Kole Mitchell McKinley Discusses Hello, Dolly! & Experiencing as Much Theatre as You Can!
I would like you to meet Kole Mitchell McKinley. Kole is currently gracing the stage as Cornelius in Myers Dinner Theatre's production of the Jerry Herman Classic Hello, Dolly! directed by Sarah Philabaum. Kole holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from East Carolina University and has performed regionally with companies such as The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Wohlfarht Haus Dinner Theatre, Roxy Regional Theatre, Priscilla Beach Theatre, and Cumberland Theatre just to name a few. He has also toured with The Great Plains Theatre and performed at Cedar Point. The one thing I am a sucker for in theatre are the classics, and Hello, Dolly! is truly one of my favorites.
"I really love Kole Mitchell McKinley’s passion and energy! He’s always making bold choices and giving 100%."SaysHello, Dolly! director Sarah Philabaum.
I have a good feeling that this is going to the first of many stops for Kole when it comes to performing in the classics. I am very happy to have the chance to feature this talented young man!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
I first recall seeing the national tour of Oklahoma! at age 8 or 10 and saying I want to do that! So, here we are trying to do that.
Are there any teachers or mentors in your life who truly helped you become the great performer you are today?
Definitely. Big tanks to my college tap professor and Broadway veteran Dirk Lumbard, all of my friends/peers along the way (shoutout ECU MT '17), and my mom and dad for always being beyond supportive.
Congratulations on Hello, Dolly! Sarah Philabaum and Jeremy Littlejohn are absolute joys! What are you most excited about with this show?
Thank you! I love Sarah as she is pure joy and am excited to finally work with Jeremy/Myers Dinner Theatre as I feel this has been a few years in the making! Personally, I am most excited about learning the choreography that opens Act 2 during “Elegance" and blocking/performing the Hat Shop Scene! This show is stocked with amazing and funny bits, but those two parts bring me excitement just thinking about them.
Are there any roles, shows, or moments in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to your heart?
Elf the Musical, Big the Musical, & Lil’ Abner. If I could do all three of these shows in rotation all year I would, or any show that has a tall lovable bari-tenor lead that is also unwritten.
What advice would you give any young performer who wants a career in the performing arts?
Take dance classes if you can, learn how to work social media/web development, and experience as much theatre as you can!
Hello, Dolly! will be running from June 4th and will be running until the 27th. To learn more, please visit -https://myersdt.com/hello%2C-dolly; and to learn more about Kole make sure you visit his website at - https://www.kolemitchellmckinley.com