From Yokosuka, Japan, to the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the North Atlantic, nearly 400,000 soldiers stationed at U.S. military bases worldwide will be given a peek inside the beautiful interior of the Coleman Theatre.
Rob Lake, master illusionist, will be filming his latest special for the Armed Forces Entertainment inside the 93-year-old structure at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Free tickets are available for local residents who want to watch the show being taped live, an experience in itself.
“I grew up starting my career performing in smaller towns and communities — it is my foundation,” Lake said, who grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. “Here, I need to film a TV show with an audience, in a cool theater, and have a full crowd. All of the stars align where I can give back. It’s a feeling I have, to this day, stemming from my gratitude for all of the theaters that helped me get my start.”
Lake’s show at the Coleman will feature never-before-seen illusions performed in front of a live audience that will be recorded for the expanded program, which will broadcast to troops overseas on the AFE network during the upcoming holiday season.
“The entire theater will be filled,” Lake said. “It is really first-come, first-serve. Once we reach capacity, that’s it.”
Lake was a featured finalist on “America’s Got Talent” and most recently on Fox’s “Game of Talents.” He was also the youngest winner of the coveted Merlin Award for “International Stage Magician of the Year.”
“This is a very different experience,” he said. “Normally, you sit back, relax and allow me to wow you with magic. A taping is a lot different. The audience will see how TV is made. I won’t reveal my illusion secrets, but you will learn movie magic secrets. The way we film things is out of order. Some shots won’t make any sense to the audience, but when its on the screen they will get it.”
“The taping itself will be a unique experience — maybe once in a lifetime,” he continued. “It is cool to be present for the filming, then if you get to see the final product, it is crazy to realize what happens in the editing of shows. You are so connected to the event.”
Lake’s magical journey began in Branson, at the age of 10, when he saw his first professional magic show there — Branson legend Kirby VanBurch — “I immediately and unquestionably knew I would be a magician,” he said. “It was as though divine orders were downloaded into me.”
He made annual trips to Branson to watch VanBurch perform, ritually stopping at Joplin for lunch or dinner. That’s also when he first became aware of the Coleman Theatre and its historic beauty.
“The Coleman is gorgeous. It was top of my list when we were looking for a theatre to film at,” Lake said. “It is beautiful to perform inside, and it is going to look stunning on camera. I can’t wait.”
For 16 years, Lake has made annual trips overseas to entertain U.S. troops. “This is the least I can do to say thanks for their sacrifice and their support,” he said.
The Coleman show will be Lake’s third AFE special; the show can eventually be seen on YouTube, so “the audience will be able to see themselves on the show,” he said.
“We are thrilled that this opportunity is being made available for the Four States’ residents,” said Danny Dillon, Coleman’s managing director. “The show would normally cost patrons at least $50 to see, and they will be able to see it at no charge. Plus, the opportunity to see the taping of a special for the Armed Forces is rare.”
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(c) 2022 The Joplin Globe
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