BWW Previews: Kristin Hanggi Comes to Musical Monday with ROCK OF AGES

Musical Theater Heritage announced this week that Tony Award nominated director Kristin Hanggi will participate in the April Musical Monday series. Another special feature of the series is the addition of a second night's performance. The production will run on Monday April 14 and Tuesday April 15, with both shows beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Hanggi is best known for directing and developing Rock of Ages, the smash-hit that received five Tony Award nominations including Best Direction of a Musical for Hanggi. She directed the show on Broadway, London's West End, Toronto, Australia, Las Vegas, and two National Tours. The April edition of Musical Monday will feature songs from Rock of Ages.

A graduate from USC, she received her Bachelor's Degree in Theater from UCLA which bestowed upon her the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Distinguished Alumini Award. She received the Ovation Award for Best Musical, L.A. Weekly Award for Best Musical and Robby Award for Best Director for the production of the pop opera Bare.

Tuesday April 15, Hanggi will conduct an auditioning for the Musical Theatre Masterclass from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The auditions will be limited to the first 12 registrants. The registration fee is $100 and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. Participants will be asked to prepare two 16 bar cuts of music and to bring their complete book to the Masterclass. To reserve a spot or for additional information contact the Musical Theatre Heritage office at 816-221-6987.

"We're very proud of Musical Mondays and how they've continued to grow over the years. We started in 2009 with four soloists and a piano and it has grown into one of the hottest (and most difficult attain) tickets in Kansas City. Every Musical Monday since 2011 has been completely sold out. We wanted to experiment with adding a second show to give more patrons an opportunity to see what it's all about and hopefully grow our overall audience." Managing Director Chad Gerlt said when asked about extending the April performance to two nights.

Musical Theater Heritage continues its initiative to integrate Broadway talent and perspective into their programming. Musical Monday director Tim Scott said, "We think it provides an incredible opportunity for Kansas City to gain an inside look and firsthand account of what goes into creating a Broadway Musical right from the source. We felt we had a chance to offer something unique that no one else in Kansas City was currently doing."

Musical Monday features a lottery system that gives anyone a chance to perform one song during the evening's show. Emerging artist have the opportunity to display their talents with professional musicians and a live audience. Tim Scott produces, programs, and directs Musical Monday with Musical Direction from Jeremy Watson.

For additional information on the lottery system or upcoming shows, visit the Musical Theater Heritage website. Purchase tickets at the website or by calling the box office at 816-545-6000. Photo of Kristin Hanggi by Brian Bedder/Getty Images provided by Musical Theater Heritage.