Producer Dean Murphy said the cast had yesterday moved into the classical-style theatre which has undergone a complete transformation including construction of an extended and reinforced stage to carry a weighty set that is computerised and revolves to reveal scenes reflecting Yackandandah.

Mr Murphy said the new production was much more than a simple recreation of the original movie.

“I believe it is very much on a par with the major musicals,” he said.

“The music is fantastic and I think the stage production is a lot funnier than the film.

“The humour increases with the song and dance involved.

“This Albury show will cost $2 million alone. It is a massive undertaking but I think the show has turned out great.

“A lot of people still don’t quite understand that the show is a live performance with cast and orchestra and I think they will be surprised by its scale.”

Mr Murphy said space in the main theatre was at a premium, and with no dressing rooms, three shipping containers and nine site huts in the car park will serve the needs of the cast.

“Pretty much every part of the theatre is taken up with equipment and lighting and that is why we have had to extend the stage into the auditorium,” he said.

“There is more than $1 million worth of lighting and close to that amount in sound equipment because all the cast will be fitted with invisible radio mikes.”

Mr Murphy said the theatre would accommodate a cast, an orchestra and crew totalling 60 people.

The orchestra arrives on Monday and has been drawn from among musicians in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, handpicked by musical director Kellie Dickerson and composer and songwriter John Foreman.

During the performances, the orchestra is on a platform accessed via a staircase and visible to the audience.

“The crew has been working around the clock with the bump-in. There were 45 of them the other day on site and probably between 80 and 100 people have been involved in the bump-in and bump-out,” Mr Murphy said.

He said for the cast and crew who have arrived on the Border to join their locally based counterparts, Albury was proving beyond many expectations.

“Many didn’t know what to expect but have been amazed by how incredible the theatre is,” he said.

“Some have never been to Albury before and didn’t know what they would find, so it’s been different for them, a bit like going on camp.

“It’s been great seeing the Albury cast and the Melbourne cast blend together and a lot of the Melbourne cast have taken them under their wing.

“John (Wood) and Peter (Cousens) sing so well together and Melissa Langton is worshipped in the musical theatre world, she is an incredible singer.

“One of the Albury cast came to me after one of her rehearsals and said ‘that’s as good as it gets, a perfect performance’.”