It's a role that holds a special place in her heart, and led to a star-struck moment with one of her idols.

Landy was part of the cast of the national tour of Mamma Mia, stepping in as cover, or understudy, to the role of Donna during the production - the same role that saw Meryl Streep belt out Dancing Queen in the film adaptation of the musical.

"For lots of different reasons this show is so joyous to perform in," she said.

"Some shows are beautiful in different ways and affect me in different ways. Miss Saigon has beautiful music but such a sad story that does have an effect on me mentally, but at the end of Mamma Mia there's a massive mega-mix and everyone gets up to dance so you always leave the show in a great mood."

During Mamma Mia's national tour she fell pregnant, and it was during the show-ending mega mix of the ABBA classics the show is written around, that she first felt son Harrison, now 2, kick.

"All that happened on stage and it's something I'll never forget."

Her performance also led to a meeting with one of her idols Celine Dion, who was in the audience at one of the shows where Landy played Donna.

"It was just luck that I was playing Donna that day," she said.

"I didn't know in the first act that she was in the audience, but I did before the second act which has all the big songs and emotion.

"Of all the people in the world I'd be nervous to sing in front of, Celine Dion is probably the top of the list ... she's the best vocalist this century."

Dion met the cast backstage after the show and admitted that Landy's performance of Slipping Through My Fingers had moved her to tears. On learning Landy was the cover, not the regular performer, Dion commented: "You should be cloned".

Just getting back on the stage after COVID decimated the live performance industry is also a major milestone for Landy and for BLOC, who had originally planned to perform Mamma Mia last year.

Landy was performing in the ensemble of Billy Elliot at Melbourne's Regent Theatre when COVID forced the show's closure.

"We literally were given no notice. The producers bought us out in to the auditorium at the end of the Sunday show and said this was the last show ... and pretty much clear your desks out."

Work also dried up for her partner, opera singer Jason Wasley. The pair had talked about moving to Ballarat, where Wasley's family live, and decided there was no better time to move.

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The family moved and have since worked to build up a singing school Ballarat Vocal Studios in Soldiers Hill which will open on May 12 - the same day the curtain goes up for the opening night of Mamma Mia.

"We've been working from scratch building up the singing school, then to have this artistic outlet to do a show is wonderful," Landy said.

BLOC's production of Mamma Mia! The Musical features more than 40 local performers and musicians and is the first season of a production at Her Majesty's Theatre since COVID struck almost 15 months ago.

Mamma Mia! The Musical runs from May 12 to 23 at Her Majesty's Theatre.

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