Strictly Gershwin — Queensland Ballet

Overview

Their contributions to music — to stage and screen, too — are filled with tunes that virtually demand a call for an encore. For its production based on George and Ira Gershwin's songs, Queensland Ballet is now doing exactly that. After proving a soldout hit in 2016, Strictly Gershwin is bringing its tribute to Hollywood musicals and the Gershwin brothers' show-stopping tracks back to QPAC, taking over the Lyric Theatre from Thursday, September 28–Saturday, October 7.

Expect not just ballet, but also tap, jazz and ballroom — and expect to feel like you're being whisked off to both Broadway and Tinseltown a century ago as well. Created by British dancer, choreographer and director Derek Deane for the English National Ballet in 2008, Strictly Gershwin pairs multiple styles of dance with iconic tunes. Strike up the band indeed.

Whether or not you saw An American in Paris when the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical was in Brisbane in 2022, the fact that Strictly Gershwin ends its shows with a nod in that direction is a massive highlight.

So, expect 'I Got Rhythm' and ''S Wonderful' among the glitzy production's big numbers, obviously — and everything from 'Rhapsody in Blue' and 'Shall We Dance?' to 'Summertime' and 'Someone to Watch Over Me'.