"Do you sing?" Madame Giry asked me To which I reluctantly answered. I could feel her eyes looking at me, up and down. If it comes to singing, I have a much more confident on it.
"Yes."
"How about dance?" Dance? I'm not that great at dancing as well. Well, thanks for the training I had with SM Entertainment. They trained me on different types of dancing. But I'm not as good as other like Momo of Twice or Lalisa of Blackpink. If there's anyone I can have an equal ability for dancing? I'd probably choose Mina of Twice. Probably because she and I were on the same ballerina dormitories before and we're both ballerina only Mina has a longer experiende while I only have 3 or 4 years experience but since it was a K-pop industry, Momo and Lalisa are indeed what they need to fill up that role.
"A little bit." I answered her with not so much confident.
"Madame Giry, what kind of dance you have here?"
"Ballet."
"Oh shoot." Even though I already know the answer since I've watched Phantom of the Opera multiple times, I just need to keep up my acting this way. I don't think telling them the truth is a bright idea either. Especially if the Phantom of the Opera is listening, he can kill me instantly for knowing too much.
"Do you dance ballet?"
"I only have 3 or 4 years experience back when I was a kid."
"Good. We have an opening position for chorus girl. There's an audition tomorrow. I hope you are ready."
"Thanks." Atleast I have a reason to stay here and perhaps, save some money to buy things since I'll be staying here on this century for too long until I find out on how to get out of this situation. Although I don't really have any idea, but it's far better to play along. How much did I already change the plot of the story? I don't really know.
"By the way, my daughter will provide you anything you need."
"Your daughter?" I acted innocently even though I already know her daughter, Meg Giry whom I met earlier when I woke up.
"Meg Giry, you have met her. The blonde girl one."
"Oh."
——————————
On the other side, Erik has been observing Isabella for a while now. He couldn't help but to see how attractive this girl is. But he has this gut feeling that this girl would do well on his opera. But on the contrary, he wanted Christine Daae to become a star of the show. He taughter her, shaped her voice and gave her songs.
Christine. My angel. My love.
"The girl has an overwhelming charisma." Madame Giry said as they are watching the rehearsal for Hannibal. 6 weeks left to perform, but they're still lacking on many things. The dancers are still confuse with the drill. La Carlotta isn't even helping either.
"But how about her singing ability? How does she do?" Erik questioned the Ballerina head, trying to sort of outsmart her but he knew for a fact, Isabella is indeed has a charismatic energy. If she could sing, she might have a chance to become a star like Christine.
"She got good looks, I'm not sure about the personality. But she has 'star' quality as per say."
"She is indeed a very pretty girl. But looks alone won't be enough to take the path of a stardom." He said in a matter of fact tone.
"If it turns out that she's a good singer, she might probably become popular." With this statement made Erik bit surprise. Madame Giry spoke highly of Christine Daae and Meg Giry with so much pride of them.
Is she saying that Isabella can be like Christine or much, a better potential than her?
Erik shook that thought away from him. Christine is the only one who will rise to stardom. Christine is his pride, and the Opera Populaire's pride. And she alone will conquer the world with her voice. And afterall, they don't even know if Isabella can really sing or dance, they will need to find that out tomorrow.
--
[Isabella]
Many girls around my age came to audition. And I gotta admit that most of them are really beautiful. I felt so intimidated for that fact, most of them are really well-prepared. And I heard the others are warming up, some of them really have a good voice. They really have a high pitch voice that is suited for operatic style. Especially, we are prepared to sing Think of Me for Hannibal. It's a song that Christine sang in the movie when La Carlotta quit. And it will be perform 6 weeks from now. Looks like I haven't gotten to the first sight of the movie or the musical. I'll just take this as an opportunity to perhaps? Change the plot? Make Erik realize that Christine will never love him as a lover? I am really nervous and couldn't help but fidgeted. Pacing back and worth trying to calm my nerves.
Since Think of Me is made for opera singers, and I haven't sing this for a while now, I would have to sing this in a lower key. Last time I sang this back in South Korea, with Super Junior's Kyuhyun. It was such an honor to perform with him. He was so nice and helped me lot with my musical scores. He's my 'sunbaenim', that's how we address our upperclassmen or an older idol with so much experience than you. My vocal coach told me it's better to sing a song within your comfortzone to express and give the audience a good music to perform rather than to sing it out of your comfortzone. It will become a disaster if you made a mistake. Afterall, you sing to connect to people and express your feelings, not to impress others.
I watched the others who sang the song, most of them might have an operatic voice, but they couldn't hit the proper note for the song. Some are trying to impress with their runs and agility to the song. Some of them are also oversinging it or just being mediocore. The judges, if I'm not mistaken, one of them is Monsieur Lefreve, then Madame Giry and Monsieur Reyer, they're already tired of the same thing over and over again.
Oh, okay.
Would they like my own version of Think of Me? I'm getting nervous as fuck. I have auditions to many competitions. From the Voice Philippines to I Can See Your Voice, to SM Entertainment, to musicals like Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Phantom of the Opera (welp, South Korea version), and Miss Saigon. I've worked with great singers like Miss Lea Salonga, Sierra Burgess, Rachel Ann Go, Ramin Karimloo and Ben Lewis. I've come so far now. But why so nervous this time?
"Next! Isabella Wong!" I've heard my name called by Monsieur Lefevre. I got up to my seat and nervously walked on stage. Eyes are pretty much staring down at me and it's making me anxious.
Okay Isabella, you got this. This is just like any other audition.
"Ready whenever you are. Maestro please." Monsieur Reyer gestured to the pianist beside to cue on music. By the time I heard the piano, the keys are on its original high pitch key, since I practice it on lower key. I wasn't able to sing.
"Mademoiselle Isabella, are you there?" Monsieur Reyer tried to call me out.
"Uhm. Monsieur, is it okay if I'm going to." I pointed out on where the piano is. "I have a different arrangement for this song, if it's okay if I'm going to perform it the way I've prepared it?"
"Sure. Any types of music is welcome to the opera house. Go on Mademoiselle." Monsieur Reyer told me. "Thank you." I said then went to the piano where the pianist stood up and left it empty for me to use. I sighed then played the keys in a lower key.
Think of me, think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me, once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
When you find that once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me
Think of me, think of me waking
Silent and resigned
Imagine me trying too hard
To put you from my mind
Recall those days
Look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day
When I won't think of you
Another thing that's important to a singer. The diction. This is probably one of my asset and is also the reason why I am mistakenly to sing like Miss Lea Salonga. That is for me to sing with much clearer diction that most people will not be needing subtitles for them to understand the words that I'm singing.
Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade
They have their season so do we
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me
On the last note of the song, I sang it on my operatic voice. The transition of my voice came out nice though. It's good that I didn't failed.
I huffed a bit. It's been a long time since I've sung 'Think of Me'. A bit rusty of course, I've sang it in a lower key, I know I sucked a bit but ir's better to sing this song 'safe' rather than sing it on the original key, I might sound sucker if I did. Although I can sing this song with the original key but since I don't really have much time to prepare, so I have to play it 'smartly' to present a good performance.
I watched the people infront of me, and the other performers on the show who is also watching me then they start talking to each other now. How did I do? Did I fail? I tried to listen to most of them.
"Where did she came from?" I heard one of the ballet dancers asked her fellow dancer to which she responded with "I don't know."
"She sing so beautiful."
"And she's pretty too."
Then I saw the three judges, Monsieur Lefevre, Madame Giry and Monsieur Reyer applaude.
One of the dancer gasped when she saw the judges clapping.
"This is the first time I saw Monsieur Reyer clapped like that."
"And Madame Giry."
On the other side of the theater, from the Box 5 to where the Phantom usually sits and watch the performance. He was astounded that someone sang the song beautifully. Not much like the other girls who audtioned and sang this song to impress. But this Isabella girl, she didn't sing just because she can, but because she wanted to reconnect with the audience. It's like she's telling a story, she sing from the heart. But what's more interesting though, he made Think of Me for Christine Daae's vocal range and arrangement. But for Isabella, she change the arrangement and sang it in a lower scale. This impressed Erik as it turns out the song Think of Me came out beautifully. It's different and refreshing to the ear.
--
"That was quite a performance she showed."
"Think of Me is originally composed for singers with high pitched voice like Christine. But on Isabella's case, I never knew she'll come out differently." Eric could admitted. Ever since Isabella came into Opera house, he became so wary of this woman. And he doesn't know why. Probably because she's the only Asian on this house and is easier to recognize than many other woman inside the opera house. Isabella is indeed a beautiful woman and a very attractive one as well. She exudes such charm and charisma specially onstage. If you wanted to become a star, you just don't need to have talent, but you also need a great stage presence. That is something this young Asian girl has.
"What're you trying to say, Erik?"
"I'm just saying that Isabella is a versatile singer. She lowered the key for Think of Me, and it comes out nice." Another thing Erik could admit of Isabella. Her beautiful voice. He can identify that this Isabella woman is either a mezzo-soprano or a lyrical soprano but either way, she got a huge potential. Even a bigger potential than Christine. However, Isabella is Asian, people will still support their fellow Europeans instead someone who is not of this continent.
"That's a first time you praise someone other than Christine."
"Is Isabella Wong, a pure Asian?"
"She's half Korean and half British." Madame Giry answered.
"That explains her accent. Her english is more British than an Asian one."
"Why asked such a thing?" Madame Giry furrowed her eyebrow on Erik as this is the first time she saw Erik becoming really interested to a woman they barely know. They just found Isabella Wong outside the Populaire with her legs bare naked to the eyes for the public to see. It's a good thing that no one took advantage of it and no one was there when she laid at the stairs. They brought her inside the house and sheltered her thinking that she might gotten hurt. Another thing though, it's good that Isabella can sing really good. But from the characters they have in Opera, they don't have a character that would suit her as most of the characters are western and it's better to cast a western artist rather than an Asian artist to play Western Artist.
"Nothing that matters." With a swish of his cape, Erik left the box 5 and made his way to his lair.
Think of Me by Lea Salonga.
I might need to edit this fanfic. Sooner or latee after I've finished this.