About
Caleb McCarroll (he/him) is an actor, vocal coach, composer-lyricist, playwright, and music director based in New York City. He is a proud graduate of Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Direction for Musical Theatre. A genuine multi-hyphenate, he has often been chosen to debut new works as an actor, pianist, singer, and chamber musician. McCarroll has a heart for arts outreach with high school students. In his free time, he is watching sitcoms, discovering new opera arias, reading Shakespeare, or learning new recipes.
McCarroll’s favorite hats to wear in addition to acting and music directing are vocal arranging, orchestrating, and improvising piano solo arrangements of songs from all genres. As a music director, he has worked at various theatre companies, including the Kansas City Fringe Festival, Faust Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, The Barn Players in Overland Park, Kansas, PING! Performing Arts Collective in St. Louis, Missouri, Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University. He served as music director for Heart of America Christian Fellowship for ten years.
Taking up writing after many suggestions from friends, McCarroll began with straight plays, including Two People with Autism Standing in the Rain, una media naranja, Christmas, Dunce, and Clarinet Concerto. He is currently adapting a chamber folk musical version of Macbeth, a Romantic-era flavored adaptation of The Three Sisters, funk and soul adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and is writing an original musical, Boneless.
As a pianist, McCarroll has worked with The Muny, STAGES in St. Louis, Missouri, Stage Right Performing Arts and StageBound in Overland Park, Kansas, Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves, Missouri, and at Webster University as a collaborative pianist in vocal studios for singers of all genres. McCarroll is returning home to his alma mater, Raytown High School as the accompanist for the choral program. He has also accompanied performances with Tony Award-winner, Ali Stroker, and masterclasses for Grammy Award-winning dramatic soprano, Christine Brewer, voice pedagogue, Dr. Matt Edwards, and Tony nominees, Jenn Colella and Taylor Louderman. McCarroll has also been chosen for various world premieres by composers, including Addie Struckman and Zach Tesch. He is known for his unique and informed feel of all genres and for playing with an emotional sensitivity tied directly to the singer, causing a palpable synergy.
As a singer, McCarroll is well-versed in musical theatre, pop, and art music styles alike. McCarroll is a former member of the Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale under the direction of Charles Bruffy. He can be heard on the original cast recording of ‘scope: a new musical by Ryan Jacobs and Dom DeCicco. McCarroll has premiered various vocal works as a soloist and choral singer by composers including Jean Belmont Ford, Ryan Main, Hunter T. Johnson, David Werfelmann, Noah Valenti, Dragomir Page, and Addie Struckman.
McCarroll is known for bold interpretations of classical dramatic works, a deep love for absurdism and surrealism, and an undeniable genuineness onstage. He has been praised for his research and dramaturgy expertise that he brings to roles across the canon. McCarroll has been recognized by critics for having “a deep emotional well” as an actor, bringing an incredibly unique and honest experience to plays and musicals alike. He originated the role of Eddie in Driven: A New Song Cycle in its premiere performance at Feinstein’s / 54 Below. He also played the role of Menelaus in the inaugural reading of H. O. T. the Musical written by Shelly Verden. Favorite acting credits include First Witch in Macbeth, William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Moritz Stiefel in Spring Awakening, and Michal Katurian in The Pillowman.
McCarroll recently made his directing debut in Kansas City, MO with a workshop followed by a staged reading of Justin Mohn and Jacob Thomas’ Entangling Alliances.