The Phantom of the Opera was originally a book by Gaston Leroux, published in 1909 in France. Many movies have been based off the book, but by far the biggest hit was Andrew Lloyd Webber's take on it in his 1986 musical, The Phantom of the Opera.
The story follows the life of Christine Daaé, a Swedish ballet girl with an amazing voice. Orphaned at 7 when her father, the famous Swedish violinist Gustave Daaé, died, she was brought to the opera house to study ballet. When her father was on his deathbed he promised to send her the Angel of Music. While in the opera house, a strange voice from the walls begins calling to her. Believing this is the angel her father promised her, she began taking lessons from the voice, always hearing him, but never seeing him. One day, when lead soprano Carlotta Giudicelli quits after a mysterious accident, Christine is volunteered to sing Carlotta's solos for the gala later on.
During the same time the new managers, Richard Firmin and Gilles Andre (in the book, Richard and Moncharmin), are being shown around the theater. After interrupting rehearsal, they announce that the Vicomte de Chagny, Raoul, is their new patron. Christine recognizes him as her childhood sweetheart from before her father died. However, Raoul does not notice or remember her until he is watching her perform at the gala later that night. When he does, though, he sets out to rekindle their love.
He visits her after the gala, glowing with memories of their past together and begging to take her for supper that night. Christine, though elated to see her lover again, refuses because, "the Angel of Music is very strict." Raoul laughs and promises not to keep her out late, then leaves to fetch his carriage. Christine is conflicted, wanting very much to go with him but also afraid of displeasing her angel. While preparing to leave her dressing room, she finds the door is locked. The voice now returns to her, cursing this young suitor and calling her to him. For the first time, Christine sees her angel, a mysterious man in a mask that covers half his face. He beckons her to him, and leads her to his underground lair.
Meanwhile, there is much havoc above ground, as the opera's new young star has vanished! Firmin, Andre, Raoul, and Carlotta all receive mysterious notes that have to do with Christine Daae, signed form the Opera Ghost or the Phantom of the Opera. In the middle of a raging Carlotta, Madame Giry (the woman who took Christine to the opera house and adopted her) interrupts to announce that, "Ms. Daae has returned." Everyone is glad she is safe, but now that Carlotta returned, she was no longer needed.
Later, the managers ignore the orders given the by the Opera Ghost to place Christine in the lead role of that night's show and instead leave Carlotta as the lead. The performance begins, with no "disaster beyond imagination" as the Phantom promised, occurring. Andre and Firmin are still on edge, though. Then, in the middle of one of her solos, Carlotta gave a large croak, like a frog! Shaken, but determined to proceed, Carlotta presses on. She's okay for a few measures, but suddenly the same thing happened. She opened her mouth to sing her next note and instead she croaked. Panicked, she ran off stage, leaving the audience in an laughter. The managers quickly took control, promising that the production would continue with Christine playing the lead. While she gets ready, they request that the orchestra and ballerinas perform the ballet from later on in the act.
While Christine is getting ready in her dressing room and the ballerinas are performing, the body of stagehand Joseph Buquet is hung from a noose on the stage. The ballet girls scream and run away, the audience is in an uproar, and as soon as Christine found out what happened, she knew who it was. She ran with Raoul to the highest point in the opera house, telling him everything she saw when being held captive by this strange Phantom. He tried to assure her that this ghost, this angel, did not exist, but she was too scared to listen. Raoul calms her by promising that he would protect her from then on, that he would take her far away, and they become engaged. Christine believes she is safe now, but she did not know that her angel was listening on the roof the whole time, and he felt betrayed and longed for revenge.
At a masquerade ball six months later, Raoul hopes to make his engagement public, but Christine was still afraid of her angel and his reaction. She tries to convince him it's a good thing, their little secret, but he still wishes for her to wear the ring on her fourth finger. Christine simply says, "Let's not argue... You will understand in time." and leaves the ring on the chain around her neck. All is merry and good until a trapdoor opens and the Phantom of the Opera comes forth, dressed in full masquerade attire.
He asks the startled guests, "Why so silent, good monsieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good? Have you missed me, good monsieurs? I have written you an opera!" He brings forth the score, an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant. He gives a few instructions, directly relating to Carlotta, Piangi (Carlotta's diva lover who is to play Don Juan), his managers, and the star, Christine Daae. As he is delivering his orders, he spies the engagement ring around her neck and he rips it off, exclaiming, "Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!" He then disappears through his trap door.
Rehearsals start for the new opera, and everyone is worried about it's content. Don Juan is supposed to be the devil, and the story is about him tricking a young girl into loving him. Still, rehearsals go on because everyone is afraid of the ghost and his harsh ways.
Before the performance, Christine travels to her father's grave, wishing to move on and no longer cry about the past. While there, she hears a voice call to her from her father's mausoleum. "Angel, or father? Friend, or phantom?" Christine asks, weary about who might be behind the enchanting voice. "I am your angel of music. Come to me, angel of music," the Phantom calls back. Once again entranced by her angel, Christine approaches the Phantom in an almost trance-like state. But then Raoul comes to the rescue, distracts Christine, and rescues her from the opera ghost.
Finally, the performance is put on. The audience is shocked at the opera's devilish theme, but they soon settle into the story. Christine makes her entrance, as the beautiful young girl who is tricked by Don Juan, while Don Juan disguises himself in a small secret dressing room on-stage. While in there, the Phantom attacks Piangi then puts on his disguise and sneaks on stage pretending to be Piangi. Christine goes through the whole number with him, not knowing it was the Phantom until he began singing a part of the love song she and Raoul sang to eachother. Scared, she goes along with it until she is able to rip off his mask!
Embarrassed but still determined to have Christine as his own, the Phantom activates another hidden trapdoor leading straight to his lair. Everyone is upset, but mostly Raoul, who immediately sets out to find his bride.
Underground, Christine is dressed in a wedding gown the Phantom designed for her and he sings to her about an eternity with him. While this happened, Raoul approached the lair. The Phantom noticed him and managed to tie him up with a noose. He tells Christine she can either let Raoul live by getting married to him, or she can end her days with him and send Raoul to his death.
Raoul begs her to just free herself from the Phantom, but she finally decides to save Raoul's life. She approaches the Phantom and kisses him, the first time he had ever been kissed by anyone. He breaks down into tears and tells her to take Raoul and forget all of this. He unties Raoul and begins to leave. "Go now!" he shouts, while walking away. She and Raoul prepare to leave, but Christine wants to give the Phantom something to remember her by. All she has is the engagement ring that he himself gave to her, so she returns to the deepest part of his lair. When he sees her, he sings softly, "Christine, I love you." She begins crying, returns the ring to him, then turns to leave.
Christine and Raoul disappear, returning to above ground to live out the rest of their lives together. The Phantom listens to them as they go, then shouts, "It's over now, the music of the night!" He leaves his lair and is never seen again.
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The story follows the life of Christine Daaé, a Swedish ballet girl with an amazing voice. Orphaned at 7 when her father, the famous Swedish violinist Gustave Daaé, died, she was brought to the opera house to study ballet. When her father was on his deathbed he promised to send her the Angel of Music. While in the opera house, a strange voice from the walls begins calling to her. Believing this is the angel her father promised her, she began taking lessons from the voice, always hearing him, but never seeing him. One day, when lead soprano Carlotta Giudicelli quits after a mysterious accident, Christine is volunteered to sing Carlotta's solos for the gala later on.
During the same time the new managers, Richard Firmin and Gilles Andre (in the book, Richard and Moncharmin), are being shown around the theater. After interrupting rehearsal, they announce that the Vicomte de Chagny, Raoul, is their new patron. Christine recognizes him as her childhood sweetheart from before her father died. However, Raoul does not notice or remember her until he is watching her perform at the gala later that night. When he does, though, he sets out to rekindle their love.
He visits her after the gala, glowing with memories of their past together and begging to take her for supper that night. Christine, though elated to see her lover again, refuses because, "the Angel of Music is very strict." Raoul laughs and promises not to keep her out late, then leaves to fetch his carriage. Christine is conflicted, wanting very much to go with him but also afraid of displeasing her angel. While preparing to leave her dressing room, she finds the door is locked. The voice now returns to her, cursing this young suitor and calling her to him. For the first time, Christine sees her angel, a mysterious man in a mask that covers half his face. He beckons her to him, and leads her to his underground lair.
Meanwhile, there is much havoc above ground, as the opera's new young star has vanished! Firmin, Andre, Raoul, and Carlotta all receive mysterious notes that have to do with Christine Daae, signed form the Opera Ghost or the Phantom of the Opera. In the middle of a raging Carlotta, Madame Giry (the woman who took Christine to the opera house and adopted her) interrupts to announce that, "Ms. Daae has returned." Everyone is glad she is safe, but now that Carlotta returned, she was no longer needed.
Later, the managers ignore the orders given the by the Opera Ghost to place Christine in the lead role of that night's show and instead leave Carlotta as the lead. The performance begins, with no "disaster beyond imagination" as the Phantom promised, occurring. Andre and Firmin are still on edge, though. Then, in the middle of one of her solos, Carlotta gave a large croak, like a frog! Shaken, but determined to proceed, Carlotta presses on. She's okay for a few measures, but suddenly the same thing happened. She opened her mouth to sing her next note and instead she croaked. Panicked, she ran off stage, leaving the audience in an laughter. The managers quickly took control, promising that the production would continue with Christine playing the lead. While she gets ready, they request that the orchestra and ballerinas perform the ballet from later on in the act.
While Christine is getting ready in her dressing room and the ballerinas are performing, the body of stagehand Joseph Buquet is hung from a noose on the stage. The ballet girls scream and run away, the audience is in an uproar, and as soon as Christine found out what happened, she knew who it was. She ran with Raoul to the highest point in the opera house, telling him everything she saw when being held captive by this strange Phantom. He tried to assure her that this ghost, this angel, did not exist, but she was too scared to listen. Raoul calms her by promising that he would protect her from then on, that he would take her far away, and they become engaged. Christine believes she is safe now, but she did not know that her angel was listening on the roof the whole time, and he felt betrayed and longed for revenge.
At a masquerade ball six months later, Raoul hopes to make his engagement public, but Christine was still afraid of her angel and his reaction. She tries to convince him it's a good thing, their little secret, but he still wishes for her to wear the ring on her fourth finger. Christine simply says, "Let's not argue... You will understand in time." and leaves the ring on the chain around her neck. All is merry and good until a trapdoor opens and the Phantom of the Opera comes forth, dressed in full masquerade attire.
He asks the startled guests, "Why so silent, good monsieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good? Have you missed me, good monsieurs? I have written you an opera!" He brings forth the score, an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant. He gives a few instructions, directly relating to Carlotta, Piangi (Carlotta's diva lover who is to play Don Juan), his managers, and the star, Christine Daae. As he is delivering his orders, he spies the engagement ring around her neck and he rips it off, exclaiming, "Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!" He then disappears through his trap door.
Rehearsals start for the new opera, and everyone is worried about it's content. Don Juan is supposed to be the devil, and the story is about him tricking a young girl into loving him. Still, rehearsals go on because everyone is afraid of the ghost and his harsh ways.
Before the performance, Christine travels to her father's grave, wishing to move on and no longer cry about the past. While there, she hears a voice call to her from her father's mausoleum. "Angel, or father? Friend, or phantom?" Christine asks, weary about who might be behind the enchanting voice. "I am your angel of music. Come to me, angel of music," the Phantom calls back. Once again entranced by her angel, Christine approaches the Phantom in an almost trance-like state. But then Raoul comes to the rescue, distracts Christine, and rescues her from the opera ghost.
Finally, the performance is put on. The audience is shocked at the opera's devilish theme, but they soon settle into the story. Christine makes her entrance, as the beautiful young girl who is tricked by Don Juan, while Don Juan disguises himself in a small secret dressing room on-stage. While in there, the Phantom attacks Piangi then puts on his disguise and sneaks on stage pretending to be Piangi. Christine goes through the whole number with him, not knowing it was the Phantom until he began singing a part of the love song she and Raoul sang to eachother. Scared, she goes along with it until she is able to rip off his mask!
Embarrassed but still determined to have Christine as his own, the Phantom activates another hidden trapdoor leading straight to his lair. Everyone is upset, but mostly Raoul, who immediately sets out to find his bride.
Underground, Christine is dressed in a wedding gown the Phantom designed for her and he sings to her about an eternity with him. While this happened, Raoul approached the lair. The Phantom noticed him and managed to tie him up with a noose. He tells Christine she can either let Raoul live by getting married to him, or she can end her days with him and send Raoul to his death.
Raoul begs her to just free herself from the Phantom, but she finally decides to save Raoul's life. She approaches the Phantom and kisses him, the first time he had ever been kissed by anyone. He breaks down into tears and tells her to take Raoul and forget all of this. He unties Raoul and begins to leave. "Go now!" he shouts, while walking away. She and Raoul prepare to leave, but Christine wants to give the Phantom something to remember her by. All she has is the engagement ring that he himself gave to her, so she returns to the deepest part of his lair. When he sees her, he sings softly, "Christine, I love you." She begins crying, returns the ring to him, then turns to leave.
Christine and Raoul disappear, returning to above ground to live out the rest of their lives together. The Phantom listens to them as they go, then shouts, "It's over now, the music of the night!" He leaves his lair and is never seen again.
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