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Phantom of the Opera
Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Lyrics by CHARLES HART
Additional Lyrics RICHARD STILGOE
ACT ONE
1.PROLOGUE
2.OVERTURE
3.THINK OF ME
4.ANGEL OF MUSIC
5.LITTLE LOTTE...THE MIRROR...(ANGEL OF MUSIC)
6.THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
7.THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
8.I REMEMBER.../STRANGER THAN YOU DREAMT IT
9.MAGICAL LASSO
10.NOTES.../PRIMA DONNA
11.POOR FOOL, HE MAKES ME LAUGH
12.WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME HERE.../RAOUL, I'VE BEEN THERE
13.ALL I ASK OF YOU
14.ALL I ASK OF YOU (REPRISE)
15.EXTR'ACTE
ACT TWO
16.MASQUERADE/WHY SO SILENT
17.NOTES.../TWISTED EVERY WAY
18.WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN
19.WANDERING CHILD.../BRAVO, MONSIEUR
20.THE POINT OF NO RETURN
21.DOWN ONCE MORE.../TRACK DOWN THIS MURDERER
ACT ONE
1.PROLOGUE
THE STAGE OF THE PARIS OPERA, 1905
(The contents of the opera house is being
auctioned off. An AUCTIONEER, PORTERS,
BIDDERS, and RAOUL, seventy now, but still
bright of eye. The action commences with a
blow from the AUCTlONEER's gavel)
AUCTIONEER
Sold. Your number, sir? Thank you.
Lot 663, then, ladies and gentlemen: a poster
for this house's production of "Hannibal" by
Chalumeau.
PORTER
Showing here.
AUCTIONEER
Do I have ten francs? Five then. Five I am bid.
Six, seven. Against you, sir, seven. Eight.
Eight once. Selling twice. Sold, to Raoul,
Vicomte de Chagny.
Lot 664: a wooden pistol and three human
skulls from the 1831 production of "Robert le
Diable" by Meyerbeer. Ten francs for this. Ten,
thank you. Ten francs still. Fifteen, thank you,
sir Fifteen I am bid. Going at fifteen. Your
number, sir?
665, ladies and gentlemen: a papier-mache
musical box, in the shape of a barrel-organ.
Attached, the figure of a monkey in Persian
robes playing the cymbals. This item,
discovered in the vaults of the theatre, still in
working order.
PORTER (holding it up)
Showing here. (He sets it in motion)
AUCTIONEER
May I start at twenty francs? Fifteen, then?
Fifteen I am bid.
(the bidding continues. RAOUL. eventually
buys the box for thirty francs)
Sold, for thirty francs to the Vicomte de
Chagny. Thank you, sir.
(The box is handed across to RAOUL. He studies it, as
attention focuses on him for a moment)
RAOUL (quietly, half to himself, half to thebox)
A collector's piece indeed . . .
every detail exactly as she said . . .
She often spoke of you, my friend ....
Your velvet lining, and your figurine of lead...
Will you still play,
when all the rest of us are dead?
(Attention returns to the AUCTIONEER, as he resumes)
AUCTIONEER
Lot 666, then: a chandelier in pieces. Some of
you may recall the strange affair of the
Phantom of the Opera: a mystery never fully
explained. We are told ladies and gentlemen,
that this is the very chandelier which figures in
the famous disaster. Our workshops have
restored it and fitted up parts of it with wiring
for the new electric light, so that we may get a
hint of what it may look like when re-
assembled. Perhaps we may frighten away the
ghost of so many years ago with a little
illumination, gentlemen?
(The AUCTIONEER switches on the chandelier
There is an enormous flash, and the OVERTURE
begins. During the overture the opera house is
restored to its earlier grandeur. The chandelier
immense and glittering, rises magically from
the stage, finally hovering high above the
stalls)
2.OVERTURE
Orchestra
Scene 1
REHEARSALS FOR "HANNIBAL" BY CHALUMEAU
(We have reached the great choral scene in
which HANNIBAL and his army return to save
Carthage from the Roman invasion under
Scipio. HANNIBAL is UBALDO PIANGI;
ELISSA, Queen of Carthage (his mistress) is
CARLOTTA GUIDICELLI. The two leading
SLAVE GIRLS are played by MEG GIRY and
CHRISTINE DAAE. MME. GIRY is the ballet
mistress. M. REYER, the repetiteur, is in
charge.
We join the opera towards the end of ELISSA's
(CARLOTTA's) great aria. She is alone, holding
a pre. from the approaching HANNIBAL, a
bleeding severed head)
CARLOTTA (at the climax of an extravagant cade)
This trophy from our saviours, from the
enslaving force of Rome!
(A STAGE HAND carries a ladder across the
stage. OTHERS are seen still constructing
parts of the scenery)
GIRLS' CHORUS
With feasting and dancing and song,
tonight in celebration
we greet the victorious throng,
returned to bring salvation!
MEN'S CHORUS
The trumpets of Carthage resound !
Hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to our step on the ground!
ALL
Hear the drums - Hannibal comes!
(PIANGI enters, as HANNIBAL)
PIANGI (HANNIBAL)
Sad to return to find the land we love
threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching
grasp.
REYER (interrupting him)
Signor . . . if you please: "Rome". We say
"Rome' not "Roma"
PIANGI
Si, si, Rome, not Roma. Is very hard for me.
(practising) Rome . . . Rome . . .
(Enter LEFEVRE, the retiring manager of the
Opera, with M. FIRMIN and M. ANDRE, to
whom he has just sold it)
REYER (to PIANGI)
Once again, then, if you please, Signor: "Sad to
return . . ."
LEFEVRE (to ANDRE and FIRMIN)
This way, gentlemen, this way. Rehearsals, as
you see, are under way, for a new production of
Chalumeau's "Hannibal".
(seeing a hiatus in the rehearsal, LEFEVRE attempts to
attract attention.)
LEFEVRE
Ladies and gentlemen, some of you may already,
perhaps, have met M. Andre and M. Firmin ...
(the new managers are politely bowing, when REYER
interrupts)
REYER
I'm sorry, M. Lefevre, we are rehearsing. If you wouldn't
mind waiting a moment?
LEFEVRE
My apologies, M. Reyer. Proceed, proceed ...
REYER
Thank you, monsieur (turning back to PIANGI).
"Sad to return..." Signor ...
LEFEVRE (sotto voce to ANDRE and FIRMIN)
M. Reyer, our chief repetiteur. Rather a tyrant, I'm
afraid.
(the rehearsal continues)
PIANGI (HANNIBAL)
Sad to return to find the land we love
threatened once more by
Rome's far-reaching grasp.
Tomorrow we shall break
the chains of Rome.
Tonight, rejoice - your army has
come home.
(BALLET GIRLS begin their dance.
LEFEVRE, ANDRE and FIRMIN
stand centr-stage watching the
ballet. They are in the way. The
ballet continues under the
following dialogue.)
LEFEVRE (indicating PIANGI)
Signor Piangi, our principal
tenor. He does play so opposite
La Carlotta.
GIRY (exasperated by their
presence, bangs her cane angrily
on the stage)
Gentlemen, please! If you would
kindly move to one side?
LEFEVRE
My apologies, Mme. Giry.
(leading ANDRE and FIRMINaside)
Mme. Giry, our ballet mistress. I
don't mind confessing, M.
Firmin, I shan't be sorry to be rid
of the whole blessed business.
FIRMIN
I keep asking you, monsieur, why
exactly are you retiring?
LEFEVRE (ignoring this, calls
his attention to the continuing ballet)
We take a particular pride here in
the excellence of our ballets.
(MEG becomes prominent among the dancers)
ANDRE
Who's that girl, Lefevre?
LEFEVRE
Her? Meg Giry, Madame Giry's
daughter. Promising dancer, M.
Andre, most promising.
(CHRISTINE becomes prominent. She has absent-
mlndedly fallen out-of-step)
GIRY (spotting her, bangs her cane again)
You! Christine Daae! Concentrate, girl!
MEG (quietly, to CHRISTINE)
Christine . . . What's the matter?
FIRMIN (to LEFEVRE)
Daae? Curious name.
LEFEVRE
Swedish.
ANDRE
Any relation to the violinist?
LEFEVRE
His daughter, I believe. Always has her head in the
clouds, I'm afraid.
(The ballet continues to its climax and ends. The
CHORUS resumes)
CHORUS
Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests -
the elephants of Carthage!
As guides on our conquering quests,
Dido sends
Hannibal's friends!
(the ELEPHANT, a life-sized mechanical replica, enters.
PIANGI is lifted, in triumph, onto its back)
CARLOTTA (ELISSA)
Once more to my
welcoming arms
my love returns
in splendour!
PIANGI (HANNIBAL)
Once more to those
sweetest of charms
my heart and soul
surrender!
CHORUS
The trumpeting elephants sound
hear, Romans, now and tremble!
Hark to their step on the ground
hear the drums!
Hannibal comes!
(At the end of the chorus LEFEVRE claps
his hands for silence. The elephant is led
off. Two stage-hands are revealed operating
it from within)
LEFEVRE
Ladies and gentlemen - Madame Giry, thank
you - may I have your attention, please?
As you know, for some weeks there have
been rumours of my Imminent retirement. I
can now tell you that these were all true and
it is my pleasure to introduce to you the
two gentlemen who now own the Opera
Populaire, M. Richard Firmin and M.
Gilles Andre.
(Polite applause. Some bowing.
CARLOTTA makes her presence felt)
Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our
leading soprano for five seasons now.
ANDRE
Of course, of course. I have experienced all
your greatest roles, Signora.
LEFEVRE
And Signor Ubaldo Piangi.
FIRMIN
An honour, Signor.
ANDRE
If I remember rightly, Elissa has a rather
fine aria in Act Three of "Hannibal". I
wonder, Signora, if, as a personal favour,
you would oblige us with a private
rendition? (Somewhat acerbic). Unless, of
course, M. Reyer objects . . .
CARLOTTA
My manager commands . . .
M. Reyer?
REYER
My diva commands. Will two bars
be sufficient introduction?
FIRMIN
Two bars will be quite sufficient
REYER (ensuring that CARLOTTA is ready)
Signora?
CARLOTTA
Maestro.
(The introduction is played on the piano)
CARLOTTA
Think of me,
think of me fondly,
when we've said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while -
please promise me you'll try.
When you find that, once again, you long
to take your heart . . .
(As CARLOTTA is singing a backdrop crashes to the
floor cutting her off from half the cast)
MEG/BALLET GIRLS/CHORUS
He's here:
the Phantom of the Opera . . .
He is with us . . .
It's the ghost . . .
PIANGI (looking up, furiously)
You idiots!
(He rushes over to CARLOTTA)
Cara! Cara! Are you hurt?
LEFEVRE
Signora! Are you all right? Buquet!
Where is Buquet ?
PIANGI
Is no one concerned for our prima donna?
LEFEVRE
Get that man down here !
(to ANDRE and FIRMIN)
Chief of the flies. He's responsible for this.
(The drop is raised high enough to reveal upstage an old
stagehand, JOSEPH BUQUET, holding a length of rope,
which looks almost like a noose)
LEFEVRE
Buquet! For God's sake, man, what's going on up there?
BUQUET
Please monsieur
don't look at me:
as God's my witness,
I was not at my post.
Please monsieur
there's no one there:
and if there is, well
then, it must be a ghost . . .
MEG (looking up)
He's there; the Phantom of the Opera ...
ANDRE
Good heavens!
Will you show a little courtesy?
FIRMIN (to MEG and the OTHERS)
Mademoiselle, please!
ANDRE (to CARLOTTA)
These things do happen.
CARLOTTA
Si! These things do happen! Well, until you stop these
things happening, this thing does not happen!
Ubaldo! Andiamo!
(PIANGI dutifully fetches her furs from the wings)
PIANGI
Amateurs !
LEFEVRE
I don't think there's much more to assist you,
gentlemen. Good luck. If you need me, I shall be in
Frankfurt .
(He leaves. The COMPANY looks anxiously at the NEW
MANAGERS)
ANDRE
La Carlotta will be back.
GIRY
You think so, messieurs? I have a message, sir, from the
Opera Ghost.
(The GIRLS twitter and twirl in fear)
FIRMIN
God in Heaven, you're all obsessed!
GIRY
He merely welcomes you to his opera house and
commands you to continue to leave Box Five empty for
his use and reminds you that his salary is due.
FIRMIN
His salary?
GIRY
Monsieur Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a
month. Perhaps you can afford more, with the Vicomte de
Chagny as your patron.
(Reaction to this from the BALLET GIRLS.
CHRISTINE takes hold of MEG nervously)
ANDRE (to GIRY)
Madame, I had hoped to have made that
announcement myself.
GIRY (to FIRMIN)
Will the Vicomte be at the performance tonight,
monsieur?
FIRMIN
In our box.
ANDRE
Madame, who is the understudy for this role?
REYER
There is no understudy, monsieur - the
production is new.
MEG
Christine Daae could sing it, sir.
FlRMIN
The chorus girl ?
MEG (to FIRMIN)
She's been taking lessons from a great teacher
ANDRE
From whom ?
CHRISTINE (uneasily)
I don't know, sir . . .
FIRMIN
Oh, not you as well!
(turning to ANDRE)
Can you believe it? A full house - and we have to cancel !
GIRY
Let her sing for you, monsieur. She has been well taught.
REYER (after a pause)
From the beginning of the aria then, mam'selle.
3.THINK OF ME
CHRISTINE
Think of me
think of me fondly,
when we've said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while -
please promise me you'll try.
FIRMIN
Andre, this is doing nothing for my nerves.
ANDRE
Don't fret, Firmin.
CHRISTINE
When you find that, once
again, you long
to take your heart back and be free -
if you ever find a moment,
spare a thought for me
(Transformation to the Gala. CHRISTINE is
revealed in full costume)
We never said
our love was evergreen,
or as unchanging as the sea -
but if you can still remember
stop and think of me . . .
Think of all the things
we've shared and seen -
don't think about the things
which might have been . . .
Think of me,
think of me waking,
silent and resigned.
Imagine me,
trying too hard to put you
from my mind.
Recall those days
look back on all those times,
think of the things
we'll never do -
there will never be a day,
when I won't think of you . .
(Applause, bravos. Prominent among the bravos, those
of the young RAOUL in the MANAGERS' box)
RAOUL
Can it be?
Can it be Christine?
Bravo!
(he raises his opera-glasses)
What a change!
You're really not a bit
the gawkish girl that once you were...
(lowering his opera-glasses)
She may not remember me,
but I remember her...
CHRISTINE
We never said
our love was evergreen,
or as unchanging as the sea -
but please promise me,
that sometimes you will think
ha.... of me!
Scene 2
AFTER THE GALA
(The curtain closes upstage. BALLET GIRLS, from the
wings gush around CHRISTINE who hands each a flower
from her bouquet. REYER stiffly gives his approval)
GIRY (to CHRISTINE)
Yes, you did well. He will be pleased.
(to the DANCERS)
And you! You were a disgrace tonight! Such ronds de
jambe! Such temps de cuisse!
Here we rehearse. Now!
(She emphasizes this with her cane.
The BALLET GIRLS settle into rehearsal upstage, GlRY
keeping time with her stick. Variations on this continue
throughout the scene)
(CHRISTINE moves slowly, downstage, away from the
DANCERS as her dressing room becomes visible.
Unseen by her, MEG also moves away and follows her.
As CHRISTINE is about to open the dressing room door,
she hears the PHANTOM's voice out of nowhere)
4.ANGEL OF MUSIC
PHANTOM'S VOICE
Bravi, bravi, bravissimi . . .
(CHRISTINE is bewildered by the voice. MEG,
following, has not heard it. CHRISTINE turns in
surprise, and is relieved to see her)
MEG
Where in the world
have you been hiding?
Really, you were perfect!
I only wish
I knew your secret!
Who is this new tutor?
CHRISTINE (abstracted, entering the dressing room)
Father once spoke of an angel . . .
I used to dream he'd appear . . .
Now as I sing, I can sense him . . .
And I know he's here . . .
(trance-like)
Here in this room
he calls me softly . . .
somewhere inside hiding . . .
Somehow I know
he's always with me . . .
he - the unseen genius . . .
MEG (uneasily)
Christine, you must have
been dreaming . . .
stories like this can't come true . . .
Christine, you're talking in riddles . . .
and it's not like you . . .
CHRISTINE (not hearing her, ecstatic)
Angel of Music!
Guide and guardian!
Grant to me your glory!
MEG (to herself)
Who is this angel? This . . .
BOTH
Angel of Music!
Hide no longer!
Secret and strange angel . . .
CHRISTINE (darkly)
He's with me, even now . . .
MEG (bewildered)
Your hands are cold . . .
CHRISTINE
All around me . . .
MEG
Your face, Christine, it's white . . .
CHRISTINE
It frightens me . . .
MEG
Don't be frightened . . .
(THEY look at each other The moment is broken
by the arrival of GIRY)
GIRY
Meg Giry. Are you a dancer? Then come and practice.
(MEG leaves and joins the DANCERS)
My dear, I was asked to give you this.
(She hands CHRlSTlNE a note, and exits.
CHRISTINE opens it and reads)
CHRISTINE
A red scarf . . . the attic . . . Little Lotte . . .
Scene 3
CHRISTINE 'S DRESSING ROOM
(Meanwhile RAOUL ANDRE, FIRMIN, and MME.
FIRMIN are seen making their way towards the dressing
room, the MANAGERS in high spirits, bearing
champagne)
ANDRE
A tour de force! No other way to describe it!
FIRMIN
What a relief ! Not a single refund!
MME. FIRMIN
Greedy.
ANDRE
Richard, I think we've made quite a discovery in Miss Daae!
FIRMIN (to RAOUL, indicating CHRISTINE 'S
dressing room)
Here we are, Monsieur le Vicomte.
RAOUL
Gentlemen if you wouldn't mind. This is one visit I
should prefer to make unaccompanied.
(He takes the champagne from FIRMIN)
ANDRE
As you wish, monsieur.
(They bow and move off)
FIRMIN
They appear to have met before . . .
(RAOUL knocks at the door and enters)
RAOUL
Christine Daae, where is your scarf?
CHRISTINE
Monsieur?
RAOUL
You can't have lost it. After all the trouble I took.
I was just fourteen and soaked to the skin . . .
CHRISTINE
Because you had run into the sea to fetch my scarf.
Oh, Raoul. So it is you!
RAOUL
Christine.
(They embrace and laugh. She moves away and sits at her
dressing table)
5.LITTLE LOTTE...THE MIRROR...
RAOUL
"Little Lotte let her mind wander . . ."
CHRISTINE
You remember that, too . . .
RAOUL (continuing)
". . . Little Lotte thought: Am I fonder
of dolls . . ."
BOTH (CHRISTINE joining in)
". . . or of goblins,
of shoes . . ."
CHRISTINE
". . . or of riddles.
of frocks . . ."
RAOUL
Those picnics in the attic . . .
". . . or of chocolates . . ."
CHRISTINE
Father playing the violin . . .
RAOUL
As we read to each other
dark stories of the North . . .
CHRISTINE
"No what I love best, Lotte said,
is when I'm asleep in my bed,
and the Angel of Music sings songs in my head!"
BOTH
"the Angel of Music sings song in my head!"
CHRISTINE (turning in her chair to look at him)
Father said, "When I'm in heaven, child, I will send the
Angel of Music to you". Well, father is dead, Raoul, and
I have been visited by the Angel of Music.