THE MTCA TEAM

In 2014 Pia and Lisa met while volunteering at their daughter's school. They immediately discovered a shared background and love for the performing arts. Learning their daughter's public school was facing severe budget cuts, which threatened to close the theatre program, they stepped in and founded a non-profit to raise funds and stabilize visual and performing arts opportunities. Together they raised over $250,000 and forged a friendship and partnership that continues today. 

In 2019 Lisa and Pia took the helm of Musical Theatre Competitions of America. Together they have transitioned it into the most extensive national educational musical theatre festival for students and groups in the country. Realizing theatre's critical role in students' development, they have blended educational theatre opportunities, professional mentorship, large-scale event production, and Broadway magic into a unique musical theatre festival. In 2020 realizing that quality performing arts educational opportunities were not accessible to many students due to financial hardships, they Founded Musical Theatre Festivals Educational Foundation. MTF was founded to support students pursuing musical theatre educational opportunities, gather resources in support of musical theatre education, and raise funds for students who desire to attend Musical Theatre Competitions of America. To date, MTF has awarded over $310,000.00 in Scholarship opportunities to students. Pia and Lisa remain committed to creating opportunities for students to learn, grow and share their talents in an educational theatre environment that is uplifting and empowering.

MTCA FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE  PRODUCER

Lisa has over 25 years of experience in Educational Theatre. She received a Bachelor of Science in Communication with an emphasis in Performing Arts from Cal Poly Pomona. After years of performing and producing community and youth theatre, Lisa shifted her focus to educational theatre, working with charter and private schools to create theatre programs that align with school-specific curriculum and pedagogical theory. As an educational theatre producer, she has worked with the best of Broadway, including Jerry Mitchell, Stephanie J Block, Jeremy Jordan, Taylor Louderman, Christie Altomare, Christopher J. Hanke, Laura Osnes, Corey Cott, Nikki Snelson, Erika Henningsen, Ryann Redmond, Jared Gertner, Seth Rudetsky and Alli Mauzey. Lisa has served on multiple boards in leadership positions creating and promoting educational theatre opportunities for students.

MTCA FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PIA PATRICK began her 35-year career in Hospitality and Event Production, working in restaurants, private event coordination, large event production, wedding coordination, and luxury hotels in Orange County, CA. Pia opened her own special event production company in 1996, specializing in large-scale, private, and corporate events. Pia enjoys the complexities of executing events that can be scaled and thrives in managing day-to-day operations and organizational details while implementing long-term strategies for success. Pia has a lifelong background in the performing arts. Pia began acting, singing, and modeling at a young age, but her passion has always been musical theatre. Pia has spent 20 years in educational theatre as an active board member for many performing arts programs and working with various charitable organizations to raise needed funds for arts programs in public schools.

MTCA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Christine (Negherbon) Abraham’s extensive performing credits include National Tours of My Fair Lady (Eliza u/s), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Starring Ann-Margret), Crazy for You (Polly), Chicago, 42nd Street (European Tour - Peggy Sawyer) and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.  Regionally, she has performed in Oklahoma! (Laurey and Dream Laurey - PA Shakespeare Festival), Cats (Jennanydots - The MUNY, Sacramento Music Circus), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), just to name a few.  TV Credits include:  Hart of Dixie and Haunting Evidence.  Christine has directed and/or choreographed productions such as 42nd Street (Norris Theatre), Holiday Inn, Sound of Music & Mary Poppins (MTW), West Side Story, Crazy for You, Cabaret (DeSales University), and Hairspray (Mac-Haydn Theatre).  She is a master teaching artist at the Disneyland Resort, an adjunct professor for both the Musical Theatre and Commercial Dance Departments with AMDA at LACS and on faculty with Fluid Dance Conventions. She and husband/actor Joe Abraham, are authors of The Thriving Artists, which they wrote to address the need for empowering and educating artists, particularly when it comes to their finances. They have two sons and live in LA. 

www.TheThrivingArtists.com www.ChristineNegherbon.com 

MTCA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Joe loves igniting the souls of everyone and everything he encounters! For over 20 years he has been working as an actor, a teacher, and a coach... and has no plans of stopping any of it!  Joe’s performing work has taken him to Broadway and around the country in shows such as HAIRSPRAY, DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID, SHREK THE MUSICAL, CATS, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.  Joe’s on camera career started by working with Clint Eastwood in the feature film version of “Jersey Boys”, and more recently with Ryan Murphy in feature film version of “The PROM” on Netflix and the fantasy feature “Mythica: Stormbound”.  On television Joe has had roles on shows such as “S.W.A.T.”, “UnREAL”, “American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson”, and the Showtime series “Moonbase 8”.  Joe’s passion for teaching lead him to write his first book titled The Thriving Artists (co-authored with his wife, Christine) which is now required reading in theater departments at several universities across the country.  The Thriving Artists teaches young performers how to navigate and thrive in every aspect of their creative lives.  And as a coach, Joe is thrilled to be a part of this amazing company and loves every single thing about this joyous tribe of humans that make up MTCA. See you on stage!

www.TheThrivingArtists.com  www.JoeAbrahamOfficial.com

CYNTHIA McGARRITY is a singer, music director, director, and master teaching artist with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Highlights from her career include that of Master Teaching Artist at Disneyland for Disney Performing Arts; lead master teaching artist for Disney Musicals in Schools under the auspices of Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles; vocal coach for episodic television on the set of NBC Studios Parks & Rec; voiceover artist for PBS Television’s ART-Art Series (whose theme song on which she was featured won the Emmy Award); director and/or music director of such shows as Legally Blonde, Violet, Shrek and many of the Disney musicals compendium; and past Music Department Chair/Voice teacher at The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts. Cynthia is thrilled to be back at Musical Theatre Competitions of America, sharing her love of music, story, and technique with young artists from all over the country.

THOMAS SCHULTHEIS (Teaching Artist Thomas) created the Creativity & Inspiration Workshop, Let Me Try That Again, Musical Theatre Exploration Clinic, Signs & Synchronicity, and TikTok Musicals: Exploration & Activation. He received his MA in Strategic Communications from National University and BS in Psychology from James Madison University. He is on the Musical Theatre Competitions of America Creative Team and is The Spark File Select Group Creativity Coaching Team Captain. Thomas also works with The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts. Additionally, Thomas worked for 15 years at the Disneyland® Resort with the Disney Performing Arts program. He has performed on Broadway in the revival of Grease! and tours of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago, and South Pacific. Thomas founded The Educators Collective, bringing together exceptional leaders in education, and created The Educators Collective Virtual Summit. https://teachingartistthomas.com/

JOHN TEBAY began his career in 1976 as Minister of Music and Worship at Calvary Church of Placentia, California, USA, where he directed the music program for 17 years. In 1981, he became the choral director at El Dorado High School in Placentia, California. He has been director of choral studies at Fullerton College in Southern California, since 1985. During that time, he has conducted the 110-voice Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers, the Collegiate Chorale, the Men’s Chorale, the Women’s Chorale, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the song and dance troupe, Bravo. Mr. Tebay has guest-conducted local and state honor choirs throughout the Western United States. He is in demand as an adjudicator, clinician, and competition judge for choral, musical theatre, and show choir events. John has collaborated with the Theatre Department at Fullerton College to music direct numerous Musical Theatre productions. John is a member of the founding staff of Musical Theatre Competitions of America, and has been an adjudicator/clinician at each competition since its inception. 

JOHN VAUGHAN is a busy director/choreographer with over 400 productions to his credit. He has worked constantly first as an actor, then as a director, choreographer, producer, and theatre educator. His long association with Performance Riverside, the Moonlight Amphitheater, Musical Theatre West, and other professional Southern California theatres includes hit productions of Big River, Cabaret, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Curtains, The Will Rogers Follies, Evita, Footloose, Anything Goes, Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, Into the Woods, Aida, Ragtime, The Music Man, And the World Goes Round, among many others. Philanthropically, he has raised (net) over eight million dollars for the Children Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) since 1997 as the director of their acclaimed volunteer-based fundraiser- the “CHOC Follies”. John’s work has received numerous awards from Backstage West, the Inland Empire Theatre League, San Diego Playbill, and many others. He has been the co-choreographer for the acclaimed Citrus Singers for the past 26 years.