INT. BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE – NIGHT
Welp, Ace makes his stage debut as Raoul. As he sings, his Brooklyn accent comes out and he yell-talks the entire song. The audience is utterly confused – though some begin to laugh at him. Mr. DeLaouritz leans forward, his mouth open.
RANDOM AUDIENCE GUY: He's funny!
RANDOM GIRL: It's a parody!
And people applaud him as he steps off the stage. He smiles at Kirby.
ACE: See – they love me. They really love me!
KIRBY: (facepalming) They think you're satirizing the part. Oh this is The Producers all over again. You're up, Nicky. The final act.
Nicholette smiles at Brian. The penultimate song where the Phantom of the Opera declares his undying love for Christine. Brian smiles at Nicholette as he dons his Phantom mask.
BRIAN: I'll be singing this song as the Phantom, but I'll be singing it to you.
He vanishes into position. Kirby turns to her.
KIRBY: Oh, you two got together? About time. Anyway – this is so I can communicate with you when the killer makes his move.
She hands Nicholette a small earpiece. Nicholette sticks it in her left ear.
KIRBY: Keep it on. And listen. And … break a leg girl, despite Ace's National Lampoon acting you're doing great!
NICHOLETTE: I dunno …
KIRBY: Do you not hear the applause every time you're on stage? Now go, have confidence and have fun! Brian'll be waiting for you at the after party.
CUT TO:
INT. PLAYHOUSE STAGE – NIGHT
Nicholette steps onto the stage and begins the second to last song. She sits down as Brian enters as the Phantom and begins singing.
BRIAN: (singing) You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of wish which till now has been silent. I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge, In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all your defenses, completely succumbed to me, Now that you are here with me, no second thoughts, You've decided … decided …
He approaches Nicholette, taking her arm, kissing up it. He may be acting, but it's all real all the same.
BRIAN: (singing) Past the point of no return. No backward glances. Our games of make-believe are at an end.
Nicholette turns, she's in character as Christine, the Phantom's true love.
CHRISTINE: (singing) I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why. In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent. Now I am here with you, no second thoughts, I've decided, decided.
The two follow the directions of the stage director, following through with their song. Brian ends up behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, his lips in her ear.
BRIAN: (singing) Say you'll share with me, one love, one lifetime. Lead me, save me from my solitude …
CUT TO:
Kirby watches offstage with Ace. Her hand is on her heart, tears in her eyes at the genuineness flowing from Brian. He's singing as the Phantom to Christine, but in reality as Brian to Nicholette.
She turns as he's singing, her fingers going to her pocket, remembering her phone is there. She takes it out – at least 27 missed calls from DJ. Nearly a dozen voicemails. She listens, stepping away from Ace to a silent spot backstage. DJ's voicemail is frantic and terrified.
DJ: (V/O) Kirby you gotta call me back immediately. The manifest came back! Only person we know from Woodsboro was working at the museum that night! I think the killer is –
We don't even have to hear the rest of his voicemail. Kirby shuts off the phone, hand to her chest, rushing next to Ace. He sees the worry on her face.
ACE: You okay girl? Is it the killer? Is he making his move?
KIRBY: Yes. He's making it right in front of us.
She presses a small device to her lips – the device synched to the earpiece in Nicholette's ear.
KIRBY: Nicky, it's me. The killer is Brian! You gotta get out of there! NOW!
CUT TO:
Brian is now holding Nicholette face to face, his hands on her hips, staring down at her from behind his Phantom of the Opera mask. He's still singing.
BRIAN: (singing) Say you want me with you here, beside you … Anywhere you go, let me go too. Nicky – that's all I ask of –
Nicholette steps back. Her eyes are filled with tears, her hand on her chest. Brian stares at her questioningly, hands out. Imploringly. He sees her eyes and he realizes – SHE KNOWS.
NICHOLETTE: It's not true, is it?
The audience murmurs. Those aren't the lines.
BRIAN: Nicky –
NICHOLETTE: Please tell me it's not you … please …
BRIAN: I did what I had to … for you … for us … I never wanted you to find out like this …
Nicholette backs away. Brian is pleading, hands outstretched.
BRIAN: Please – just let me explain.
NICHOLETTE: There's nothing to explain. You're the killer – or one of them, I don't know!
BRIAN: Nicky!
He reaches out – she slaps his hand away.
NICHOLETTE: Don't touch me! Where's Danny? And Nathan? And Chantelle and Chris?
NATHAN'S BODY DROPS FROM THE CEILING BETWEEN THEM, STRUNG UP BY HIS OWN INTESTINES!
The audience screams! The music from The Phantom of the Opera is still playing. There's pandemonium. Brian grabs Nicholette around her waist – she struggles in his grip, beating him around the face. He steps onto a platform – a trapdoor that the actor was supposed to use to get off stage. Now it's Brian's getaway. It opens below their feet and Brian grips her tightly. She calls out to Kirby.
NICHOLETTE: Kirby – he's taking me to where King Kong happened! King Kong!
Kirby's on the phone, dialing the police.
KIRBY: Yes, the Empire State Building. Hurry!
She turns to Ace.
KIRBY: You? You wanna be a superstar? How about a hero? We're going after her!