The Phantom of the Opera
An Adaptation by Matheus Marchetti
CHAPTER 1: Carlotta´s Party
Everyone in Paris knew who La Carlotta is. The favorite Prima Dona of France! Carlotta´s just started rehearsing for the lead part in the opera – Faust by Charles Gounod. Carlotta was young and beautiful, with a long curly golden hair.
One night, after the rehearsals, Carlotta was partying in her dressing room with her lover – the Comte Philippe de Chagny.
"Oh, Carlotta, you´re hilarious!" said Philippe. "Your jokes cannot convince me". They laughed. Suddenly, the smile vanished from Carlotta´s face. A rather unhappy face, as if something went wrong.
"What happened?" asked Philippe. She stood up from the couch and went in the direction of her dressing table. Philippe watched Carlotta walking beautifully, with a pose, the pose of a mature lady. She grabbed a note on the dressing table. "Here! Read it".
Philippe picked up the note and read it "Mademoiselle Carlotta, leave the Opera House before something bad happen to you. Be aware, signed – The Phantom of the Opera". Philippe glanced at her and asked "I can´t believe you believe in this… ghost!" and she answered "Of course not! It´s evident that who wrote this note was that Christine girl. She just left the chorus and is doing a great success. It´s her! It´s Christine! I know it!"
Philippe stood and calmed her down, while he hugged her in an amorous embrace. She turned around and kissed him. Carlotta slowly took of her clothes and lied over Philippe at her couch.
But, from a dark passageway, someone was watching them. Dressed in black with a black fedora and a white mask. It´s was The Phantom of the Opera.
He, who wrote that note to Carlotta. He, who torments the opera singers. He, the tortured soul who only wanted to be loved.
The ghost drugged the lovers´ wine as they were connected in a ritual of love and lust.
Philippe stood up again, wearing no clothes and grabbed the two glasses of wine. He drank one and gave the other to Carlotta. Suddenly, Carlotta felt really bad. "Dear? Carlotta are you all right?" asked Philippe. Then, the stage manager called from behind the wall. "The show starts in 20 minutes!"
Carlotta stood up, dizzy and walked into her closet, but then, suddenly, she dropped into the floor, fainted. "Carlotta! Carlotta!" shouted Philippe. "Dear, do you hear me? Wake up!"
The stage manager called again. Philippe was totally lost, he didn´t know what to do.
Near Carlotta´s dressing room, there was another room, smaller, cheaper and you can even say: decadent. It was Christine Daaé´s room.
Christine was an aspirant singer who, from one day to the other, turned from an unknown chorus girl, to the understudy of La Carlotta. Christine was 20 years old; she had a beautiful curly brown hair and shining blue eyes.
Christine was just changing her clothes when she heard a voice, an angel´s voice "Chris-tine… Chris-tine…"
"Meg, is that you?" asked Christine surprised. "Meg?"… No answer. She opened the dressing room door and saw nobody. Christine turned back again into the mirror. She looked at herself, beautifully dressed for the opera. She smiled. The voice came again, this time; she knew were it came from. It came from behind the mirror. Christine was scared but also attracted.
"Tonight you´ll sing lead. Tonight the world will love… Tonight, you will shine!"
Christine asked whose voice was that, but it was gone. Gone again.
Another voice came, but that one was from the stage manager. "Mademoiselle Daaé!" he said. She opened the door. He was standing there, nervous. "Oh my. I don´t know how to say this… Carlotta… Well…" "Take a deep breath, Gabriel. That´s it. Now, tell me what happened" said Christine. Gabriel answered "Carlotta was poisoned, she´s been treated by Doctor Seward. But, we need you to sing her part!" "What?" Christine was surprised. Right before Gabriel told her the big news; the voice told her of that. Whose voice was that?