Kristin Hanggi is a renowned director and developer of international smash-hit musicals, with her most notable work being the jukebox musical Rock of Ages. In 2009, her production received five Tony Award nominations, including a nomination for Best Direction of a Musical.
Ms. Hanggi has directed productions on Broadway, the West End, Australia, Toronto, Las Vegas, and two National Tours. Her feature directorial debut was with the film Grantham & Rose, starring Jake T. Austin and Marla Gibbs. She followed this up with Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, an adaptation of Rachel Kohn & David Levithan's novel of the same name, starring Victoria Justice.
For television, Ms. Hanggi adapted and directed the hit book series Dear Dumb Diary into a musical movie, under Executive Producer Jerry Zucker for Walden Media. Her other stage productions include the acclaimed pop opera bare, which ran to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles and off-Broadway.
Bare brought Ms. Hanggi numerous accolades, including the Ovation Award for Best Musical, LA Weekly Award for Best Musical, and the Robby Award for Best Director. She also directed the initial production that launched the Pussycat Dolls, Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy, featuring stars such as Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra, and special guests Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Murphy, Nikka Costa, and Academy Award winner Charlize Theron.
Other stage productions directed by Ms. Hanggi include And the Curtain Rises at the Signature Theater; the winner of the New York's Fringe Festival, Catch The Fish; Twelfth Premise (LA Times Critics Pick); the Los Angeles Premiere of Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi (Ticketholder Award, Best Production; Ticketholder Award, Best Director; Robby Award, Best Director of a Play); Crane, Mississippi (LA Times Critic's Choice, Backstage West Critic's Pick).
Ms. Hanggi is currently working alongside Amy Heckerling to develop Ms. Heckerling's hit 1995 film Clueless into a musical for the stage. She graduated with her Master's from USC after receiving her Bachelor's from UCLA in Theater. In June of 2013, Kristin returned to her alma mater when she received the UCLA School of Theater, Film, & Television Distinguished Alumni Award.
