A lavish and light-hearted look into the world of ballroom dancing will soon turn heads in Albury.
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Strictly Ballroom The Musical - with a dazzling Border cast - will open at Albury Entertainment Centre on Friday, April 12.
It will offer a glimpse of the people who live for dance, their obsessions, sacrifices and talents.
Revolution Theatre Productions will present its adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's 1984 play and 1992 film at Albury Entertainment Centre from April 12 to 20.
Having recently moved to the Border from Canberra, Garrett Kelly makes his Albury stage debut as Scott Hastings opposite Jacqui McMahon as Fran.
Strictly Ballroom The Musical director and vocal director Norman Johnson-Meader said he was amazed by the work done by all of the actors.
He said the audience would feel the excitement of a growing connection between Scott and Fran while the energy between Scott's parents was also palpable.
"Our cast has been very capable of telling the narrative, injecting it with humour and also achieving a sense of poignancy and darkness," he said.
"It's a very poignant story."
As a story of love and conflict of two young people fighting for artistic freedom against a repressive regime, Johnson-Meader said the show had broad appeal.
He said Kelly was a great singer, dancer and actor who would be a wonderful asset to the Border theatrical community.
"Jacqui has been dancing since she was four and her characterisation of Fran is very sensitive; and she also discovered she has a great singing voice," Johnson-Meader said.
Johnson-Meader, who also plays clueless compere JJ Silvers, said the dancing was wonderful across the board.
He said a dance between Georgia Robertson (Kylie) and Nate Howard (Luke) in Act II was a particular highlight.
The costumes would also be stellar.
"You know when you open a tin of Quality Street chocolates; the ballroom gowns are absolutely outrageous in pinks and purples and blues," he said.
The stage show features songs from the 1992 hit film including Love is in the Air, Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps and Time After Time, as well as new songs from acclaimed artists and composers such as Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect.
Johnson-Meader said a brilliant network of Revolution Theatre Productions committee members and volunteers had also helped to deliver an epic season.
"We wanted to pay homage to that expressionist style of production of Baz Luhrmann, which is more easily done on film, but when you take it to the stage it can be quite challenging," Johnson-Meader said.
Revolution Theatre Productions is the fundraising arm of Albury Wodonga Community Chest where 50 per cent of the profits are put back into the community.
The three-hour (with an interval) family-friendly Strictly Ballroom The Musical runs at Albury Entertainment Centre on Friday, April 12, 7.30pm, Saturday, April 13, 2pm and 7.30pm, Sunday, April 14, 2pm, Thursday, April 18, 7.30pm, Friday, April 19, 7.30pm, Saturday, April 20, 2pm and 7.30pm.
