The Story

The Phantom Of The Opera, by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Prologue

There is an auction in progress. Vicomte Raoul de Chagny is present, and bids for a number of items, including a musical box in the shape of a barrel organ. He is about seventy years of age and is in a wheelchair. With the showing of lot 666, "a chandelier in pieces" the auctioneer exclaims "perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination, gentlemen?" and the magnificent chandelier rises, as we go back in time.

Act 1

We are now in the middle of a rehearsal for 'Hannibal'. The retiring manager, is showing the new managers, Messieurs André and Firmin, round the opera house in Paris. M. Firmin asks Carlotta Guidicelli, the leading soprano, to sing Think of Me, an aria from Hannibal, which she proceeds to do, but is interrupted by a piece of falling scenery, which almosts lands on top of her. The chorus and ballet girls are frightened and think that it is 'the phantom of the opera'. At this point Carlotta flounces off, ordering Ubaldo Piangi, the leading tenor, to fetch her furs. As there is no understudy, Meg Giry, a ballet and chorus member, suggests that her friend, Christine Daaé, sing the part. After a little reluctance, the new managers agree, and Christine sings in that evenings performance and is a huge success. During the performance, the managers patron, Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, is watching, and recognises Christine as an old playfellow from childhood.

After the performance, Meg asks Christine who her new tutor was, to which Christine replied that "father once spoke of an angel" whom he promised to send to her when he was in heaven, which he now is. She also says "here in this room he calls me softly". Meg, who is confused, tells Christine that "I hear your voice in the darkness... but the words aren't yours!"

Madame Giry, Meg's mother, who is also the ballet mistress, intervenes and tells Meg to go and practise. She tells Christine that "he will be pleased", and gives her a note from Raoul. Raoul shows up at Christine's dressing room, and commands that she change so they can go out to recall old times, but Christine refuses, "no Raoul, the angel of music is very strict". Raoul ignores her refusals and leaves to fetch his coat. While he is gone, Christine hears her angel of music and she asks to see him "enter at last master". The angel of music, who is also the phantom that everyone is scared of, shows himself and entices Christine down to his secret lair, where he sings Music of the Night to her.

In the morning, when Christine awakes, she recalls the evening's events and walks over to the phantom, who is at an organ composing. She sings "who was that shape in the shadows, whose is that face in the mask?" and then tears his mask away. He suddenly rounds on her, "damn you, you little prying pandora, you little demon, is this what you wanted to see?" but then softens as he contemplates that "fear can turn to love". Christine hands the mask back to him, and he then takes her away to return to the opera house.

Next we see Joseph Buquet who is telling the ballet/chorus girls about the phantom, and shows them his defence against the punjab lasso, a piece of rope, allegedly used by the phantom. Mme. Giry enters and tells Buquet to "hold your tongue". Meanwhile, the managers have recieved several notes, from the phantom, commending Christines performance, and instructing that she should be given the lead in the new opera, Il Muto. Carlotta comes back and demands that she have the role, which the managers proceed to give her. Mme. Giry comes in and declares that Christine has returned, but will see no-one, not even Raoul. She also brandishes a note which fortells of great disaster should Christine not be given the lead and also should box five be sold.

The managers ignore the phantoms demands and give the lead to role to Carlotta, while Christine is given the role of the pageboy- which is silent. Raoul sits in box five. "There would appear to be no seats available other than box five." In the middle of Carlotta's performance, the phantom asks "did I not instruct that box five was to be left empty?" Carlotta accuses Christine and calls her a "little toad." The phantom hears her and responds with "A toad, madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad?!" At this point Carlotta starts singing again, but halfway through her piece, she emits a toad like croaking noise. She attempts to go on again, but still she emits the strange noise, while the phantom can be heard laughing in the ceiling somewhere. Carlotta leaves the stage sobbing, and the managers tell the audience that "the opera shall continue in ten minutes time when the role of the countess will be played by Miss Christine Daaé."

In the meantime, they bring the ballet from act three forward. The ballet girls perform their dance, but halfway through, a shadow of the phantom can be seen. Some of the girls see it, and fall out of step, untill finally the music get's faster and louder, and then Joseph Buquet's dead body falls to the stage from the ceiling. Christine rushes onto the stage, calling for Raoul, and they flee to the roof, where Christine thinks it will be safe.

When they reach the roof, Christine tells Raoul about the phantom and his lair, but Raoul doesn't believe her "there is no phantom of the opera". Finally Raoul tries to calm her, and then tells her of his love for her. Christine loves him too and wants him to protect her from the phantom, which he says he will do. They kiss, and then Christine tells Raoul to "order your fine horses, be with them at the door". She plans to run away with him. Unbeknownst to them, the Phantom has overheard the whole conversation, and declares war on both Christine and Raoul. "You will curse the day you did not do, all that the phantom asked of you."

Act 11

Six months later, and the managers are hosting a masquerade ball, celebrating the new opera season. Raoul and Christine attend together, Christine wearing an engagement ring from Raoul, round her neck, on a chain. They dance, but Christine, who sees the phantom in every man she dances with starts to panic, until Raoul steers her to safety. The music ends with the phantom appearing at the top of the grand staircase, dressed as red death. He brings his finished opera, "don juan triumphant" and insists that they perform it. He then beckons Christine over, sees her engagement ring and snatches it from her "your chains are still mine, you will sing for me!". With this, the Phantom disappears in a cloud of smoke.

The managers are looking over the score for 'Don Juan Triumphant', and are making remarks such as "Ludicrous" and "utter lunacy". Carlotta and Piangi complain about the size of their parts, and Carlotta rounds on Christine, accusing her of orchestrating the whole thing. "You evil woman, how dare you?" Christine responds angrily. Raoul suggests that they perform the opera, and capture the phantom at the same time, as he will surely be there to here Miss Daaé sing. Madame Giry opposes the idea, and then she is accused of being in league with the Phantom! Meanwhile Christine implores Raoul to stop. "Twisted every way what answer can I give? Am I to risk my life to win the chance to live? Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice? Do I become his prey? Do I have any choice? He kills without a thought, he murders all that's good, I know I can't refuse, and yet I wish I could, Oh God if I agree, what horrors wait for me, in this: the phantom's opera?" Raoul tells Christine that he's got her best interests at heart, but she runs off, leaving Raoul to address an imaginary Phantom "So it is to be war between us, but this time, my clever friend, the disaster is all yours!"

Everyone is gathered for a rehearsal of 'Don Juan Triumphant', but a fiasco ensues as Piangi can't get his part right. Everyone starts talking over each other, until the piano starts playing all by itself. They all sing their parts correctly, almost mechanically. Christine steps away from the crowd, and the music fades into the background as Christine makes her way over to her father's grave. She sings to him, asking him why he had to leave her and she is "wishing you were somehow here again" When she finishes, the Phantom, who has been watching her intently, calls to her. Bewildered, she asks "angel?....or father?...friend?...or phantom? Who is it there, staring?" The Phantom tries to entice her back to his lair, but Raoul enters the graveyard. "Angel of darkness cease this torment." Raoul manages to take Christine away from the graveyard despite the fireballs thrown at him by the phantom. The phantom screams after them "Don't go!"

Now it is the performance of 'Don Juan Triumphant'. Christine plays Aminta, and Piangi plays Don Juan, but before Piangi goes onto the stage for the final scene with Aminta, his life is taken by the Phantom, who then takes his place on stage, his head covered in a big hood. Aminta and Don Juan (the phantom) sing 'Point of No Return' together, and at the end of the song, Christine realises that it is really the phantom on stage. He gives Christine a simple gold ring, which she slips onto her finger. She then, calmly, turns his face to the audience, and pulls his mask off, as they disappear in a cloud of smoke.

Suddenly, everyone has realised that Ubaldo Piangi has been murdered. Carlotta breaks down crying, while the others head of towards the lair; but Raoul has beaten them to it. He has asked Madame Giry to show him the way, and she shows him how to get there, but she stops at the lake, "He lives across the lake Monsieur. This is far as I dare go." Raoul thanks her, and then plunges straight into the lake.

Meanwhile, we see Christine who is asking the Phantom, "Have you gorged yourself at last, in your lust for blood? Am I now to be prey, to your lust for flesh?" The Phantom rounds on her: "That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood, has also denied me the joys of the flesh." He forces a bridal veil onto Christine as he cries "this face, the infection, which poisons our love... this face, which earned a mother's fear and loathing, a mask, my first, unfeeling scrap of clothing... pity comes too late, turn around and face your fate, an eternity of this before your eyes." Christine responds with, "This haunted face holds no horror for me now, it's in your soul, that the true distortion lies." They are, however, interrupted by Raoul, who has come to rescue Christine. The phantom invites him in, but then gets the upper hand, by placing the Punjab lasso round his neck. He then tells Christine "Start a new life with me- buy his freedom with your love, refuse me and you send your lover to his death... this is the choice... this is the point of no return." Christine then proceeds to implore The Phantom to let Raoul free, while Raoul is ttelling Christine not to throw her life away for his sake. The Phantom remains determined though, and finally screams "you try my patience... make your choice!"

Christine, without hesitation, says "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you.... you are not alone!" With this, she kisses him full on the lips. Raoul looks on with horror and wonder. After this, the Phantom realises what Christine and Raoul feel for each other, and he lets them go: he has felt loved for the first time in his life.

As the mob approaches, Raoul and Christine leave, promising never to tell of the Phantom's existence. The Phantom sits despairi