"Mystery after gala night,"

It says, "Mystery of sopranos flight!"

"Mystified," baffled Sûreté say

"We are mystified. We suspect foul play!"

Bad news on soprano scene

First Carlotta, now Christine

Still at least the seats get sold

Gossip's worth its weight in gold

What a way to run a business

Spare me these unending trials

Half your cast disappears

But the crowd still cheers

Opera!

To hell with Gluck and Handel

It's a scandal that'll pack 'em in the aisles!

Damnable!

Will they all walk out?

This is damnable!

André, please don't shout

It's publicity, and the take is vast

Free publicity

But we have no cast!

But André, have you seen the queue?

Oh, it seems you've got one, too

"Dear André, what a charming gala!

Christine enjoyed a great success

We were hardly bereft when Carlotta left

Otherwise, the chorus was entrancing

But the dancing was a lamentable mess"

"Dear Firmin, just a brief reminder

My salary has not been paid

Send it care of the Ghost by return of post

P.T.O. No one likes a debtor

So it's better if my orders are obeyed!"

Who would have the gall to send this?

Someone with a puerile brain

These are both signed "O.G."

Who the hell is he?

Opera Ghost!

It's really not amusing

He's abusing our position

In addition, he wants money

He's a funny sort of spectre

To expect a large retainer

Nothing plainer

He is clearly quite insane

You mean Carlotta?

Well, how should we know?

  [RAOUL (brandishing another of the PHANTOM'S notes)]

Where is she?

I mean Miss Daaé

Where is she?

I want an answer

I take it that you sent me this note

She's not with you then?

Monsieur don't argue

Isn't this the letter you wrote?

  

What's all this nonsense?

Don't look at us

Of course not!

  

Of course not!

We're in the dark

 

And what is is that we're meant to have wrote?

...Written

"Do not fear for Miss Daaé

The Angel of Music has her under his wing

Make no attempt to see her again."

If you didn't write it, who did?

Where is he?

Your precious patron

Where is he?

(to Raoul)

I have your letter

A letter which I rather resent

  

Ah, welcome back!

 

What is it now?

And did you send it?

Of course not!

  

As if he would

  

 

You didn't send it?

Of course not!

  

What going on?

  

 

You dare to tell me

That this is not the

​letter you sent?

And what is it that I'm meant to have sent?

"Your days at the Opéra Populaire are numbered

Christine Daaé will be singing on your behalf tonight

Be prepared for a great misfortune

Should you attempt to take her place."

Far too many notes for my taste

And most of them about Christine

All we've heard since we came

Is Miss Daaé's name

Miss Daaé has returned

I trust her midnight oil

Is well and truly burned?

Where precisely is she now?

I thought it best that she went home

She needed rest

May I see her?

No Monsieur, she will see no one

Will she sing?

Will she sing?

Here, I have a note

Let me see it

Please!

"Gentlemen, I have now sent you several notes of the most amiable nature, detailing how my theater is to be run. You have not followed my instructions..."

"...I shall give you one last chance

(sung)

Christine Daaé has returned to you

And I am anxious her career should progress

In the new production of Il Muto

You will therefore cast Carlotta as the pageboy

And put Miss Daaé in the role of Countess

The role which Miss Daaé plays

Calls for charm and appeal

The role of the pageboy is silent which makes

My casting, in a word, ideal

(spoken)

I shall watch the performance from my normal seat in box 5, which will be kept empty for me. Should these commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur

"...I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant

O.G."

(sung)

Christine!

It's all a ploy to help Christine

I know who sent this

The Vicomte—her lover!

  

Whatever next?

This is insane

Indeed?

(to the OTHERS)

Can you believe this?

Signora!

This changes nothing

You are our star!

Signora

We don't take orders

  

 

This is a joke

Signora!

And always will be!

The man is mad

  

O traditori!

O mentitori!

Miss Daaé will be playing the pageboy—the silent role

Carlotta will be playing the lead

It's useless trying to appease me!

You're only saying this to please me

Signor, è vero?

Non, non, non voglio udire!

Lasciatemi morire!

O padre mio!

Dio!

Who scorn his word beware to those

The angel sees, the angel knows

Signora, pardon us

Please Signora, we beseech you

 [CARLOTTA (to MANAGERS)]

You have reviled me!

You have rebuked me!

You have replaced me!

  

Why did Christine fly from my arms?

 

This hour shall see your darkest fears

The angel knows

​the angel hears

Signora, sing for us

Don't be a martyr

Our star!

 [CARLOTTA]

Abbandonata!

Deseredata!

O, sventurata!

Abbandonata!

Disgraziata!

Ah!

 [RAOUL/MEG?]

I must see her

Where did she go?

What new surprises

Lie in store?

 

Your public needs you

We need you, too

Wouldn't you rather have your precious little ingénue?

Signora, no! The world wants you

Prima Donna, first lady of the stage

Your devotees are on their knees to implore you

Can you bow out when they're shouting your name?

Think of how they all adore you

Prima donna, enchant us once again

Think of your muse

And of your queues 'round the theatre!

Can you deny us the triumph in store?

Sing Prima Donna once

​more

 

 

Think of your public

Those who hear your voice liken you to an angel

We get our Opera

She gets her limelight

Leading ladies are a trial

Tears...

Oaths...

Lunatic

​demands are regular occurrences

​Surely

​there'll be further scenes—

Worse than this!

  

Prima Donna

Your song shall live again

You took a snub

But there's a

​public who needs you

Think of their cry of

​undying

​support

Follow

​where the

​limelight

Leads you

Prima Donna

Your song shall never die

You'll sing again

And to unending ovation

Think how you'll shine in that

​final encore

Sing

Prima

Donna

​once more

  

Christine spoke of an

​angel

Is this her angel of music...?

Angel or madman?

Orders, warnings

Lunatic demands!

Surely, for her sake...

I must see these demands are rejected!

  

She has heard the voice of the Angel of Music

Heaven help you

​those who doubt

This miscasting

Will invite damnation

Oh fools, to have flouted his warnings!

Think, before

​these demands

​are

​rejected!

 

Who'd believe a diva

Happy to relieve a

Chorus girl whose gone

And slept with the patron?

Raoul and the soubrette

Entwined in love's duet!

Although he may demur

He must have been with her!

You'd never get away

With all this in a play

But if it's loudly sung

And in a foreign tongue

It's just the sort of story

Audiences adore

In fact

​a perfect opera!

  

O!

Fortunata!

Non

​ancor, ab-

​ban​donata

And in Box Five a new game will begin

  

Christine must be protected!

This is a game you cannot hope to win!

But if his curse is on this opera...

 

Prima donna, the world is at your feet!

A nation waits

And how it hates to be cheated!

  

The stress that falls upon a famous prima donna!

Terrible diseases, coughs and colds and sneezes!

Still, the dryest throat will reach the highest note

In search of perfect opera!

  

Then

​I fear

​the

​outcome

Should you dare to

  

Christine plays the Pageboy, Carlotta plays the Countess

 

Light up the stage with that age-old rapport!

Sing prima donna, once more!

So, it is to be war between us!

If these demands are not met, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur!

Once more!

Gentlemen, if you would care to take your seats? I shall be sitting in Box Five

Do you really think that's wise, monsieur?

My dear André, there would appear to be no seats available, other than Box Five...

Serafimo—away with this pretence!

You cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence!