Biography for Richard T. Hanson

Richard T. Hanson is a Professor Emeritus of the School of Theatre, Film & Television at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. There, he created the nationally known Musical Theatre Program and headed the Acting/Musical Theatre Division. He directed and choreographed over fifty UA productions including: Chicago, Follies, Grease, South Pacific, Gypsy, Very Good Eddie, Caligula, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anatol, Present Laughter, Over Here, Godspell, Quilters, The Boy Friend, Cabaret, Nine, They’re Playing Our Song, Othello, Starting Here, Starting Now, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show, She Loves Me, Side Show, The Who’s Tommy and Urinetown.

Professor Hanson was the founder and director of THE ENTERTAINERS and ENCORE!, the UA musical revue groups which are celebrating over thirty years of Musical Theatre touring and outreach. He was awarded the James P. Anthony Award for sustained excellence in teaching. He is a four-time recipient of the Humanities Seminars Program’s Superior Teaching Award.

He has written, directed and choreographed a multitude of musical revues celebrating the composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook: With A Song In My Heart, Come On And Hear!, ‘S Wonderful, Over The Rainbow, The Song Is You!, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, You’re The Top!, Connections, Star Struck!, Don’t You Know There’s A War On?, Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!, Anything Goes!, Broadway Rhythm, Get Happy! and It’s De-Lightful, It’s De-Lovely, It’s De-Porter!

Professor Hanson has the honor of having the University of Arizona’s Richard T. Hanson Musical Theatre Endowment created in his name. Each year, The Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! Shoe Fund awards stipends to University of Arizona BFA Musical Theatre graduates funding the purchase of new dance shoes in which to begin their professional theatre careers.

Richard T. Hanson is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and Actor’s Equity Association (AEA). He has directed and choreographed numerous regional productions:  Merrily We Roll Along, Peter Pan, Annie, Black Comedy, City of Angels, The Sound of Music, The Odd Couple, The Nerd, Baby, I’m Getting My Act Together And Taking It On The Road, Gypsy, Celebration, Strider and A Day In Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine. He has directed Industrial revues for Saks Fifth Avenue, Mountain Bell, Dole Pineapple, Frontier Airlines, Old Tucson Corporation and Johns-Manville. He was the Artistic Director of Music Theatre Arizona where he directed Side By Side By Sondheim, Jerry’s Girls, and Dames At Sea.

At The Gaslight Theatre in Tucson, he directed over twenty productions, including: Little Mary Sunshine, The Phantom of the Opera, Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers and A Christmas Carol. For the Diamond Circle Theatre in Durango, CO he directed and choreographed The Spoilers and Whoop-Ti-Ay! He directed and choreographed My Partner, The Star Crossing, The Thief of Frisco, The Spoilers, Rocky Mountain Flyer, and Under Two Flags for The Cripple Creek Players at the historic Butte Theatre in Cripple Creek, CO.

Professor Hanson currently conducts Musical Theatre lectures celebrating the American Musical Theatre and the Great American Song Book. For the last twenty years he has lectured for the University of Arizona Humanities Seminars Program and the Tucson Learning Curve. He also conducts The Learning Curve’s Give My Regards To Broadway New York Theatre Tours.

Richard T. Hanson currently lives in Tucson, Arizona with his husband David Cillo and their Cairn Terrier, Nora.