Everyone waited expectantly while the piano played the intro. "Think of me,
think of me fondly when we've said goodbye!" I cringed. Her voice, grand
and thunderous, echoed through the theater as she sang. Suddenly I heard a
noise and looked up just in time to see the backdrop come crashing down,
nearly on top of the soprano. Everyone jumped away, screaming and shouting.
Some ran to Carlotta, who had fallen over and was struggling to get away
from the bulky material. Her bright red face was muttering unintelligible
Spanish, and her mussed hair and attire made her look disheveled.
"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera! He is with us! It's the ghost!" The frightened words of the chorus and ballet girls overlapped each other.
"Cara!" Piangi rushed to Carlotta's side and glared at everyone. "Idiots!" he exclaimed. "My darling, are you injured?"
Carlotta tried to straighten herself and maintain her dignity. "How would I know, I am not a doctor. Not that anyone would care if I was hurt or not." She looked pained.
Lefevre quickly asked, "Signora? Are you well? Buquet, where is Buquet? Some one get me Buquet now!"
Piangi roared, "Is no one concerned for our Prima Donna? A doctor, people! Someone call a-"
Firmin spoke sharply, "Be silent! I'm sure a doctor is not needed, am I quite right, Signora?"
"I suppose I shall get along, thank you." Carlotta acidly replied.
"Get that man down here!" Lefevre hollered. "Chief of the flies," he added for Firmin and Andre benefit. "He is responsible for this accident." I looked up and saw Buquet, standing upstage. He looked confused, and slightly angry. In his hand, I noticed, was a bit of rope. Strangely, it represented a noose.
"Buquet! What is the meaning of this? What is going on up there?" Lefevre sounded extremely irritated.
Slightly embarrassed, Buquet answered, "Please monsieur, don't look at me! I.As God as my witness I was not at my post! Lefevre, there is no one there! Trust me." A hint of anxiety entered his eyes as he added, "And if there is, it must be a ghost."
Lefevre shouted, " A ghost! Buquet, honestly, man!"
Under my breath I murmured, "He's there. the Phantom of the Opera." I was beginning to believe in this Opera Ghost.
Andre furiously turned to me. "Good heavens! Mademoiselle, will you show just a little courtesy!"
Firmin looked at the ballet girls, moaning and exclaiming. "Girls, please! That is enough, I should think!"
Andre spoke soothingly to Carlotta. "These things do happen."
Fuming, Carlotta answered, "Oh, si. These things happen." Sarcastically she laughed. "But of course, Signor, these things happen." Suddenly she yelled hysterically, "They just happen! Well, I tell you, as long as these things happen, this thing will not happen! Ubaldo! Andiamo!" She tossed her head and marched toward the door.
"Humph! Amateurs!" Piangi sniffed and gathered the singer's furs. "We shall see if she will be back this time, eh Monsieurs?"
Lefevre looked nervous. "Well, I suppose that is all I can do to assist you, gentlemen. I wish you the best of luck. I shall be in Frankfurt, should you wish to contact me. If you need help or advice, Mme. Giry will be happy to aid you. Goodbye." He hurried out of the room. ~ We all looked at each other, and our new managers. I felt rather bad for them, such an awkward start in the opera.
Andre cleared his throat. "La Carlotta will be back. Do not worry."
Mme. Giry look amused. "You think so? Well, we shall see, no? Oh, I have a message from the Opera Ghost." I gasped. My mother had a note from the ghost? She believes in him? I knew now that he was real. The ballet girls cried out in fear.
Andre looked skeptical as Firmin announced, "Good heavens, you're all obsessed!"
"Nonsense, monsieur, he merely welcomes you to his opera house. He commands you to leave Box Five open for his use and wishes to remind you his salary is due." Mme. Giry paused, waiting for the managers' reaction.
"Salary?" Firmin repeated. Andre snorted. "The fool paid a ghost salary?"
"Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a month." Firmin groaned. "Perhaps with the Vicomte de Chagny as your patron, you can afford more."
"Oh, the Vicomte! Our patron, how wonderful! He is so handsome! We must work hard to please him!" The ballet girls giggled in awe. Christine nervously grabbed my hand, and I squeezed it reassuringly.
Andre cleared his throat. "My dear madam, I had hoped to announce that myself. Indeed, he has agreed to become our benefactor, so we must be good enough to deserve his support, mustn't we?"
Ignoring this remark, Mme. Giry asked, "Will he be at tonight's performance?"
Firmin nodded. "In our own box, naturally. Well, you all had best go one rehearsing. I daresay you now have something, or rather someone, to rehearse for."
Reyer spoke up, "But la Carlotta."
Andre questioned, "Does she have an understudy?"
Reyer shook his head and replied, "There is no understudy, la Carlotta wouldn't allow it. And she has never needed an understudy before. We couldn't line one up in time, the production is too new."
Firmin groaned.
"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera! He is with us! It's the ghost!" The frightened words of the chorus and ballet girls overlapped each other.
"Cara!" Piangi rushed to Carlotta's side and glared at everyone. "Idiots!" he exclaimed. "My darling, are you injured?"
Carlotta tried to straighten herself and maintain her dignity. "How would I know, I am not a doctor. Not that anyone would care if I was hurt or not." She looked pained.
Lefevre quickly asked, "Signora? Are you well? Buquet, where is Buquet? Some one get me Buquet now!"
Piangi roared, "Is no one concerned for our Prima Donna? A doctor, people! Someone call a-"
Firmin spoke sharply, "Be silent! I'm sure a doctor is not needed, am I quite right, Signora?"
"I suppose I shall get along, thank you." Carlotta acidly replied.
"Get that man down here!" Lefevre hollered. "Chief of the flies," he added for Firmin and Andre benefit. "He is responsible for this accident." I looked up and saw Buquet, standing upstage. He looked confused, and slightly angry. In his hand, I noticed, was a bit of rope. Strangely, it represented a noose.
"Buquet! What is the meaning of this? What is going on up there?" Lefevre sounded extremely irritated.
Slightly embarrassed, Buquet answered, "Please monsieur, don't look at me! I.As God as my witness I was not at my post! Lefevre, there is no one there! Trust me." A hint of anxiety entered his eyes as he added, "And if there is, it must be a ghost."
Lefevre shouted, " A ghost! Buquet, honestly, man!"
Under my breath I murmured, "He's there. the Phantom of the Opera." I was beginning to believe in this Opera Ghost.
Andre furiously turned to me. "Good heavens! Mademoiselle, will you show just a little courtesy!"
Firmin looked at the ballet girls, moaning and exclaiming. "Girls, please! That is enough, I should think!"
Andre spoke soothingly to Carlotta. "These things do happen."
Fuming, Carlotta answered, "Oh, si. These things happen." Sarcastically she laughed. "But of course, Signor, these things happen." Suddenly she yelled hysterically, "They just happen! Well, I tell you, as long as these things happen, this thing will not happen! Ubaldo! Andiamo!" She tossed her head and marched toward the door.
"Humph! Amateurs!" Piangi sniffed and gathered the singer's furs. "We shall see if she will be back this time, eh Monsieurs?"
Lefevre looked nervous. "Well, I suppose that is all I can do to assist you, gentlemen. I wish you the best of luck. I shall be in Frankfurt, should you wish to contact me. If you need help or advice, Mme. Giry will be happy to aid you. Goodbye." He hurried out of the room. ~ We all looked at each other, and our new managers. I felt rather bad for them, such an awkward start in the opera.
Andre cleared his throat. "La Carlotta will be back. Do not worry."
Mme. Giry look amused. "You think so? Well, we shall see, no? Oh, I have a message from the Opera Ghost." I gasped. My mother had a note from the ghost? She believes in him? I knew now that he was real. The ballet girls cried out in fear.
Andre looked skeptical as Firmin announced, "Good heavens, you're all obsessed!"
"Nonsense, monsieur, he merely welcomes you to his opera house. He commands you to leave Box Five open for his use and wishes to remind you his salary is due." Mme. Giry paused, waiting for the managers' reaction.
"Salary?" Firmin repeated. Andre snorted. "The fool paid a ghost salary?"
"Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a month." Firmin groaned. "Perhaps with the Vicomte de Chagny as your patron, you can afford more."
"Oh, the Vicomte! Our patron, how wonderful! He is so handsome! We must work hard to please him!" The ballet girls giggled in awe. Christine nervously grabbed my hand, and I squeezed it reassuringly.
Andre cleared his throat. "My dear madam, I had hoped to announce that myself. Indeed, he has agreed to become our benefactor, so we must be good enough to deserve his support, mustn't we?"
Ignoring this remark, Mme. Giry asked, "Will he be at tonight's performance?"
Firmin nodded. "In our own box, naturally. Well, you all had best go one rehearsing. I daresay you now have something, or rather someone, to rehearse for."
Reyer spoke up, "But la Carlotta."
Andre questioned, "Does she have an understudy?"
Reyer shook his head and replied, "There is no understudy, la Carlotta wouldn't allow it. And she has never needed an understudy before. We couldn't line one up in time, the production is too new."
Firmin groaned.