blessed that I get to follow my dream.”

Upon returning from that first trip to Branson, Lake returned home to Norman and eventually began performing in front of civic groups, churches, and children’s parties. These days, he tours full-time throughout the United States and overseas.

In addition to performing, Lake continues sharing his love for magic and theater by creating illusions for many of today’s top magicians, as well as designing illusions for numerous theatrical productions across the globe, including over 100 productions of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast the Broadway Musical.

There is more magic in Lake’s performances than what is performed on stage. The added magic is that Lake, age 27, found his life’s passion at a young age and now pursues it with the energy of a locomotive. Few people in life ever find their true element, much less so early in life. Lake’s audiences get the magic and illusion on stage, as well as the added allure of witnessing a young master in his true element just as he explodes onto the national consciousness. It is a special time for both Lake and the audience, and both are having the time of their lives.

Lake would be the first to say that no one is more deserving of this enchantment of time and place, illusion and theatrics, than America’s fighting men and women.

Rob Lake will return to Norman for two rare performances at the Sooner Theatre on February 20 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.RobLake.com.