Frances Garcia Hoffman
Executive Director and Founder
Teaching Artist
Ms. Garcia Hoffman, an award-winning singer and performer with more than 25 years of stage experience, is focusing her passion for sharing music and the performing arts on the East Side. She is currently on the Performing Artist Roster for 4Culture and has served as a 4Culture Grant Panelist. She holds a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University and is currently an instructor of voice and acting in Sammamish, WA. She is the Director, Producer, and Performer of various Spotlight musical programs.
Ms. Garcia Hoffman is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Drama Logue Critics Award, recognition as a Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Regional Competition, and the Sammamish Sammi Award for Outstanding Artistic Support of the City for creating and running a successful annual local Teen Talent Show for several years.
As a professional, Ms. Garcia Hoffman has performed in leading roles and as a soloist in opera, musical theater, and oratorios with companies large and small across the country, including Santa Fe Opera, LA Opera, Sundance Theater, and Orlando Opera. Her greatest passion is sharing the joy of theater and music in its many forms, and she is honored to work alongside the gifted and talented members of her community.
A performance video of Ms. Garcia Hoffman is available here.
Marika Galvin
Artistic Director, Teaching Artist
Marika Galvin is the Artistic Director of Spotlight Repertory NW. She has been involved with Spotlight since 2018 and has served as a teaching artist since 2019. Prior to Spotlight, Marika performed in numerous musical theater productions, served as a music director for children’s theater, sang with UC Davis’ University Chorus, and later taught Kindermusik classes for several years, strengthening her foundation in music education and early childhood instruction.
At Spotlight, she has played an integral role in the development and execution of Spotlight’s programs and productions. She has performed with multiple ensembles, including the Encore Women’s Show Choir and the Spotlight Concert Choir, and has appeared in select performances with the Rising Stars and Shining Stars programs. As Artistic Director, she plays a key leadership role in production planning, repertoire selection, and performer development, helping to shape Spotlight Repertory NW’s artistic vision while fostering a supportive, inclusive environment for artists at every stage of their growth.
Jeffrey Moidel
Choral Director, Spotlight Concert Choir
Jeffrey Moidel, conductor, pianist, composer, and vocal coach, serves as Choir Director of the Spotlight Concert Choir. A graduate of the Mannes College of Music in New York City, he has taught and coached for Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program, the Aspen Music Festival, the Vocal Institute at UC Santa Barbara, and The Peter Harrower Opera Program at Georgia State University, among other institutions and festivals.
Mr. Moidel served for many years as an Assistant Professor at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and held leadership roles as Assistant Music Director and Chorus Master for both Tacoma Opera and Skagit Opera. His work as a composer has received national recognition, with The New York Times noting that his music “waxes nostalgic without false sentimentality.”
Denine Monet
Teaching Artist, Spotlight Jazz Vocals
Denine Monet is a multi-style singer and instructor in the Seattle area with over 25 years of teaching experience, originally based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She offers vocal technique, songwriting, arranging, music theory, and performance coaching for all ages. Trained in Kindermusik and vocal instruction, she has also coached adult vocal groups, middle school musical productions, and co-produced the Sammamish Teen Talent Show for several years.
Her musical compositions include scoring Alice and Alice and the Looking Glass for Renaissance School and Bobby’s World of Adventure for Bellevue Youth Theatre. She has performed on live radio, in studio settings, and at multi-regional venues as a jazz vocalist.
Her joy in performing and teaching jazz standards extends to sharing the art of improvisation as a scat singer. Her vocal jazz album Lady Bird appeared on the Gavin Jazz Chart Top 50 and was included on the Grammy pre-nomination list. She is thrilled to be involved in Spotlight’s high-quality educational offerings for the community.
Thomas Pierson
Teaching Artist, Middle School Improv
Thomas Pierson brings years of stage and classroom experience, inspiring students to dive into acting, singing, and dancing. His specialties include improv comedy, stage combat and choreography, and introducing performers to the fundamentals through Acting 101.
Thomas’ mission is simple: to help the next generation of artists find their voice, step out of their comfort zone, and shine on stage. Because with the right guidance, everyone is a star ready to soar!
Eilish Rhoades
Teaching Artist, Dance for Musical Theater
Eilish Rhoades is a Seattle-based actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and teaching artist. With just under 10 years of teaching experience, Eilish strives to inspire students to engage in theatre and performing arts as well as find joy in expressing themselves on stage. She focuses on helping students build their dance and movement vocabulary while fostering a love of musical theatre.
Eilish has performed with many theatre groups around the Seattle area including Second Story Rep and Sky Performing Arts. Her favorite roles include Jo March in Little Women, Diana in A Chorus Line and Christine in Be More Chill. You may have seen Eilish most recently on the Spotlight Rep NW stage playing Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee where she also served as Dance Captain. She cannot wait to bring Musical Theatre Dance Classes to Spotlight Rep!
Jeff Messman
Piano Accompanist
Jeff Messman plays classical and jazz piano. He accompanies student and professional singers and instrumentalists and composes sacred and secular music. His degree is in piano performance, but his most valuable training has taken place on the bandstand. Jeff has played professionally for nearly 20 years. He works and lives in the Seattle area.