The Man Behind the Mix: Purdue Grad Brings Broadway Magic to Life One Fader at a Time
When the lights dim and the curtain rises on "The Book of Mormon" this October, hundreds of audience members will settle in for an evening of Tony Award-winning musical theater. What they won't see is Robert Cohen, a 2024 College of Liberal Arts graduate in the Department of Theatre and Dance, hovering over a mixing console with an iPad full of script notes, his fingers dancing across dozens of faders in a performance as precisely choreographed as anything seen on stage.
"Every single thing you hear is being manually done," Robert explains, describing his role as head audio engineer for the national touring production. "Anytime somebody makes a noise, talks, or laughs, I am bringing their mic up, manually, individually."
It's a revelation that might surprise theatergoers who assume the audio flows seamlessly without human intervention. But Robert's job is far more complex, and crucial, than most audiences realize. He's conducting an invisible orchestra of microphones, following every word of the script and anticipating every laugh, gasp, and musical cue.
"One small mistake, and the 2,000 people in the audience don't hear that actor's line," he says. "It could be an especially important line of the show."
From Boilermaker to Broadway
Robert's journey from West Lafayette to the touring circuit was surprisingly smooth. After graduating in May 2024 with a degree in Sound for the Performing Arts from the Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance, he traveled the country working as assistant audio engineer, assistant pyrotechnic operator, then head pyrotechnician for Disney on Ice.
"It was a very fun job," he admits, "but it wasn't utilizing the theater background that I had. And I wanted something more fast paced."
When Disney's South American tour was canceled, Robert saw an opportunity. His girlfriend was pursuing her master's degree at Purdue, and she encouraged him not to let his dreams wait. "She said, 'while I'm in school, I want you to tour,'" he recalls. "Very fortunate that we're able to do this."
In June, just months after his Disney contract ended, Robert landed the coveted head audio position for "The Book of Mormon" tour, a role that would test every skill he'd developed during his four years at Purdue.
Learning the Rhythm of Broadway
The transition wasn't without its challenges. Robert had just one week of rehearsals to master a show that requires split-second timing and complete mental focus for two-and-a-half hours straight. His iPad contains the entire script, meticulously marked with cues for when actors speak, when they might cut off lines, when the band needs adjustment, and when ensemble members come together.
"You have to learn how the actors talk, how they take breaths, what lines are going to cut off, how the understudies interact with each other," he explains. "It's a long learning process."
The learning curve was steep. During those initial 13-hour rehearsal days, Robert found himself mentally exhausted from the constant concentration required. But the Purdue theater program had prepared him for exactly this kind of intensity.
"The rigorous process of putting on a show in theater in the educational aspect is the exact same in the real world," he reflects. His capstone project—serving as both production sound engineer and A1 mixer for the Steve Martin musical "Bright Star"—proved to be particularly valuable preparation. "That was definitely one of the hardest things I've done, especially at Purdue."
Building Community Through Live Events
At Purdue, Robert wasn't just honing his technical skills: he discovered his passion for bringing people together through live events. As president of LEAP (Live Events and Productions), an organization he helped start during his senior year, Robert orchestrated shows that combined local student bands with professional-level production values. "We had three or four student bands who had been wanting to get the experience of having a full production—video walls, cameras, lights, an entire sound system," he remembers of LEAP's first major show in Loeb Playhouse. "And then training 30 students to operate all this."
Watching his fellow students discover the magic behind the scenes was transformative. "Being able to see all these other students and friends who didn't know what the industry was like, and then working on that first show was super cool," he says. They asked, “Wow, can I actually do this?” I responded, “You can actually do it as a career.”
The Art of the Invisible
Now, 39 shows into the 284-show tour, Robert has found his rhythm. What once seemed impossibly complex has become second nature, though he admits the show's rapid pace and humor still surprise him.
"It's so funny when I'm actually listening to what the show is. Usually, I'm so focused, I don't even think about what's being said," he says. "But when I actually listen to it, it's such a funny show. You just get sucked into it."
The tour's demanding schedule means Robert experiences a different city almost every day, sometimes hitting five states in a single week. When "The Book of Mormon" comes to Purdue, he'll have just 18 hours on campus—arriving at 7:30 a.m. for load-in and departing immediately after the evening performance for the next stop in Bloomington.
"I still have a bunch of friends who are there. I'm close with a lot of the people at Elliott Hall," he says, looking forward to working with his former colleagues from the other side of the industry. "I'm excited to be back and see the community again. It just feels like home."
Advice from the Road
For current students considering a career in live events, Robert's advice is simple but powerful: "Just put yourself out there." He emphasizes that the industry evolves so rapidly that learning on the job isn't just common, it's essential.
"Part of the job is learning. I'm even doing that here," he says. "If you have the internal push to want to learn and grow, people can see that. You'll go a long way."
It's advice that echoes through every aspect of Robert's journey. From the Purdue student who helped start an organization to showcase local bands, to the touring professional who ensures that every whispered line and thunderous musical number reaches the back row with crystal clarity.
As he puts it, the live events industry rewards those who are "eager to make strides," even without extensive experience. "Just go for it, reach out, make those connections. It's only up from there."
When the curtain rises on "The Book of Mormon," audiences will lose themselves in the story unfolding on stage. Behind the scenes, Robert will be orchestrating the invisible performance that makes it all possible, one fader, one cue, one perfectly executed moment at a time.
The Book of Mormon will premiere at Elliott Hall of Music on October 2 at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, visit https://convocations.purdue.edu.