THE MTCA TEAM

MTCA CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Joe Abraham is a Broadway actor and master teacher with more than twenty years guiding young artists. Broadway credits: Hairspray, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Shrek the Musical. Other credits include Cats, Singin’ in the Rain, and Young Frankenstein. On screen he appears in Jersey Boys directed by Clint Eastwood and Ryan Murphy’s The Prom, with television roles on American Crime Story, S.W.A.T., UnREAL, and Moonbase 8. He coauthored The Thriving Artists, now used in university theatre programs. At MTCA, Joe brings a performance driven, storytelling focused approach that equips triple threat performers with practical audition tools and the confidence of a working Broadway professional.

 FESTIVAL ARTISTIC ADVISOR

Nikki Snelson is best known as Brooke Wyndham in the original Broadway and MTV casts of Legally Blonde. She originated Winnie Tate in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun and appeared on Broadway in Sweet Charity, with national tours as Cassie in A Chorus Line and Susan in tick, tick…BOOM!. A director and choreographer,

 Nikki has staged productions at Moonlight Amphitheatre, UC Irvine, and Vanguard University. Her high-energy classes are performance driven and mentor performers from studio to stage.

MTCA CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Christine Abraham is a veteran performer, director, choreographer, and master teacher. She serves as Associate Creative Director and Lead Judge for Musical Theatre Competitions of America and as Director of the MTC Triple Threat Competition. National tours include My Fair Lady as Eliza understudy, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Ann-Margret, and Crazy for You as Polly. Regional highlights include Laurey in Oklahoma at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and Jennyanydots in Cats at The Muny. Directing and choreography credits include 42nd Street at the Norris Theatre and Holiday Inn at Musical Theatre West. At MTCA, Christine leads with a performance driven approach, offering clear, actionable feedback that helps triple threat performers grow with confidence.

MAIN STAGE DIRECTOR

FOUNDING  CREATIVE  CONSULTANT

John Vaughan is a founding member of the MTCA Creative Team and a prolific director, choreographer, producer, actor, and educator with more than 400 productions to his credit. His Southern California work with Performance Riverside, Moonlight Amphitheatre, and Musical Theatre West includes acclaimed productions of Big River, Cabaret, Evita, Footloose, A Chorus Line, and Ragtime. Since 1997 he has directed the CHOC Follies, helping raise over $8 million for Children’s Hospital of Orange County. A recipient of honors from Backstage West, the Inland Empire Theatre League, and San Diego Playbill, John also spent 26 years co-choreographing the renowned Citrus Singers. At MTCA, he brings professional rigor and mentorship to every room, delivering performance driven training that celebrates storytelling and empowers triple threat performers.

MAIN STAGE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Cynthia McGarrity is a singer, music director, director, and master teaching artist with over 25 years of industry experience. Her career highlights include serving as Master Teaching Artist at Disneyland for Disney Performing Arts and as lead teaching artist for Disney Musicals in Schools at Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Center Theatre Group. She was a vocal coach for NBC's Parks & Rec, a voiceover artist for PBS’s Emmy-winning ART-Art Series, and director/music director for productions like Legally Blonde, Violet, and Shrek. Cynthia also served as Music Department Chair and voice teacher at The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts. 

She is thrilled to return to MTCA, sharing her passion for music, storytelling, and technique with young artists nationwide.

LEAD ADJUDICATOR

EDUCATIONAL & CREATIVE ADVISOR

THOMAS SCHULTHEIS, MA in Strategic Communications (National University) and BS in Psychology (James Madison University), is a dynamic teaching artist and creator of innovative workshops like Let Me Try That Again and TikTok Musicals: Exploration & Activation. A member of the Musical Theatre Competitions of America Creative Team, he also leads The Spark File Select Group Creativity Coaching. Thomas has performed on Broadway (Grease!) and in national tours (Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago, South Pacific). With 15 years at Disneyland® Resort’s Disney Performing Arts program, he now collaborates with The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts. He founded The Educators Collective and Virtual Summit, connecting top educational leaders.

OPERATIONS MANAGER 

PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE 

Hannah Baker, a Southern California native now based in New York City, is a versatile theatre professional. As a performer, her recent roles include Vivianne in Employee of the Month (Off-Broadway) and Marc Antony in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Barcelona). Behind the scenes, she has worked with Broadway teams for Wicked, Beetlejuice, and Hadestown, stage-managed NYC productions, and served as Covid Safety Manager for OBIE-winning Mabou Mines. Now with The Araca Group, Hannah manages Broadway branding and merchandise. 

ASSOCIATE  PRODUCER 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Emmy Fry is a passionate performer, makeup designer, educator, and proud MTCA alumna. A graduate of AMDA Los Angeles, Emmy has performed in regional theatre and has a strong background in technical theatre.  She serves as MTCA's Social Media Coordinator, managing engagement and content for the organization. Emmy also plays a key role in creating MTCA Main Stage Shows and leads the MTCA Technical Olympics, inspiring students to explore their creativity and love for theatre.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER 

ARTISTIC  MANAGER

Chase Thomas, an MTCA alumnus, is a Tony-nominated producer and 2021 Broadway Global Producer of the Year nominee. His credits include the Grammy and Tony-winning Jagged Little Pill and the Drama Desk and 5-time Tony-winning A Christmas Carol. In film and TV, Chase has worked as a VFX Production Coordinator on Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, HBO’s Raised By Wolves, and FX’s American Crime Story: Impeachment. He has also collaborated with Warner Bros., Disney, and Madison Square Garden.