The Oamaru Opera House is not here to invisibly open and blend into the background - it is here to make a statement, says Richard McWha.
Boundaries have been pushed during the redevelopment and restoration and there has been some "pretty funky stuff happening".
While it had been done to reflect the past, it was also pointed towards the future. "We're not doing predictable," Mr McWha said.
For example, the InkBox theatrette was painted purple and the retractable seating included orange, pink and yellow coverings.
The end result of the ambitious and, at times, controversial project, was something that would surpass anything people ever thought the community would end up with, Mr McWha believed.
While a simple paint job would have left a nice looking building, it would not have been functional, would not have brought in people and would have ended up a white elephant, he said.
The money had been spent appropriately in terms of looking to the future and having a building that would last.
It was not a museum and it was not a "crusty old building", nor was it solely an opera house.
It was now more than an opera house - it was a venue and a community town hall and a place for people to gather.
As the finishing touches were made, prior to the start of the opening festival next Friday, the building was a very different place to the one Mr McWha saw when he started work a year ago.
While he was amazed at the sheer size of the auxiliary rooms and the beauty and intimacy of the theatre itself, he had "never seen a sadder theatre that had been so disgracefully let go".
With a background in theatre, as a dancer, actor, director, floor manager and production manager, Mr McWha enjoyed a good challenge.
The position of director was attractive to him, because it was such an unusual project and the opera house was "such an incredible asset".
He had seen the advertisement for the new position in the newspaper and was inspired.
It was written in a very colourful way - "rather than the usual council advert" - and it showed the [Waitaki district] council was passionate about the project.
Mr McWha was never daunted by the scale of the project, but laughed that he was daunted by the fact everyone thought he should be.
He was constantly reminded it was controversial.
While the project had its critics, there were a number of people who while against it at the beginning, now approved of the redevelopment, having looked around the building.
The project had gone ahead at just the right time. "If it had been delayed 12 months, we would have been stuffed," he said.
The past year has been a busy one for Mr McWha who had been developing bookings - conferences and shows booked well in advance - doing promotion work, developing networks and getting more involved with the restoration project and fit-out to ensure it met the needs of potential clients.
At times, it had been frustrating when he "desperately" wanted to open and start doing what the opera house should be doing.
He had also been busy organising the events for the opening festival which runs from February 20 to March 1.
Personally, he was particularly looking forward to Confessions of a Pop Tart, featuring the Funky Hot Mamas - a group he "absolutely loves".
That show was going to be "a bit risque, a bit out there" and should "shake up Oamaru a little bit".
He was also looking forward to the gala showcase, which will follow the Encore banquet next Saturday night.
Mr McWha stressed the opening was not an arts festival, rather it was a community festival which "should have something for everybody".
The aim was to get people back in the building and "give a little taste of everything" and show how the building could be used.
Hopefully, people would think: "Wow, this is a pretty cool place to be".
Some of the events were free, including the Great Community Debate on Monday, February 23, featuring Act New Zealand leader Rodney Hide, Labour MP Lianne Dalziel, Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt, Waitaki district councillor Jim Hopkins and Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin.
Advance bookings for the opera house had exceeded expectations.
Bookings in March included the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Southern Opera, Fortune Theatre and a Hannah Montana-Miley Cyrus tribute show.
The second-tier touring network was "really taking off" with smaller groups, stand-up comics and tribute shows.
Now the community had a facility that was "really special", Mr McWha's hope was that people would use it.
For Waitaki MP and former Waitaki deputy mayor Jacqui Dean, the blessing at 6am on Friday - marking the start of the opening festival - will be the "crucial" part of the celebrations and a very special and proud moment.
She was one of the main instigators of the redevelopment project, during her time on the district council.
Despite early, and well-founded misgivings, about cost and benefits, the community had "really come on board" with the project and she hoped people could now see how it would provide "huge benefits" for both locals and visitors.
There had been interest shown in the project from around New Zealand.
"I've got other members of Parliament saying: `How's that Opera House going, what does it look like?", she said.
Mrs Dean's only concern was that shows would remain affordable for local people and that had been one of the initial considerations when the project was first discussed.
Although it needed to be brought into the 21st century, at the same time what was good about the opera house needed to be retained.
Most Oamaru people had an involvement with the building - whether they had tapdanced across the stage, sung in a school choir or been part of the Operatic Society.
"We must retain that so that community groups can afford to use the facility, people can still afford to go to shows," she said.
•1907 official debut date
Originally named the Oamaru Municipal Town Hall and Opera House, Oamaru's Opera house was officially opened on October 7, 1907.
Designed for the Oamaru Borough Council by architect John Megget Forrester, the tender to build the two-storey Oamaru stone building was awarded to building contractor Henry Winsley and Sons for a final cost of 10,600.
The hall was opened for public inspection with official photographs outside the main entrance.
That was followed by a luncheon at the Star and Garter Hotel, with an hour and a-half of speeches and a concert at night.
•What the Opera House now comprises.
The Auditorium: Edwardian proscenium arch lyric theatre seating 500.
The Grand Foyer: Serves as both the entrance vestibule to the Opera House and a lounge bar.
The InkBox: Theatrette with retractable seating for 148, ideal for small trade-show exhibitions, dinners, cocktail functions and gallery space.
The Board Room: Appointed with a board table and 16 executive chairs, ideal for smaller meetings, business consultation and interviewing.
The Chambers: Civic desks arranged in a semicircle around the mayoral desk, ideal for chaired formal meetings, small ceremonies and cocktail events.
The Footlights Stage: When hired independently from the auditorium, the stage becomes a black-box workshop space.
The Empire Room: A function room ideal for wedding receptions, conference activities and banquets.
