Actor Geoffrey Rush, seen here at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, will take on the role of Man in Chair for the Australian premiere of The Drowsy Chaperone. (Carlo Allegri/Associated Press)

Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush has been tapped to star as the Man in Chair for the Australian premiere of The Drowsy Chaperone, the Canadian musical that took Broadway by storm in 2006.

Rush, who captured an Academy Award for 1996's Shine, says he was enchanted by a recording of the musical which he was listening to while in the makeup chair preparing for his Tony-winning Broadway role in 2008's Exit the King. He immediately contacted the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) about mounting the musical.

The 58-year-old performer soon found out that the MTC had already optioned the rights.

Rush praised its "comic brilliance" in an interview with the Globe and Mail and called it "one of the most exciting projects" he's ever been involved with.

The Drowsy Chaperone nabbed five Tonys in 2006 including best book of a musical for Don McKellar and Bob Martin, who originated the Man in Chair role. As well, co-creators Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison captured the prize for best original score written for the theatre.

The show originated in 1998 with several Toronto performers creating a 1920s-style musical for a stag before the wedding of their theatre friends Bob Martin and Janet Van De Graaff.

Eventually, Martin joined the cast as Van De Graaff produced a revamped version for the Toronto Fringe Festival. And from there, it spawned a hit that's been mounted all over the world.

In the play, the Man in Chair is a lonely musical theatre enthusiast and as the role implies, spends most of his time in a chair — good thing for Rush who apparently doesn't sing.

Man in Chair is reminiscing over his favourite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. As he plays the album and begins to tell the story of the show, it comes to life in his apartment.