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Intro Voice: The Phantom
Prologue
Talented musician and composer, ERIK LEBREK, is seen composing by gaslamp. We see danced the imagined scenario of the opera he is writing. MUSES appear in the forms of DARKNESS, DESPAIR, BEAUTY and PURITY as his music evolves. We see the opera take shape in his mind. Tired, he falls asleep and a sinister figure lurks in the darkness. It is the PERSIAN, a professional rival and the lover of the famed operatic diva, CARLOTTA. Seeing ERIK LEBREK asleep, he tries to steal the new opera for himself. As he is about to escape, ERIK awakes and in the ensuing struggle the PERSIAN strikes ERIK and breaks the gaslamp, leaving ERIK to die, engulfed in flames.
ERIK manages to escape from his blazing apartment and falls into the street outside the Paris opera house, badly injured, where he is found by two friendly tramps (MR & MRS MIDNIGHT) who tend to his wounds.
Voice: THE PHANTOM
ACT ONE6 Months Later
Scene One: Onstage at the Paris Opera house
We open to a moment from a performance at the Paris Opera house. CARLOTTA is leading the performance until in a fit of anger she leaves and young CHRISTINE DAAÉ is persuaded to take the lead role.
As the performance ends everybody is surprised that young CHRISTINE receives such fabulous acclaim for her performance and cannot understand from were this girl gained such fabulous potential. All the cast except CHRISTINE become aware of a strange presence and they nervously drift away.
Scene Two: Backstage at the Opera House
Christine thinks she is alone on the stage as she dances with joy. In the audience was Raoul, an Army Officer, who has recognised Christine as his former childhood sweetheart. The PERSIAN receives a letter and foolishly decides to ignore it’s contents. CARLOTTA meanwhile is somewhat concerned for her reputation by the competition that young CHRISTINE DAAÉ now presents and persuades her lover, the PERSIAN to make sure that it is she who should remain the star of the show. CARLOTTA and the PERSIAN confront the THEATRE MANAGERS before insisting CHRISTINE is put back in the chorus and CARLOTTA may continue as the star, the theatre managers agree after being offered bribes by The PERSIAN.
Scene Three: Under the Paris Opera House
THE PHANTOM ALONE
Scene Four: Onstage at the Paris Opera House...The Stolen Opera
As the company prepare for the next performance, the THEATRE MANAGERS and CARLOTTA arrive to announce CHRISTINE is to be replaced by CARLOTTA as the star, much to everyone’s annoyance and bewilderment the company are shocked when a voice from the darkness spells out a terrible warning.
The Opera begins with CARLOTTA re-instated as the star, a presence affects their performance so much that it completely falls apart at the end and once more CHRISTINE rises to the occasion. CARLOTTA, so embarrassed by her performances and this new starlet now insists that CHRISTINE be dismissed from the Paris Opera house altogether, much to the annoyance of a friend.
Scene Five: Under the Paris Opera House
CHRISTINE asks MADAME GIRY if she knows where The PHANTOM supposedly lives. MADAME GIRY is only too happy to show her the way.
CURTAIN
