"We're the John West of major events," he said. "What we reject, Sydney gets."

The minister refused to divulge how much the government paid to bring the production to Australian shores. However, he assured taxpayers the government was getting value for money.

"I am absolutely confident that we will get multiple times what we're investing back," he said. "Theatregoers are one of the highest-yielding [tourists] we have.  These shows are designed to attract interstate and international visitors and that's where the money is."

The Comedy Theatre's owner, Jason Marriner, said the building will be fully renovated by the time audiences sit down to watch Come From Away.

The venue's notorious chairs will be replaced with ergonomic replicas. A modern air-conditioning system will also be installed. The venue's capacity - around 1000 people - will remain unchanged.

"When it comes to the chairs, we've had a good run," Mr Marriner said. "But we knew it was time to look at a 21st century option. Audiences will be comfortable hopefully into the next century. If we do our job well, it'll be the same but better."

Loading

Mr Rigby said he believes the show will resonate with local audiences because it is about the universal values of "kindness and humanity".

"Audiences will relate the characters in this story because acts of kindness are important in our daily lives," he said.

But is it appropriate to have a musical that deals with the aftermath of 9/11 in a venue called the Comedy Theatre?

"It's surprising, because it's a very funny show," he said. "This is not a dark show. It's an inspirational show."