By. Kevin Ray Johnson (Staff Writer for OnStage Blog)

I would like you to meet Cole Burden. Cole will be starring as Hart in 9 to 5 The Musical at New Stage Theatre. I first met Cole when we performed together in Guys and Dolls at The Asolo Repertory Theatre where they played Sky Masterson but that is one of many stops for this very talented performer! Other credits for Cole include performing in the National Tours of Bridges of Madison County, Les Misérables (25th Anniversary Tour), Off-Broadway as Priest/Giorgio in Himself and Nora (Minetta Lane), Applause (Encores!), and Bonnie and Clyde (NYMF). Cole has also performed regionally with two River Theater, Studio Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center just to name a few. Cole is truly a talented performer who leaves their mark with every role he plays and it is a privilege to watch them perform as well as work with them. I am super happy that they took the time!

How old were you when you knew you wanted to go into the performing arts?

My mother loved all kinds of music and passed that on to my twin sisters and me. I began singing in choir when I was 9 years old. I was fortunate to have a community theatre in my hometown of Rome, Georgia. It was called the Rome Little Theatre and was located in one of those old small-town movie houses called the Desoto. I did my first production (A Christmas Carol) when I was 12 years old.

Are there any mentors who helped you become the Wonderful Performer you are today?

I was, once again, very lucky to meet Dr. Brian Horne at a local college and started taking voice lessons with him at 13. He was an incredible teacher and father figure. He took excellent care of my voice.I studied with him for five years until I went to Baldwin Wallace University for college.At BW, I met Victoria Bussert.I believe that Vicky is one of the best educators of musical theatre in the country. She taught us the business and how to be “director proof.”She taught us to be strong and form intelligent opinions using our individual perspectives. Many students have left her program and had great success. After arriving in New York, I studied with Matt Farnsworth, Austin Pendleton, VP Boyle, and Kate Mcgregor Stewart, to name a few. These mentors infused me with positive energy and I am so grateful to them. There were also so many incredible directors and composers but it was really working with director/choreographer, Josh Rhodes, where I truly learned about text and operative words.I am so grateful to him for that education because many young actors do not understand the text and I’m not even sure you should call yourself an actor if you do not.

Congratulations on 9 to 5 the Musical at New Stage Theatre. How has your time been with the show and company?

I had been offstage for 2.5 years due to the Pandemic mainly. My bestie, Randy Redd, gave me the opportunity to come back to a small southern theatre and rekindle my relationship with musical theatre performing. My time here has been pretty incredible. There are many young artists in the cast and I feel like I have gotten the chance to pass on knowledge from my various experiences over the years. I believe I have made a new family here and that is an immeasurable gift!

Are there any shows, stories, or memories in your amazing career that sticks out and will always be near and dear to your heart?

All of them. I never really leave a character behind, just tuck them away in some useful part of my consciousness. I call on them often. One of the magical parts of being an actor is the relationship to character and the journey you go on together. I played George in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE by Stephen Sondheim and he comes up for me quite a lot. It was another amazing experience with a cast/family I made in Colorado. Rod Lansberry directed and I played opposite a wonderful actress named, Emily Van Fleet. Sondheim really gave us artists a gift with that show. When you step into George you get to be the archetypal painter and then, in the second act, the archetypal artist that is struggling with business and art. Then your muse gives you the permission to keep “moving on” and an entire company of actors bows to you at the end and sings the title song “Sunday.” It is truly a spiritual, life-altering, experience.

Getting to sing the score of Bridges of Madison County with Elizabeth Stanley is the other ridiculous actor gift that I will always hold onto. Jason Robert Brown’s music is what made me love musicals. He is such a genius composer and storyteller. To have worked with him in my lifetime and to have him like my Facebook posts is pretty much the coolest thing that has happened to me in my career.

What advice would you give any aspiring artist who wants a career in the performing arts?

Honestly, if you can have a career in anything else you should do that. There is being an artist and then there is the career of being an artist. It’s just challenging emotionally, physically, and financially.If you are like me and you absolutely have to do it, it is the highest of the high and the lowest of the low so you have to navigate those ups and downs and constantly seek healthy ways to bridge that gap. It’s a life’s work and one I am deeply grateful for.

9 to 5 The Musical will be running at The New Stage Theatre until June 5th. For more information please visit -https://newstagetheatre.com/9-to-5-the-musical/; and to learn more about Cole make sure you visit their official website at -https://coleburden.weebly.com

Cole Burden Discusses 9 to 5 & Healthily Navigating the Ups & Downs of Your Career!

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