***I do not own Cats or the Phantom of the Opera***
PhanTom - Macavity
Christine - Demeter
Madame Giry - Grizabella
Raoul - Munkustrap
Meg - Jemima
Carlotta - Bombalurina
New managers for the opera house (Andre and Firman) - Bustopher Jones and Gus the Theater Cat
Conductor for the opera band: Skimbleshanks
Piangi - Asparagus Jr.
Paris - 1919
The streets were busy with activity as a carriage pulled up in front of an abandoned opera house. A banner above the door read: "Vente Publique Aux Encheres (Public Auction Today)." The carriage stopped and the nurse pushed a wheelchair around to the side. A elderly black and silver striped Tabby stepped out and was lowered into the wheelchair.
"Sold. Your number sir? Thank you." The auctioner was saying. "Lot 663, ladies and gentletoms. A poster from this house's production of 'Hannibal' by Chalumeau."
"Showing here." A young tom stood in front of the crowd and held up the object.
"Do I have ten francs?" The auctioner scanned the crowd. "Five, then. Five I am bid. Six. Seven. Against you, sir, seven. Eight? Eight once. Selling twice. Sold, to Monsieur Deferre."
"Thank you very much, sir," Monsieur Deferre said.
"Lot 664," the auctioner continued. "A wooden pistol and three human skulls. From the 1831 production of 'Robert le Diable' by Meyerbeer. Ten francs for this. Ten, thank you. Ten still. Fifteen, thank you. Fifteen I'm bid. Going at fifteen. Your number, sir?"
The black and silver Tabby looked up to see an elderly grey queen staring at him. Recognition flashed in the Tabby's eyes.
"Lot 665, ladies and gentletoms," the auctioner kept going. "A paper mache musical box in the shape of a barrel organ. Attached, the figure of a monkey in Persian robes playing the cymbals. This item discovered in the vaults of the theater, still in working order."
"Showing here," the young tom said. Music filled the opera haouse at the sound of the musical box.
'May I commence at fifteen francs?" The auctioner asked. "Fifteen, thank you."
The Tabby made the gesture to his nurse to bid on the musical box. She raised her hand.
The auctioner smiled. "Yes, twenty from you, sir. Thank you very much."
The elderly grey queen raised her hand to bid higher.
"Madame Grizabella, twenty-five. Thank you, madame. Twenty-five I am bid. Do I hear thirty?"
The nurse raised her hand again.
"Thirty. And thirty-five?"
The auctioner looked towards the grey queen, but she shook her head.
"Selling at thirty francs, then. Thirty once, thirty twice. Sold for thirty francs to Monsieur Munkustrap. Thank you, sir."
The young tom placed the musical box in Munkustrap's lap. Madame Grizabella watched from across the room.
"A collector's piece, indeed," Munkustrap sang in his head. "Every detail, exactly as she said. Will you still play when the rest of us are dead?"
"Lot 666, then," the auctioner continued once more. "A chandelier in pieces. Some of you may recall the strange affair of the PhanTom of the Opera. A mystery never fully explained. We're told, ladies and gentletoms, that this is the very chandelier which figures in the famous disaster. Our workshops have repaired it and wired parts of it for the new electric light. Perhaps we can frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination. Gentletoms?"
The cats standing next to the covered chandelier nodded and pulled on the ropes, revealing the chandelier as it made its way up to the ceiling. The lights flickered on. The opera house began transforming from old and dusty to new and refined.
