Ron Cerabona

We Will Rock You. Book by Ben Elton. Music and lyrics by Queen. Directed by Elton. John Frost in association with Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and Tribeca Theatrical Productions. Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star, until June 26. ticketmaster.com.au or 1300795697. wewillrockyou.com.au.

Michelle Barr, who grew up in Canberra, is the dance captain and an ensemble member for the musical, We Will Rock You, which has just opened in Sydney.

The show, written and directed by British comedian Ben Elton, features a score made up of songs by rock band Queen, including We Are the Champions, Radio Ga Ga, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Another One Bites the Dust.

The cast includes Gareth Keegan (Jersey Boys) as Galileo, Erin Clare (Heathers, Phantom of the Opera) as Scaramouche. Uncanny X-Men lead singer Brian Mannix as Buddy, Casey Donovan (The Sapphires) as Killer Queen and Jaz Flowers (Hairspray ).

And Canberra's Barr will be providing strong support. Born in Wollongong, she came to the national capital with her family when she was eight and did her schooling here before moving to Sydney when she was 17. But her time in the ACT was crucial in her development as a performer.

"I started at dance school in Tuggeranong when I was nine, at Legs Dance, and then went to Helen Poulos Dance Academy in Queanbeyan ... and branched out into singing and dancing."

She studied various dance styles – including ballet, tap and jazz – and began acting in local productions, including Canberra Repertory Society's Old Time Music Hall.

Barr moved to Sydney when she was 17 when she got into the Brent Street School of Performing Arts.

"I'd had great training – it was a benefit from being able to study all those styles," she says of her time in Canberra working with teachers like Amy Fitzpatrick.

Barr graduated in 2002 from the one-year course at the age of 18. Her first professional stage role was a while in coming. "It took me a few years to crack it; it's a hard business to crack into without a few years of experience."

To support herself she worked in a coffee shop ("I hated it") and taught dancing and singing, sharing the skills she'd been taught and keeping her own fresh. But she never gave up on her dream of performing and says it was "absolutely incredible" when it happened. She was cast as an understudy and ensemble member in Fame the Musical in 2010 for the John Frost organisation.

"I was going on under pressure, that's what an understudy does."

Barr says that's where her skill set lies: in having the confidence, skill and versatility to learn a variety of parts and go on when and where she is needed. Regularly going into different roles has another advantage, particularly in a long run. "You don't get stale."

After that Barr went straight into the ill-fated production of Xanadu in Melbourne that closed after only seven weeks. She says it was a good, fun show that wasn't able to attract people to its unsuitable location in the Docklands.

Barr then worked for a year in Sydney in Legally Blonde before her career took a slightly different turn. While not giving up stage work – other credits include Heathers the Musical and High Society – she has also worked in television as an assistant choreographer on The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance and as a music and performance producer on Australia's Got Talent.

She has also performed at the grand opening of Studio City Macau Hotel and Casino where she opened the show for Mariah Carey, was a lead vocalist for The Lord Mayor's New Year's Eve Ball and has appeared on Woolworths Carols in the Domain, The Morning Show, Channel Ten's Don't Stop Believing launch and in various corporate events as well as working as a backing vocalist for artists such as Robbie Williams.

Being a dance captain in We Will Rock You enables her to make use of her talents as a teacher as well as a performer, making sure the choreography remains intact and well performed during the run of the musical.

"I saw the show 10 years ago ... I had a couple of friends in it," she says.

"I loved the music – you can't go wrong with Queen – I loved the rock element in it and I loved the story."

It's a science fiction tale set in the year 2350, when live music is banned on Earth, but the young people are in rebellion, fighting against a diet of synthesised pop.There are good guys and bad guys and romance.

She'll also be a swing ready to jump into several roles as needed and, while it might not sound like the most glamorous life, for a performer who waited years for her big break, and who is very happy to be working, it's a welcome and constant challenge.

"Musical theatre is where I'm most experienced and passionate," she says.