Rob Lake facts for kids

Rob Lake (born December 30, 1982) is a famous American magician and illusionist. He is known for his amazing, big magic tricks and exciting shows. Rob Lake was even a quarter-finalist on America's Got Talent in 2018!

Rob has performed his magic shows in over 60 countries around the world. You can see his shows on television, in casinos, and in theaters.

Rob Lake's Magic Journey

Rob Lake became interested in magic when he was 10 years old. He saw a magic show by Kirby VanBurch in Branson, Missouri. Soon, Kirby VanBurch and another magician named Jim Smithson became Rob's teachers.

In 2005, when Rob was 22, he went on his first international tour. He performed in Japan for several months. When he came back to the US, Rob started performing his shows for casinos and cruise ships. This included Disney Cruise Line and Holland America Line.

In 2008, Rob became the youngest magician ever to win a Merlin Award. This award recognized him as the International Stage Magician of the Year. Rob Lake also performed some of his illusions for a TV show called Great Magicians of the World in 2008 and 2009.

Rob Lake travels a lot, performing his show in theaters and casinos. He spends about 75% of his year on the road! He has performed all over the US, and in many other countries. These include Japan, England, France, Germany, Australia, and even at The White House.

Amazing Illusions

Rob Lake is famous for his large-scale illusions. These are big magic tricks that often involve making huge objects appear or disappear.

On March 29, 2013, Rob Lake made an armored truck magically appear! This truck had $1,000,000 cash inside. It appeared outside the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, in front of over 15,000 people. Rob created this amazing trick for a company called Caesars Entertainment. They were so impressed that they showed videos of the trick in Times Square and on the Las Vegas Strip.

Rob has also performed his illusions on television shows. In 2013, he performed 8 illusions for Masters of Illusion (TV series). He was also featured on the TV series Elizabeth Stanton's Great Big World in 2013 and 2014.

Rob Lake has performed nightly at famous places like the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

In 2018, Rob Lake was a featured act on America's Got Talent. About 60 million people watched his performances on TV, and millions more watched them online!

Helping Others with Magic

Operation Magic

Every year, Rob Lake goes on a special tour called "Operation Magic." He travels for several months to entertain US military troops and their families. He brings his magic shows to bases in faraway places in Europe and the Pacific. He also gives magic tricks as gifts to the troops and their families.

Oklahoma Benefit Shows

Rob Lake also uses his magic to help animals. On August 24, 2013, he performed a special show in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. This show raised money for local groups helping pets that lost their homes after a big tornado.

After this show, the Oklahoma House of Representatives honored Rob. They praised him for helping the people and animals of Oklahoma. Rob Lake was also recognized on Oklahoma Magazine's "40 under 40" list.

In 2017 and 2018, Rob Lake returned to Norman, Oklahoma, to raise more money for local animal shelters. Rob is joined in his performances by his own rescue dog, a Yorkshire Terrier mix named Roger.

Magic Behind the Scenes

Besides performing, Rob Lake also designs and creates special effects and illusions. He works on magic for movies, TV shows, and plays.

Over 2.6 million people saw Rob Lake's illusions on Season 2 of the TV show Necessary Roughness (TV series).

Rob Lake has designed the magic for over 1,000 productions of Disney's Beauty and the Beast around the world. He has also worked on many productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Shrek the Musical, A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, and The Wizard of Oz.