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Carole Hanna McCann
Director, Choreographer, Writer
Carole McCann combines a strong theatrical background with a diversified liberal arts education giving a very special flavor to her gift of teaching in the performing arts. Her 40 years in the business have netted extensive credits, including over 500 musicals, children's shows, operas, revues, showcases, nightclub acts, TV shows, films, student productions, and choral presentations. Miss McCann was on the faculty of the University of Houston's Department of Drama for seven years, and Director of the Jewish Community Center's Kaplan Theatre for five years, endeavors highlighted in a cover story in the Houston Chronicle's TEXAS magazine.
Since l982, she has served as the Executive Director of Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) Humphreys School of Musical Theatre. Her multi-talents have nurtured this professional performing arts educational program to its present size, serving 2000+ families annually at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, with classes in musical theatre performance - singing, dancing, and acting - for ages four through adult. Her rave-review HSMT educational programs include professional career training classes, weekend workshops, specialty seminars, master classes, and popular Winter and Summer Performing Arts Camps, with productions encompassing everything from end-of-term shows to full-scale HSMT Student Matinee Musicals like THE WIZARD OF OZ, YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN, SNOOPY!!!, and NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOW BUSINESS. Her community involvement in the arts includes numerous appearances of her student performing troupe, TUTS ON TOUR, at civic and cultural events, as well as a crowd-favorite annual appearance at Miller Outdoor Theatre in the MOT Children’s Performing Arts Series. She gives additionally to the arts community by serving on grants panels for the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County (CACHH). Miss Carole, as she is known, also created and continues to develop the HSMT outreach programs, bringing the “TUTS Touch” to several thousand students a year through MUSICALS ON THE MOVE for the able-bodied, and MUSICALS FOR ME TOO for children, teens, and adults with physical and mental challenges.
She has choreographed many of the TUTS professional main stage musicals, worked with community theatres, and directed and choreographed the Junior League Charity Ball Show for 25 years. An ardent environmentalist, she and her HSMT staff wrote and produced CELEBRATE THE EARTH! to commemorate the annual Earth Day celebrations nationwide, winning a Mayor's Proud Partners Award for the musical's powerful presentation. Miss McCann also writes, directs, and choreographs for children and youth choirs, collaborating with composer Allen Pote on the musicals A REASON TO REJOICE, OH JONAH!, CELEBRATE THE VISION, A TECHNICOLOR PROMISE, MUSIC IS MAGIC, and SCROOGE ROCKS!, as well as many single songs and anthems. The musical theatre in her psyche joins her spirituality to make anything from her pen reverberate with both bouncy fun and profound meaning.
Miss McCann's artistic and creative work touches the lives of hundreds of students of all ages and backgrounds, and her alumni shine on Broadway, at regional theatres, in commercials and feature films, as well as in the educational, corporate and professional world. Her “Turn On Your Sparkle Button” catch-phrase is being heard now by the children and grandchildren of former students and performers.
Her projects with American Voices have included summer programs at the Taiwan International Summer Broadway Academy in Taipei in 2005 and 2006.
