The Phantom of the Opera (musical)

The Phantom of the Opera.

This is about the stage musical. For the film based on it see The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film).

The Phantom of the Opera is a stage musical based on Gaston Leroux's book of the same name.

Cast

Original cast (1986)

• Michael Crawford - The Phantom
• Sarah Brightman - Christine Daáe
• Steve Barton - Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
• Rosemary Ashe - Carlotta Giudicelli
• Mary Millar - Madame Giry
• Janet Devenish - Meg Giry
• John Savident - Richard Firmin
• David Firth - Gilles Andre
• John Aron - Ubaldo Piangi
• Janos Kurucz - Joseph Buquet
• James Patterson - Don Attilio (in Il Muto)/Passarino

25th Anniversary Concert (2011)

• Ramin Karimloo - The Phantom
• Sierra Boggess - Christine Daáe
• Hadley Fraser - Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
• Wendy Ferguson - Carlotta Giudicelli
• Liz Robertson - Madame Giry
• Daisy Maywood - Meg Giry
• Barry James - Richard Firmin
• Gareth Snook - Gilles Andre
• Wynne Evans - Ubaldo Piangi
• Stephen John Davis - Don Attilio ("Il Muto")
• Garðar Cortes - Passarino ("Don Juan Triumphant")
• Rosemary Ashe - Confidante ("Il Muto")

Plot

On the stage of the fictional Opéra Populaire in 1905, an auction of old theatrical props is underway. Lot 665, purchased by the elderly Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, is a papier-mâché music box in the shape of a monkey. He eyes it sadly, noting that its details appear "exactly as she said". Lot 666 is a shattered chandelier that, the auctioneer explains, has a connection to "the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera, a mystery never fully explained". As the chandelier is uncovered, its lamps flicker to life and it magically rises over the audience to its original position in the rafters. As it ascends, the years roll back and the Opéra returns to its 1880s grandeur.

It is now 1881. As Carlotta, the Opéra's resident soprano prima donna, rehearses for that evening's performance, a backdrop collapses without warning. "The Phantom! He's here!" the anxious cast members whisper. The Opera's new owners, Firmin and André, try to downplay the incident, but Carlotta refuses to continue and storms offstage. Madame Giry, the Opéra's ballet mistress, tells Firmin and André that Christine Daaé, a Swedish chorus girl and orphaned daughter of a prominent violinist, has been "well taught" and could sing Carlotta's role. With cancellation of the performance their only alternative, the owners reluctantly audition Christine, and to their surprise she is equal to the challenge.

Backstage after her triumphant début, Christine confesses to her best friend Meg (Madame Giry's daughter) that she knows her mysterious teacher only as an invisible "Angel of Music". The Opera's new patron, Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny, finds Christine, his old childhood playmate, in her dressing room. Christine reminisces with Raoul about the "Angel of Music" stories that her late father used to tell them and confides that the Angel has visited her and taught her to sing. Raoul laughs at her "fantasies" and invites her to dinner. He exits and a jealous Phantom appears in Christine's mirror in the guise of The Angel of Music. Christine begs him to reveal himself and The Phantom obliges, then guides her into a ghostly underground realm. They cross a subterranean lake to his secret lair beneath the opéra house. The Phantom explains that he has chosen Christine to sing his music and enchants her with his own sublime voice. Christine sees a mannequin resembling herself in a wedding dress, and when the mannequin suddenly moves, she faints. The Phantom picks her up and places her gently on a bed.

As the Phantom composes music at his organ, Christine awakens to the sound of the monkey music box. She slips behind the Phantom, lifts his mask, and beholds his real face. The Phantom rails at her curiosity, then ruefully expresses his longing to look normal—and to be loved by her.

Meanwhile, inside the opéra house, Joseph Buquet, the Opéra's chief stagehand—who, like Madame Giry, inexplicably knows much about the Phantom—regales everyone with tales of the "Opéra Ghost" and his terrible Punjab lasso. Madame Giry warns Buquet to exercise restraint. In the managers' office, Madame Giry delivers a note from the Phantom: He demands that Christine replace Carlotta in the new opera, Il Muto, or there will be a terrible disaster "beyond imagination". Firmin and André assure the enraged Carlotta that she will remain the star, but during her performance, the Phantom reduces her voice to a frog-like croak. A ballet interlude begins, to keep the audience entertained—but a series of menacing shadows can be seen on the backdrop. Suddenly the corpse of Buquet, hanging from the Punjab lasso, drops from the rafters. Firmin and André plead for calm as the Phantom's diabolical laughter is heard.

In the ensuing mêlée, Christine escapes with Raoul to the roof, where she tells him about her subterranean rendezvous with the Phantom. Raoul is skeptical, but swears to love and to protect her always. The Phantom, who has overheard their conversation, is heartbroken. As he angrily vows revenge against Raoul, the Opéra's mighty chandelier crashes to the stage as the curtain falls.

Six months later, in the midst of the gala masquerade ball, the Phantom, costumed as the Red Death, makes his first appearance since the chandelier disaster. He announces to the stunned guests that he has written an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant. He demands that it be produced immediately, with Christine (who is now engaged to Raoul) in the lead role, and warns of dire consequences if it is not. He seizes Christine's engagement ring and vanishes in a flash of fire and smoke. Raoul demands that Madame Giry tell him about the Phantom. She reluctantly replies that he is a brilliant musician and magician born with a terrifyingly deformed face, who escaped from captivity in a traveling freak show and disappeared.

During rehearsals, Raoul hatches a plan to use Don Juan Triumphant as a trap to capture the Phantom, knowing the Phantom will be sure to attend its première. Christine, torn between her love for Raoul and her gratitude for the Phantom's teaching, visits her father's grave, longing for his guidance. The Phantom appears, again under the guise of the Angel of Music. Christine nearly falls under his spell, but Raoul arrives to rescue her. The Phantom taunts Raoul, launching fiery missiles at him, until Christine begs Raoul to leave with her. Furious, the Phantom sets fire to the cemetery.

Don Juan Triumphant opens with Christine and Ubaldo Piangi, the Opéra's principal tenor, singing the lead roles. During their duet, Christine suddenly realizes that she is singing not with Piangi, but with the Phantom himself. He expresses his love for her and gives her his ring, but Christine rips off his mask, exposing his deformed face to the shocked audience. As Piangi is found strangled to death backstage, the Phantom seizes Christine and flees the theatre. An angry mob led by Meg searches the theatre for the Phantom, while Madame Giry directs Raoul to the Phantom's subterranean lair, and warns him to beware his Punjab lasso.

In the lair Christine is forced to don the doll's wedding dress. Raoul arrives, but the Phantom captures him with his lasso. He tells Christine that he will free Raoul if she agrees to stay with him forever; if she refuses, Raoul will die. Christine tells the Phantom that it is his soul that is deformed, not his face, and kisses him. The Phantom, having experienced kindness and compassion for the first time, sets them both free. Christine returns the Phantom's ring to him, and he tells her he loves her. She cries, forces herself to turn away, and exits with Raoul. The Phantom, weeping, huddles on his throne and -hearing Christine and Raoul reaffirming their love- covers himself with his cape. The mob storms the lair and Meg pulls away the cape—but the Phantom has vanished; only his mask remains.

Musical numbers

Act I

• "Prologue" - Raoul
• "Hannibal - Carlotta, Piangi and the Cast of Hannibal
• "Think of Me" - Carlotta, Christine and Raoul
• "Angel of Music" - The Phantom, Christine and Meg
• "Little Lotte" - Raoul and Christine
• "The Mirror/Angel of Music (reprise)" - The Phantom and Christine
• "The Phantom of the Opera" - Christine and The Phantom
• "The Music of the Night" - The Phantom
• "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It" - Christine and The Phantom
• "Magical Lasso" - Buquet and Madame Giry
• "Notes" - Firmin, Andre, Raoul, Carlotta, Piangi, Madame Giry and Meg
• "Prima Donna" - Firmin, Andre, Carlotta, Raoul, Piangi, Madame Giry, Meg, Christine, the cast and company of Il Muto
• "Poor Fool He Makes Me Laugh"- Confidante, Fops, Carlotta, Piangi and the cast of Il Muto
• "Why Have You Brought Me Here?" - Raoul and Christine
• "All I Ask of You" - Raoul and Christine
• "All I Ask of You" (reprise) - Christine, Raoul and The Phantom

Act II

• "Masquerade" - Firmin, Andre, Meg, Piangi, Carlotta, Madame Giry, Christine, Raoul and Partygoers
• "Why So Silent?" - The Phantom
• "Notes II" - Firmin, André, Carlotta, Piangi, Raoul, Christine, Madame Giry, and The Phantom
• "We Have All Been Blind/Twisted Every Way" - Raoul, Firmin, Andre and Christine
• "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" - Christine
• "Wandering Child/Bravo Monsieur" - The Phantom, Christine and Raoul
• "Don Juan Triumphant" - Piangi, Passarino and the cast of Don Juan Triumphant
• "The Point of No Return" - The Phantom and Christine
• "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer" - The Phantom, Raoul, Madame Giry, Christine and the Mob