La damnation de Faust
Cole is closely identified with the French repertory. He began moving in that direction in 1984, after he sang in the "Manon" centennial performances at Paris's Opéra Comique. Not long afterward, he sang the tenor version of Gluck's "Orphée" in Seattle, after which many other French works came his way: "Lakmé", "Werther", "Carmen", "Don Carlos", "Faust", and "La damnation de Faust".