The Phantom of the Opera will be staged at the QEII Square venue from May 14 to 22 as part of a suite of shows designed to bring the building alive after last year's COVID shutdown.

They will be under a fresh cover with terracotta tiles on the 1964 theatre being subbed for a Colorbond roof.

Over recent weeks, scaffolding has encased the playhouse with Wodonga firm Connelly Construction undertaking the $715,000 project for the Albury Council.

The city last year opted for the roof upgrade after a motion to consider the demolition of the building was rejected by the council.

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The fresh lid is needed to halt leaks through the tiles and smoke vents which have caused water damage on numerous occasions.

The project is expected to be completed in time for a concert on April 17 that will raise funds for Albury-Wodonga's cancer centre featuring singer Rachael Beck.

The Phantom of the Opera season will be the product of the Albury Wodonga Theatre Company.

Craig Quilliam will play the ghost alongside Venetia Heath as Christine and Lachlan McIntyre as Raoul.

The show was set to be held last year before it was delayed by COVID.

Quilliam, who made his musical theatre debut in 2018 and grew up singing in a Baptist church, is thrilled to have the central role.

"I'm pretty excited about it, I want to do it justice, that's for sure, because it's such an iconic show," he said.

"You've really got to get involved in the character and your voice has got to be very malleable and bring out all the expression."

The disability support worker lives at Oxley and became friends with AWTCo president Joseph Thomsen after he sung at the Wangaratta Carols by Candlelight in 2017 which was being hosted by the then ABC radio announcer.

Heath has previously appeared in AWTCo productions of Mamma Mia and Cats, while McIntyre is a tenor who has been part of Christmas shows and was a scholar through Opera in the Alps held at Beechworth.

Phantom of the Opera will not be the second musical following the roof replacement, with Trinity Anglican College's production of Mary Poppins slated for April 26 to 28.

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