Baz Luhrmann’s much-loved hit show Strictly Ballroom the Musical will open in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre in January 2015, with Greek Australian Phoebe Panaretos playing the leading lady Fran.

But it’s not only Phoebe who is leading the Greek surge in this musical; Sophia Katos will play Liz Holt, the role made famous in the movie by fellow Greek Australian actress Gia Carides.

This new production is staged by the original creative team behind the classic 1992 film, including director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann, set and costume designer Catherine Martin, choreographer John ‘Cha Cha’ O’Connell and co-writer Craig Pearce.

“We are pretty excited that there are two Greek girls in the lead, and for me, I am playing the role Gia Carides made famous, so that’s a real privilege for me.”

But what’s it like for Sophia to tackle such a performance?” Sophia Katos told Neos Kosmos.

“She really nailed it, didn’t she?” says Sophia, who confesses she’s been practising her screaming as Gia did in the larger than life role. However, she says that Baz is asking of his cast to not only honour the roles, but bring themselves to the fore as well.

“Baz gives you the freedom to not feel like you have to copy anything,” Sophia explains. “Obviously it has to be those characters and that’s what the audiences love and what I love, but he’s cast it so our natural energies are where they have to be.”

Strictly Ballroom the Musical is the inspiring story of a championship ballroom dancer who defies all the rules to follow his heart. 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 (NIDA) back in 1984.

“From a small student play to my first motion picture and now a full-blown 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 to have our audiences carry with them as they dance down the aisles,” said director Baz Luhrmann.

Tickets for Strictly Ballroom the Musical will go on sale on Monday 21st July from www.ticketek.com.au