SYDNEY TO HOST WORLD PREMIERE OF STRICTLY BALLROOM MUSICAL

Sydney has beaten New York and London to the rights to host the world premiere of the stage musical of the iconic Australian film Strictly Ballroom.
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell this morning announced that the Lyric Theatre would host Strictly Ballroom – the Musical from September 2013.
“This is about bringing the best to Sydney,” Mr O’Farrell said.
Creator Baz Luhrmann said the decision to premiere Strictly Ballroom in Sydney was a natural one for a quintessentially Australian story with global appeal.
“It’s a simple show with a simple truth and a simple heart that seems to have grown and grown and now completes the circle of its journey, returning to the city where it all began, Sydney, as an all-singing all-dancing musical production,” Luhrmann said.
It is a story close to Luhrmann’s heart as he grew up in the world of competitive ballroom dancing.
It was originally devised in Sydney at National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) in 1986. The film starring Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice and Bill Hunter was produced in 1992 and subsquently lauded at the Cannes Film Festival.
Mr O’Farrell said pursuing major events was a priority in his strategy to rebuild the NSW economy. Events NSW estimates each internationally renowned musical can generate $20 million for the local economy over six months.
Strictly Ballroom is the latest addition to Sydney’s musical stage productions, with The Addams Family also due to premier in 2013 and Legally Blonde in 2012.