Meet magician Rob Lake who made Adele disappear: ‘Magic is about rediscovering wonder in reality’

Rob Lake, an American magician and illusionist, is known for his original grand illusions and elaborate theatrical interactive performances. He was also a quarter-finalist on America's Got Talent (Season 13) in 2018. He has performed across the globe and even made singer Adele disappear during one of his headline-making acts.

In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, he opens up about his inspiring journey, creative process, and why magic still matters in the digital world. (Also read: Inspired by Sachin Tendulkar's Kaziranga National Park safari with Anjali, Sara? Here's how to plan your own trip )

Excerpts from the interview:

How did you first get into magic and how did this interest evolve over time?

So, when I was only ten years old, I saw a magic show, and I just knew that's what I would do with my entire life. It was like I was downloaded and programmed with this life path and this life goal. As soon as I saw that show, immediately the next day, I went to the library and got every book I could find on magic, and I just dove in head first. I really became obsessed. As a kid, I would drive my friends, my relatives, my teachers, and everyone crazy with magic tricks all the time. And then, my little hobby became a passion and eventually a career that's taken me all around the world.

Do you remember the very first magic trick you ever performed?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I was doing so much at the beginning all by myself that I didn't have any props, any assistance, or equipment. So I had to make magic with things I could find around the house. One of the very first tricks I learned was with a newspaper, and even now, in many of my shows, I still perform that one because I never want to forget how it all began.

Do you have any all-time inspirations in the world of magic and illusion? Anyone you've always looked up to?

Yeah, I do. But I think my answer might surprise you a little bit, because my heroes in magic weren't technically other magicians like me. They were people who I think were very magical in their own way like Walt Disney, Jim Henson, Steven Spielberg, and Ron Howard. People who created magic through storytelling and imagination. Even as a kid, they inspired me, and they still inspire me today.

You've made Adele disappear, can you share what that experience was like?

So, in addition to creating and designing my own illusions for my show, I also create illusions and special effects for Broadway shows, for uh world-famous theme parks and for concerts and tours. And one of those projects I got to work on was I created and designed special effects for Adele for her Las Vegas concert. So if you've seen the video where she magically disappears at the end of her show, that's one of the things I worked on for her show.

How was your experience on America's Got Talent and how it shaped your career both creatively and professionally?

It was a few years ago, and honestly, it was both fun and exhausting. They'd been asking me to do the show for years, but we kept saying no because we were always touring. When we finally said yes, it happened to be during one of our busiest years. I was performing in Europe and had to fly back mid-tour to film America's Got Talent, then fly back again to continue the tour. We had to reschedule shows just to make it work.

I don't watch much TV, so I underestimated the show's reach. I thought I'd do one episode, get a million views, and move on. But that one performance got over 70 million views on YouTube. I had no idea how massive the impact would be.

Can you share a time when something went unexpectedly wrong on stage and how did you handle it in that moment?

That's the beauty of live shows anything can happen. When I started out, things went wrong all the time, and that's how I learned. Now, when we create a new illusion, we plan for everything that could go wrong, no matter how wild it seems. We rehearse the failures as much as the successes, so if something happens, the audience never knows. My team and I adapt quickly; we're ready for anything. And things do go wrong. We've had full power outages or tech failures mid-show. But that's part of the adventure. Once the show begins, I'm on that journey with the audience, and we figure it out together.

What's the most challenging illusion you have ever designed or performed?

Usually, the illusion I'm working on in the moment feels like the hardest one, mostly because I'm the biggest obstacle. I'm a perfectionist, and I see things a certain way in my mind. No matter how difficult it is, I want to create it exactly how I envision it. Sometimes, it's not even the biggest piece. There's a card trick I recently added to the show it's pure sleight of hand, and it took a lot of time to perfect.

Surprisingly, one of the biggest illusions I do, the motorcycle act, was actually easier. One of my mentors helped me develop it, so the process was smoother, even though it's this massive, show-stopping finale. So really, it depends. Sometimes, it's just one tiny detail I'm hung up on, but to me, getting that detail right makes all the difference.

What's one misconception people have about magicians?

That's a great question. I think a lot of people assume magic is just... real. Like, "Hey, do something right here, right now." They don't always realise that what I do is a full-scale show. It takes a massive amount of equipment, over 20 people, and a huge production behind the scenes to make it all look effortless. Even the simplest trick might have taken months or even years to develop, and the entire show is the result of countless hours of planning, rehearsing, and fine-tuning.

If you had to describe a magical mantra you follow in life in one line, what would it be?

It's the same one I wish for my audiences: Anything is possible. I hope that everyone who sees a show leaves feeling inspired, like anything is truly possible. That's the feeling I carry with me every day.

Where do you see the future of magic and illusion heading, especially in this digital and hyper-visual age?

That's a great question. I think because we're so glued to our phones and constantly scrolling, we're now craving real connections and authentic experiences more than ever. There's nothing like being part of a live show, surrounded by thousands of people, witnessing something unique in that moment. That kind of magic, the energy, the wonder, it just can't be replicated on a screen.

It's funny because I deceive people for a living, but even in that, there's something deeply real. It's not about filters or edits, it's about seeing something impossible happen right in front of you.

In this digital world, I think people are turning to magic not to escape reality, but to rediscover wonder within it. We already hold incredible technology in our hands things that would've seemed like wizardry a century ago. But when people come to our shows, we show them the impossible in their reality. And that's what keeps the magic alive.

Rob Lake’s coming to India from April 25 to 27, 2025. Catch him live at The Grand Theatre, NMACC, Mumbai. Grab your tickets here.