"Keep in time and always remember to look to the audience and connect… Smile everyone." shouted the ballet master.
Anya was just a simple ballerina, a graduate of the Académie Royale de la Danse in Paris and now a member of the Paris Opera's Corps de Ballet. But Anya always wanted something more than being a pretty ornament in the background; she wanted to be a singer, a leading lady.
"Out of my way you stupid little wrench." shouted the Prima Donna of the production, the horrible Lucetta. She is such a pain, she can't even sing that well. But sadly all the men are afraid of her; she does throw some really terrible tantrums.
Lucetta starts singing her Aria, which makes me want to be sick. Anya looked up to see one of her best friends, Claudio, he looks up at her and smiles at Anya.
Lucetta finishes her Aria, the wonderful music stops and the Chorus exeunts from the stage one by one.
"You looked great out there Anya." says Claudio.
"Oh come on, Claudio, you are always complimented me, you know if I was any good they would have chosen me to do that solo instead of you!"
"True… But you know I am trying to persuade the director to change it into a duet…"
"Claudio, you deserve the solo. No one I know works as hard as you!"
"Anya, has something been on your mind recently?"
"No… not really… why do you say that Claudio?"
"Oh nothing… just wondering"
Lucetta was singing again. Just as she was singing on a really high note, a backdrop came very close to Lucetta almost killing her. Unfortunately Lucetta was not injured but was in a bit of shock and went off in one of her tantrums.
"This always happens and you know why that little ballerina is always fiddling about backstage with those things. I think she wants to kill me off and be the Prima Donna!" she was pointing at me. Lucetta has had it in for me since the director suggested I become her understudy, she bluntly refused.
"Lucetta, Anya couldn't have done anything like this someone backstage must have done it whilst you were singing and Anya was with me at the time of the accident." said Claudio.
Lucetta liked Claudio, and there has been gossip around the theatre saying she wants to marry him. Claudio hasn't noticed her feelings for him…
"Claudio why do you defend this girl so?"
"She is a friend and I know she is innocent… perhaps it is the famous opera ghost?"
Everyone in the theatre gasped. No one has dared to mention the Legend of the Phantom of the Opera. People in the theatre fear this creature of the night. Some call him a misunderstood Angel of Music and others call him a mad man and a murderer.
"Hush… Claudio do not speak of that." said the director, "You know the ghost only brings bad luck"
"Why does everyone fear him? He is only a man."
"He is not just a man; he is a murderer, kidnapper and a mad man" shouted the ballet master. Everyone stared at the ballet master. Jean, the ballet master, usually kept his thoughts to himself and did not get involved with drama.
"You are all getting worked up over nothing. He is just a man. Nothing more." exclaimed Claudio, who got up and left the company in shock.
"All right everyone I think we have had enough drama for one day. We shall meet tomorrow for one last rehearsal before tomorrow's performance. Get plenty of rest!"
"Oh no! I am not performing with a Ghost around… I am not going to tomorrows show" screamed Lucetta. The managers and directors looked on with horror they had no star! They begged and pleaded with Lucetta but she wouldn't budge. She left the stage.
The rest of the cast left the stage into their dormitories. The directors were in trouble, they had no star!