Phantom of the Opera Background Information

Le Fantôme de l'Opéra Novel by Gaston Leroux Published in 1909 Partly inspired by historical events at the Paris Opera during the 1800s

Phantom of the Opera Musical Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Opened in 1986 Most financially successful entertainment event to date Estimated worldwide gross receipts of over $5.6 billion

Characters The Phantom of the Opera (Erik) Christine Daae Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny Carlotta Giudicelli Madame Giry Meg Giry Monsieur Richard Firmin Monsieur Gilles Andre Ubaldo Piangi

Prologue SETTING Paris Opera House 1905 PLOT Auction of old theatre props Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, buys a couple items Old chandelier is uncovered It illuminates and slowly rises over the audience to its old position in the rafters The years roll back and the Opera returns to its 1880s grandeaur

Act I SETTING Paris Opera House 1881 PLOT Carlotta (soprano prima donna) is rehearsing for the evening’s performance A backdrop collapses without warning The Opera’s new owners (Firmin and Andre) try to downplay the incident Carlotta refuses to continue and leaves Madame Giry tells the owners that Christine could sing Carlotta’s role Owners reluctantly audition Christine and are surprised at how good she really is

After her performance, Christine admits to her friend Meg that she only knows her teacher as an invisible “Angel of Music” Raoul (an old playmate of Christine’s) finds Christine in her dressing room Raoul invites Christine to dinner The jealous Phantom appears in Christine’s mirror He guides her into a ghostly underground realm They cross a subterranean lake to his secret lair beneath the opera house Christine sees a mannequin that looks like her in a wedding dress She faints and the Phantom carries her to a bed Christine awakens to the sound of the monkey music box She slips up behind the Phantom (while he is composing music) and lifts his mask

The Phantom gets very upset He admits that he longs to look normal and to be loved by her In the opera house, Joseph Buquet (the chief stagehand) regales everyone with tales of the Phantom Madame Giry warns him to be careful The Phantom sends a note to the new owners demanding that Christine take Carlotta’s place in the new opera Carlotta is enraged The owners assure Carlotta that she will remain the star During her performance, disaster strikes – the Phantom reduces Carlotta’s voice to a frog-like croak The corpse of Buquet drops from the rafters Christine manages to escape to the roof with Raoul She tells him of her subterranean rendezvous

Raoul is skeptical He swears to love and protect her always The Phantom overhears the conversation He is heartbroken The Phantom angrily vows revenge against Raoul The opera’s chandelier crashed to the stage INTERMISSION

Act 2 SETTING Paris Opera House Six months later PLOT Masquerade ball Phantom appears costumed as the Red Death He announces to the stunned guests that he has written an opera He demands that it be produced and that Christine is to be in the lead role The Phantom seizes Christine’s engagement ring and vanishes Raoul demands that Madame Giry tell him about the Phantom

Madame Giry tells Raoul that the Phantom is a brilliant musician and magician born with a terrifyingly deformed face The Phantom escaped from captivity in a traveling freak show and disappeared Raoul hatches a plan to use the new opera to capture the Phantom Christine is torn between her love for Raoul and her gratitude to the Phantom She visits her father’s grave (longing for her father’s guidance) The Phantom appears again Christine nearly falls under his spell but Raoul rescues her The Phantom taunts Raoul After Christine & Raoul leave, the Phantom sets fire to the cemetery The new opera opens with Christine and Ubaldo singing the lead roles

During their duet, Christine realizes that she is singing with the Phantom Christine rips off his mask & exposes him to the shocked audience Ubaldo is found strangled backstage The Phantom seizes Christine and flees the theatre An angry mob (led by Meg) searches for the Phantom Madame Giry tells Raoul about the underground lair She also warns him about the lasso that the Phantom likes to use Christine is forced to put on the wedding dress Raoul finds the lair but the Phantom captures him The Phantom tells Christine that he will free Raoul if she stays with him forever

If Christine refuses, the Phantom will kill Raoul Christine tells the Phantom that it is his soul that is deformed, not his face…and she 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 He tells her that he loves her Christine cries and forces herself to run away The Phantom (weeping) huddles on his throne and covers himself with his cape The mob storms the lair and Meg pulls away the cape The Phantom has vanished – only his mask remains

Musical Numbers PROLOGUE Overture ACT 1 Think of Me Angel of Music Little Lotte / The Mirror The Phantom of the Opera The Music of the Night I Remember Magical Lasso Notes Prima Donna Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh Why Have You Brought Us Here All I Ask of You

ACT 2 Entr’acte Masquerade Why So Silent? Notes We Have All Been Blind Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again Wandering Child The Point of No Return Down Once More Finale