CHAPTER 2 - Opening Night
"Faust! An opera by Charles Gonoud. Too many acts for my taste, too many songs!" said the young, mid 20´s and blonde Vicoumte Raoul de Chagny, brother of Philippe, as he walked with his friend Freddie through the streets of Paris "If you aren´t pleased with opera, why don´t you go to a cabaret, my dear friend?" Raoul laughed. "Becuase the Opera House is already a cabaret, Freddie!". They laughed and kept walking.
Suddenly, they passed through the scene of a crime. A woman´s descead body, probably suicide was found rapped into newspapers. "Paris is tomb, Raoul." said Freddie "And the Opera is a light in the darkness" "Light in darkness, hum? You got a poet inside you!" "Thank you."
The Paris Opera House was indeed a light in the darkness. It was the home of high society, were presidents, counts, duchessess, barons, every rich people would reunite to presence that rite of music and drama.
Though, in the mind of the "rich people" Carlotta was still going to perform, although, backstage at the Opera, it was a complete chaos. There were lots of rumors of what happened. There were those who said it was the Phantom of the Opera, others said that Carlotta saw Philippe cheating a chorus girl and she passed out, others say that Philippe tried to kill Carlotta and still there were those who actually believed that Christine Daaé herself drugged the diva to sing Marguerite. But that´s just a story.
In a matter of seconds, the auditorium was filled with operagoers and their librettos. The hall was shined by the great crystal chandelier that was hanged by some chains, to the baroque ceiling of the Opera. The orchestra practiced with their instruments. Suddenly, the lights were soflty turned off and the stage-manager Henri arrived on the stage to make an announcement. Operagoers were terrified, what happened backstage? Nervously, Henri started talking "Madame et messieur, due to a sunden illness, our Prima Donna - La Carlotta will not be singing the role of Marguerite. To replace her tonight, the role will by played by Mademoiselle Christine Daaé. Thank you and enjoy the show.
The Overture started playing. Raoul and Freddie were seating in one of the best boxes on the house. Freddie looked around the people watching the performance. "Just like you, I invested plenty of money in this production so it better be sold out! And why is that Box empty over there?" said Freddie. He looked into Raoul, who seemed to be very thoughtful. "Raoul?" asked Freddie "Daaé... Daaé´... Is Christine Daaé´familiar to you?" "Well yes, she´s been in the company for years now, quite famous on her own right. Her father was once the conductor here, but he died in the great fire of 1883. The daughter was raised by a rich godmother who was patron of the Palais at that time. By the way, where´s your brother Philippe? He was suppose to be here by now"
Up in the managers´ office, the managers - Richard Firmin and Armand Moncharmin, Philippe and Dr. Seward were taking care of Carlotta. "Poisoned! No doubts of that" affirmed Seward "This ghost story has been way too far! Box 5, the best box in the house, reserved for him everynight, twenty-thousand francs a month and now a threatning note to our Carlotta. We have to call the police!" said Moncharmin. "A police to capture Christine Daaé and her friends. It´s obvious that she did it!" protested Philippe. "Monsieur Le Comte, you can´t..." tried to stop Richard, but Philippe continued "Carlotta showed me a note signed by the Phantom warning her about this and she affirmed it was Christine. Now, we have enough proves against mademoiselle Daaé."
Back at the auditorium, Christine appeared, beautifully dressed in a long white dress singing the Jewel Song. "Rich people" were fascinated by her voice and beauty. Christine´s moviments, her persona itself. It was the hell of a show!
Hidden in the empty box, the Phantom of the Opera watched her from behind the curtains. Tears washed his mask as he would see the woman of his dreams doing what she always dreamed of doing - being a star. But for the Phantom, Christine was a star since her birth.
Raoul was a man in love. He didn´t say anything to Freddie, but in his mind he would remember, when he was at the Navy, he saved Christine from drawning as she nearly died trying to rescue her red scar that the wind carried away into the sea. A worried father watched from nearby. Papa Daaé was along dead but his Angel was still at large, looking after his daughter, till the day she would reunite with him in heaven.
Christine was about to finish her solo when suddenly the image of the Opera House on fire and her father being locked in was still in her mind. Christine shouted "Noooooooooooooooooooo!" and fainted into the floor.