Montre Burton
Montre Burton is a triple threat who will help Nick Lachey in summer's sure to be smash hit, High School Musical: Get in the Picture as he helps discover big talent in small towns. We talked with Montre about the highly anticipated show, and where he fits into the picture.
The Star Scoop:
How are you involved in High School Musical: Get in the Picture
Montre Burton:
So basically, I am one of the faculty members, and as a faculty member, what we do is, we nurture, encourage, challenge these new young artists. Because ultimately, Disney is looking for their next star. We divided: there are six of us Faculty members, and it was three for the east and three for the west. And I'm one of the East, representing my home region, because I'm from Virginia, so I was excited to be an east coast Faculty member. I got to go to Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri. I randomly went to Wisconsin as well. I literally would go to the small towns to discover. We go around to schools to watch them perform or the dance academies, or the arts academies, or sometimes it was an open mike night. Wherever talent was to be found in these small towns, that's where I would go. The ones that were good enough, and I okay'd them, I'd send them to the semi finals, which, for the east was in Orlando at Disney World. The people who were great, we'd send them on to be a finalist in Salt Lake, which is where I am now. Now, what we do, they are in courses from a music and dance and theater conservatory pretty much, where they are literally acting, singing, dancing, every day.
A Faculty member, what I do, is, we get in there, because we're all six working artists, and we all have our specialties, whether it be voice, whether it be dance, whether it be acting. My specialty is pretty much, I'm a triple threat. I help them bring all the elements together.
The Star Scoop:
This might be the first time people are seeing you. So they may want to know what qualifies you for this role. What is your background?
Burton:
I was a musical theater boy. I started out, I was a little church choir boy, and then I went to a youth academy theater company in Virginia, so I was a little musical theater boy, 12 years old, doing my musicals. In Virginia that could be a little difficult, because people were like, boy, why do you run around skippin' and dancin' and all of that? Don't you wanna go play football? [Laughs] I'm like, uh, no! So then I went to an arts high school, and it's one of the most elite performing arts high schools in the state of Virginia, and I focused in theater. You pretty much eat, sleep, drink, breathe musical theater every day, and I did that for four years. And then when I left there, I was like, I want to do classical theater for the rest of my life. So I moved to England, and I was at academy, and I was studying, performing, doing my thing, and while I was there though, I realized that, you know what, I don't really want to just do this for the rest of my life. I don't want to only do one thing. Classical theater is clearly a part of me, but I don't only want to do that forever. I do sing, I do dance. I do enjoy musical theater, and I'm not ashamed of it [laughs]. So, while I was there, it was great, and that helped me to realize that this is the type of artist that you are, you want to do it all.
So, that's why I was like, when I get back to the states, I'm going to move to LA, but I had a little monkey wrench. That's when I found out that I had two brain tumors, and when I found out that I had two brain tumors, it kind of threw everything off course. I originally found out on a Thursday, the brain surgery was on a Monday. It's crazy. They thought it was one, and it turned out to be two...that literally changed my life. Getting the true fundamentals of life...before I was this little elitist artist, hanging out with my little elitist artist friends, but I really had to focus on what's important in life...I've been really fortunate and blessed...it's all about being the best person that you can be. You can only be the best artist you can be once you have become the best person that you can be.
The Star Scoop:
We have to ask you: what did you think of High School Musical?
Burton:
Amazing. I was actually one of those people where I was like, oh, what is this about? I was like, is this like a modern day Grease or what is it? When I actually watched the movie, I was so hooked! It was ridiculous. I was like, wow! Wow. Why am I so hooked on this thing? All these little kids were running around talking about, we're all in this together. I totally get it, totally get it.
The Star Scoop:
What else do you have going on at the moment?
Burton:
Pretty much now and especially with this show, I definitely am focusing on this is the artist that I want to be, and this is the artist that I am determined to become. In this project I get to do everything. I want to be the artist who is on a series, on a TV show, and then during my hiatus I do a great film with an all star cast, written well, produced well, directed well, and has some kind of artistic merit, and then in my little free time that I have, then I'll go do my Broadway run. That's who I am anyway. That's my personality.
The Star Scoop:
Why do you think people should watch High School Musical: Get in the Picture?
Burton:
People should watch this show because this show is really going to change people's lives. We have gone around and discovered talent that if it had not been for us, they would have gone on to be doctors, lawyers, nurses, educators, whatever, which is fine. But what we discovered is that in all these small little towns, they had all these people who didn't have an artistic outlet. What this show does is it gives them an outlet, gives them a vessel, gives them a way to express who they are. They've got raw talent. They have a gift. We step in and cultivate, and help them to grow and be that best artist that they can be. And that's wonderful to see.