Lawrence V. Fitz
Executive Director

As a music and performing arts educator for the last 13 years, Mr. Fitz has become a frequently called-upon music education specialist, performance clinician and event producer.  He carries a wealth of knowledge and experience having directed nationally and regionally acclaimed, award-winning choirs at both the high school and community levels.  As Executive & Artistic Director of the Celebration Entertainment Academy, Inc., he has served as liaison to the board of directors, managing director, costume and show designer, vocal arranger, and instructor of both a conducting and voice studio.  Students under Mr. Fitz’s instruction have gone on to featured roles in Broadway musicals and have entertained tens of thousands with careers in major theme parks and cruise lines, while myriad others are pursuing careers in music education, performance and composition.

Professor Fitz and his ensembles have performed at world-class venues across the United States and have appeared on ABC, NBC & PBS television programming.  His vocal and conducting work has garnered media coverage from the Los Angeles Times, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and the Diamond Bar Highlander newspapers.  Under his direction, the Celebration! Show Choir has been recognized by the Music Center of Los Angeles County as one of the most outstanding performance ensembles in its vast region.  This group also performed, by invitation, to a capacity audience at the prestigious American Choral Director’s Association Western Regional Conference in Salt Lake City in 2006. 

In addition to his duties with the Celebration Entertainment Academy, Professor Fitz is currently Director of Entertainment/Visual and Performing Arts Specialist for the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program; serves on the music department (voice) faculty at the California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, where he teaches undergraduate music courses and directs the University Concert Choir; is a Professional Expert of Music for the Rowland Unified School District; and is a consultant for the Anderson High School (Anderson, IN) vocal music department entertainment ensembles. 

Of his many activities, Mr. Fitz enjoys creating events to support and foster the art of vocal music performance.  To his credit, he has innovated four invitational events and two professional performance organizations to date.  In 1993, he founded and created the Tournament of Champions Show Choir Invitational and now, still under his leadership 16 years later, it is one of the most highly anticipated premier events in the California show choir circuit.  With his travels across the United States, Mr. Fitz regularly serves as a clinician and adjudicator for regional and national contests, competitions and festivals.  Professor Fitz has also designed and directed hugely successful show choir camps and music education retreats.  He regularly adjudicates singers for the California All-State Honor Choir. 

As highlights of this season, Mr. Fitz is once again slated to be a music adjudicator at the Showstoppers National Show Choir Invitational at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center and also at the Anderson HS “A-Town Showdown” in Indiana.  Mr. Fitz will conduct his premier ensemble in a nationally televised performance at the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration, to be broadcast live on Christmas Eve from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  He has also accepted an invitation to perform in a faculty voice recital at the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona to raise money for student scholarships.  Last season, he sang in a select men’s chorale with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and his Celebration! Show Choir was a featured ensemble at San Diego’s Copley Symphony Hall.  He also proudly served as a consultant during the 2007 Grammy Camp at Citrus College, which hosted famed musicians Earth, Wind & Fire, Fergie, Jimmy Jam, Dave Koz and Ricky Minor & His Orchestra.

As a scholarship student at each institution, Professor Fitz did graduate studies in Education at Pepperdine University and undergraduate studies in Music Education/Music Business and Business Management at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and the University of Phoenix respectively.  Mr. Fitz is a long-standing member of the American Choral Directors Association, the California Music Educators Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and the Southern California Vocal Association.  He is also listed in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” and Who’s Who in America.”

Patricia "Ms. Pat" Morris
Managing Director

Since the Celebration Entertainment Academy began in 1999, Mrs. Morris has been involved as Chief Financial Officer, Assistant to the Executive Director, Parent Coordinator, and a member of the board of directors.  She is now in her third year as Managing Director of the non-profit and also serves as an Instructional Coordinator for the East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program/Technical Center where she teaches courses in theatrical production to high school and adult students.

Mrs. Morris, or “Ms. Pat” as she is affectionately called by her students and boosters, has been involved in music and performing arts for most of her life.  As a seasoned performer, she carries a great deal of experience in both solo and ensemble vocal performance. She was formerly a professional singer with the group who formed the Grammy award-winning “A Taste of Honey” in the 1970s and has also recorded a professional album with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  As an undergraduate student, Ms. Pat earned numerous awards for her accomplishments as a performer having studied voice with renowned educator Gladys Jackson, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music.

In addition to her regular responsibilities in working as a performing arts ambassador in the surrounding communities, Mrs. Morris works diligently with the students of the Entertainment Academy to ensure maximization of their performing arts training by assisting them in   receiving transfer credits for their high school transcripts and the University of California.
 

Jennifer Dunigan
Associate Director

Jennifer Dunigan is a faculty member at the Fairgrove Academy of the Arts in La Puente, CA.  She is currently the Associate Director for the Celebration Entertainment Academy and formerly the Co-Director of its women’s ensemble, Fascination! She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music (vocal performance) from Cal Poly Pomona University and a Master of Arts degree in Education (special education) from Azusa Pacific University. An award-winning soloist, Ms. Dunigan constantly performs for hire at numerous events across the Southland. She works as a resource specialist for the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District and is an officer on the Celebration Entertainment Academy, Inc. board of directors. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys going to the movies, shopping and hanging out with friends. She is pleased to be adjudicating tonight’s event at the 13th Annual Tournament of Champions, which she helped to create in 1993.
 

Kye Brackett
Choreographer

Kevyn “Kye” Brackett currently resides in Los Angeles and is often referred to as God’s Dancing Joy.

A quality evidenced by his roles in Broadway and L.A. productions of Sophisticated Ladies, Dreamgirls, Five Guys Named Moe (for which he garnered an N.A.A.C.P. Image Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor) and Rent. He was also asked to give a command performance for the Queen of England in the critically acclaimed theatrical event called Hey, Mr. Producer. His favorite roles were as “Richard” on televisions FULL HOUSE, and as a back-up singer for Barry Manilow. His relationship with Manilow gave rise to him becoming choreographer and staging director for his “Here At The Mayflower” tour as well as for “Could It Be Magic” the world premiere musical for which Kye received a Jeff Award nomination for Best Choreography.

Currently performing self-written motivational concerts that are performed as a one man show, Kye integrates his talents as entertainer and teacher to fulfill his life’s mission as an artist: to unite the community of individuals who choose to create trust and passionate expressions of life as an expanding collective.