Vanessa Cronin
CurrentSTRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL is the inspiring story of a championship ballroom dancer who defies all the rules to follow his heart.This brand new musical production is now playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne and has audiences dancing in the aisles in a kaleidoscope of colour and fun.This uplifting and courageous tale originated as a stage play that Baz Luhrmann devised with a group of other students at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1984, before dancing into the hearts of audiences worldwide as the award winning feature film.Following the first performances of this student work, Baz Luhrmann was invited to re-stage the play for the Czechoslovakian World Youth Drama Festival in Bratislava in 1986 where it won best production and Luhrmann best director. Then, after a preview season at the Brisbane Expo in 1988, the play opened at the Wharf Studios in Sydney. Strictly Ballroom went on to become one of the most successful Australian films of all time, earning more than $80 million at the box office. Discovered at the Cannes Film Festival, it was winner of the Prix de Jeunnesse and runner up for the Palme D’Or.When released in Australia, Strictly Ballroom swept the field at the 1992 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards®, gaining 13 nominations and winning in eight major categories. It was also a major success at the 1993 BAFTA® awards, where it garnered eight nominations and won three awards for Best Costume Design, Best Original Film Score and Best Production Design. Other accolades included a 1994 Golden Globe® nomination for Best Picture, Newcomer of the Year at the 1993 London Critics Circle Film Awards, the People’s Choice at the 1992 Toronto International Film Festival and Most Popular Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival. With the success of the film, its closing song, a remake of the John Paul Young song Love is in the Air, re-entered the Australian charts and became a Top 5 hit in October 1992.