North American Premiere of Baz Luhrmann's STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL Begins 4/26

David Mirvish and Global Creatures in association with West Yorkshire Playhouse are delighted to present the North American Premiere of Baz Luhrmann's STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL in Toronto. Based on the beloved 1992 film that inspired the world to dance and that took the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival that year, STRICTLY BALLROOM begins performances Wednesday April 26 and plays through Sunday June 25 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Media night is Wednesday May 3 at 8PM.

STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL is the inspiring story of a championship ballroom dancer who defies all the rules to follow his heart. It features break-into-song numbers such as Love is in the Air, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After Time, as well as several wonderful new songs by internationally acclaimed artists including Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect.

This uplifting and courageous tale originated as a stage play that Baz Luhrmann devised with a group of students at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney, Australia, in 1984. The film was discovered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was the 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 also won three awards at the 1993 BAFTA awards, received a 1994 Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, and eventually went on to become one of the most successful Australian films of all time, earning more than $80 million at the box office.

Baz Luhrmann said: "From a small student play to my first motion picture and now a theatrical stage musical, Strictly Ballroom has been an almost thirty year journey for me. I have often marvelled at how this story, born so long ago, has been in my life for so many years and has managed to touch, move, entertain and uplift so many different people from so many different backgrounds.

"I think the simple truth is that, despite all the sequins, outrageous hairdos and classic Hollywood musical plotting, the simple message that 'there isn't only one way to cha cha cha' and that 'within us all we have the true potential to dance through life with our own steps', is something that appeals to all of us. The message that life doesn't have to be strictly ballroom is something I hope our audiences will carry with them as they dance down the aisles."

Sam Lips (Broadway: Pippin, Wicked) and Gemma Sutton (West End: The Go-Between, Gypsy, Legally Blonde) will star as the iconic lead roles of Scott & Fran. Also starring are: Tamsin Carrol, Richard Dempsey, Julius D'Silva, Charlotte Gooch, Richard Grieve, Liam Marcellino, Stephen Matthews, Fernando Mira, Eve Polycarpou, Lauren Stroud, Gary Watson, Jade Albertsen, Michelle Bishop, Zak Nemorin, Freya Rowley, Luke Jackson, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Javier Santos, Alexzandra Sarmiento, James Bennett, Selina Hamilton, George Hinson, Chris Bennett, Rebecca Lisewski, Lindsay McAllister, Dale White, Aiden Bushey, Megan Dunn, Evlyn O'Toole and Willem Sadler.

STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL is directed and choreographed by Olivier Award-winner Drew McOnie (In The Heights, Hairspray), based on the original Australian musical created by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Book is by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, adapted by Terry Johnson.

STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL had its world premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in April 2014, followed by seasons in Melbourne & Brisbane in 2015, and ended a UK run at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds in Jan 2017.

April 26 - June 25, 2017

Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. West, Toronto

Performance Schedule:

Tuesday - Saturday 8PM

Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 2PM

Tickets: $38 - $139

Available online at mirvish.com

By phone 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333

In-person at the theatre box office

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