THE word "Glasgow" has been belted out in more than 170 cities around the globe since the curtain rose on Mamma Mia! 10 years ago.

Everywhere from Albuquerque to Antwerp, Osaka to Ottawa has played host to the musical phenomenon based on the songs of Abba.

Yet tonight, for the first time, those immortal lyrics to Super Trouper - "When I called you last night from Glasgow" - will ring out at the premiere of the biggest touring musical the city has witnessed.

The record-breaking show opens at the 3000-seater Clyde Auditorium tonight for a four-week-long run of 32 shows.

Ticket sales are buoyant with around 80% of the 96,000 briefs snapped up since the run was announced exclusively last April in the Evening Times. Nine lorries carrying more than 18 tonnes of lighting and sound equipment, over 200 costumes and a multitude of props rolled into the SECC on Sunday afternoon, ahead of tonight's curtain-raiser.

It takes the 19 touring technical staff and 14 freelancers around 48 hours to transform a series of crates, trunks and rigs into a Greek island set that makes up the production.

Despite having hosted productions by Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake and Take That, the scale of Mamma Mia! has taken even SECC staff by surprise.

"This is huge - Mamma Mia! is the biggest thing we've done in the Armadillo by a long way," says SECC technical manager Tony Edwards.

The venue's technical team had to remove the front row to build an orchestra pit, get a blacksmith to create additional lighting bars and asked the original building engineer to ensure the roof would support the extra loading.

Tony says: "It's going to be an impressive show - big and flashy with a lot of changes."

As the pieces of the impressive jigsaw set are fitted together, backstage is a hive of activity.

The three wardrobe staff and two local assistants assemble, order and press the brightly coloured costumes.

Crates are unloaded from lorries, some containing costumes, others sewing accoutrements and even a microwave oven.

Bags line the dressing room floors, labelled with each character's name, while costumes are ironed and hung up on rails and flapping soles re-glued to the ubiquitous platform shoes.

Edinburgh-based head of wardrobe Annemarie Taylor has been with the European tour since it began four years ago and is in charge of hundreds of costumes, repairs and laundry visits. It takes some 33 staff to unload the hundreds of crates and transform the venue into a set Mandy Wheeler is the European tour manager A Waterloo boat prop

"Every cast member has about four costumes each and each of the understudies have their own set of costumes," she says.

One prop sure to be of interest is the bagpipes - made by Bath Street-based Begg Bagpipes - which have toured all over the world.

The 30-strong cast and nine band members began their rehearsals in Glasgow this morning, running through the 22 classic Abba tunes by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus in the show.

Among them is Larbert-born, former Knightswood Secondary dance student Haley Flaherty in the leading role of Sophie Sheridan, who has previously played Sandy in Grease and Roxy in Chicago.

The plot follows the pre-wedding jitters of Sophie, who, unbeknown to her mum Donna, has invited three men who she believes could be her father to her wedding.

With 10 productions currently around the globe, European tour manager Mandy Wheeler is charged with carrying the Mamma Mia! baton.

"There's 58 of us on the road, so we've got a whole family unit," says Mandy, who has overseen runs in Bristol, Lithuania, Denmark and Belfast in recent months.

"It's brilliant fun. You can't help but feel happy when you're on a show like this.

"The audience feed back to us instantly and it's joy. They're dancing in the aisles and you are upbeat the whole time!"

The arrival of Mamma Mia! opens the most theatrical chapter in the history of the SECC, with the National Theatre of Scotland's hugely acclaimed production of Black Watch coming to the Finnieston venue next week.

"It's very exciting," said Katie McCorkindale, account manager of the SECC. "This is the first time we've had a musical and, because of that, we've had a lot of interest from producers of other musicals."

Mamma Mia! fever has gripped the venue with a themed menu in the cafe, plus a specially opened Firths Bar selling 1/4 bottles of Laurent-Perrier champagne for £7.50 a pop - complete with straw for the large amount of females expected to attend the show.

It's pocket change in the grander Mamma Mia! picture, which has grossed more than £1billion thanks to its use of timeless karaoke favourites such as Waterloo, Take A Chance on Me, Chiquitita, Voulez-Vouz, I Have A Dream and Dancing Queen.

And those ceiling supports of the Armadillo had better be up to that opening verse of Super Trouper.

"I think the audience will note that Glasgow connection and remark on it," says tour manager Mandy.

"The finale is for the audience, that's their time to give back what we've given them.

"I've played many shows here and I know that the Glasgow audience is brilliantly warm, so we expect the same this time." Mamma Mia! is at the Clyde Auditorium from today until April 27th.

Tickets £15-£39.50 from 0870 272 4444. Performances Tuesdays to Sundays at 7.30pm, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2.30pm.