In some ways, famend illusionist Rob Lake’s total life has been constructing as much as his Broadway debut in Rob Lake Magic with Particular Visitors The Muppets, which begins previews tonight on the Broadhurst Theatre.
As a baby rising up in Oklahoma, his dad and mom uncovered him to theater by taking him to touring reveals. The schooling didn’t cease there.
“After they took me to New York, my first Broadway reveals have been The Secret Backyard, The Will Rogers Follies, and Magnificence and the Beast, ” Lake tells Quick Firm. “I used to be simply so lucky to be uncovered to the humanities very often as a child.”
This early schooling included the Muppets and their movies. “I wore these tapes out so many instances. The Muppets Take Manhattan was my favourite,” Lake explains.
That is particularly becoming since Lake is now primarily residing the plot of the 1984 movie, which revolves around Kermit the Frog and pals and their madcap efforts to mount a musical on the Nice White Means.
“These characters, they’ve been a part of my life for so long as I can bear in mind. And I wouldn’t be in present enterprise with out them,” Lake says. “Kermit and the gang taught me what present enterprise is, success is, how you can observe your desires and how you can persevere. That’s not only a sound chew.”
The place the magic occurs
Lake has nice respect and reverence for Jim Henson and Walt Disney, childhood heroes of his.
At age 10, a magic present in Branson, Missouri, would make clear his life trajectory and provides him a transparent purpose—to change into a world famend illusionist.
At simply 42 years outdated, Lake has actually achieved that and extra. He has carried out to sold-out audiences in over 60 international locations and made quite a few tv appearances.
ABC dubbed him “one of many world’s high Illusionists” whereas NBC topped him “the world’s biggest illusionist.”
In 2008, he grew to become the youngest person ever to be given the Merlin Award—as “Worldwide Stage Magician of the 12 months.” That is magic’s highest honor, much like an actor successful an Oscar.
Past performing, he labored as a artistic marketing consultant on a number of Broadway productions, equivalent to Demise Turns into Her. He additionally labored at Sesame Avenue Stay, Walt Disney Imagineering, and because the artistic marketing consultant and phantasm designer for Adele’s Las Vegas Residency at Caesars Palace.
In 2018, he competed on America’s Acquired Expertise.
“One of many questionnaires the place they’re making an attempt to get your backstory requested you to call a star that you simply’re much like otherwise you relate to,” Lake recollects. “And my response to that was Kermit the Frog.”
Shortly after this, he met producer Joe Quenqua. (Lake, Quenqua, and Glass Half Full Productions all function producers on Rob Lake Magic with Particular Visitors The Muppets.)
Quenqua, who beforehand labored for the Walt Disney Firm, had Muppet connections. “Once we mentioned bringing Rob’s present to Broadway, we spoke about his early inspirations and what drove him to be a performer,” Quenqua says. “The Muppets have been on the very high of this record.”
After an introduction from Quenqua, all of the items fell into place to have Lake be part of forces with Kermit and the gang.
“The creativity and the imaginative and prescient and the thought for that got here on the proper time, the correct place,” Lake says. “Simply every part aligned completely when that occurred.”
“Surreal and humbling”
Rob Lake Magic with Particular Visitors The Muppets officially opens on November 6 after starting previews tonight. It is going to have a restricted 12-week run.
Each Lake and Quenqua are acutely conscious that they’re fulfilling a dream that the late Jim Henson didn’t reside lengthy sufficient to perform.
“I’d had no concept till the documentary by Ron Howard that Jim had been eager to get this to Broadway,” Lake revealed. “It actually struck a chord with me, as a result of after I noticed that documentary, I had already been engaged on my present with the Muppets, and it simply actually hit me—the gravity and reverence of this.”
Quenqua referred to as fulfilling Henson’s legacy, “each surreal and humbling.”
A great magician by no means reveals his methods, particularly not earlier than opening evening, however Lake was capable of give some hints on what audiences might be able to count on. Lake has curated “my favourite illusions, the end result of my total life’s work, to have the ability to carry my greatest magic to Broadway.”
These biggest hits characterize years of labor, trial and error, and perseverance.
Including the Muppets into his illusions was a enjoyable problem for Lake.
“I feel I used to be very well ready simply due to my childhood obsession with the Muppets,” he says. “I had a very good understanding of how they filmed and the way they operated. I used to be capable of design illusions that might incorporate my complete life’s reminiscences, analysis, and finding out of the method for them.”
He took particular care to include their particular character traits into the present.
“Magic will not be about being tricked”
Lake says his present goes to take the viewers on a journey stuffed with “peaks and valleys and highs and lows.”
He in contrast it to an orchestral piece with contrasting actions, saying “Not each a part of my present is gentle and enjoyable, and never each a part of my present is mysterious and intense.”
“For me, magic is not only about being tricked,” he added. “Nobody likes to be tricked. Nobody likes to be fooled. For me, magic is about creating marvel and enchantment: a scene, a world, an emotion and expertise the place something can occur.”
The Broadhurst, he says, provides the right backdrop for this magical 90-minute theatrical occasion: “It’s very intimate, regardless that it’s one of many largest theaters. Everybody will be capable of see myself and Kermit very well.”
When requested what he would need Jim Henson to note concerning the present if he may come again and see it, Lake replied, “I might simply need to ensure I did him proud. I might simply need to ensure I took care of the world he created. And I might need him to know that the Muppets are as beloved and cherished and celebrated as they at all times have been.”
Quenqua, in the meantime, would need Henson to know the way arduous Lake labored to honor his legacy: “I might hope that he sees how a lot love and reverence Rob has for him and all he created.”
“I’ve been getting ready for this second my complete life,” Lake says, “earlier than I even knew it.”
