Hannibal
The final day of rehearsals had just begun. Ms. Giry had been right – it was chaos. All you could hear was people singing, the orchestra playing, and people going through the script of the play over and over, praying that they didn't forget their lines.
Christine stood beside Giry as they listened to the piercing notes that Carlotta threw out. Christine had finally gotten used to her voice, and could now actually understand her heavy Italian accent, though she wanted to slap her for her arrogance. Christine listened to the music, mouthing the words she had been helping the girls with for eight weeks already.
Then, the music stopped, and everyone stopped what they were doing. Mr. Lefevre walked onto the stage, leading two men behind him.
"Mr. Lefevre," said Mr. Reyer, the maestro, putting down his baton, "Can't you see that rehearsals are going on?"
"Forgive me," said Mr. Lefevre. "But I have an announcement to make. I know you have all heard rumors of my imminent retirement. And now I say they are all true. I am pleased to introduce you to the men who now own the Opera Populaire: Mr. Richard Firmin and Mr. Gilles Andre. You may have heard of the recent fortune that they have amassed in the junk business."
"Scrap metal, actually," said Andre. He was a short man, about Christine's height, with short gray hair and a bushy gray mustache. Christine smiled. The other man, Firmin, was much taller, and his wavy brown hair was covered by a top hat. He was very skinny, and his mustache took up most of his thin face.
"And we are very honored to introduce you to our new patron," said Firmin, "The Vicomte de Chagny."
Christine watched as a handsome young man walked on the stage. He wore a fine suit. Christine knew that face. That long, straight brown hair and those warm brown eyes.
"It's Raoul!" she said to Meg beside her. "Before my parents died – at our house on the beach. I guess you could ay that we were childhood sweethearts. He called me Little Lotte."
"Christine, he so handsome," said Meg. Christine couldn't believe that he was there. He hadn't seen him in so long. It was a relief to see an old friend.
"My parents and I are proud to support all of the arts," said Raoul. He seemed so much older and more mature now. Ten years could do a lot. "Especially here at the world-renowned Opera Populaire."
Carlotta approached them, doing her normal I'm-so-good act. Andre took her outstretched hand and kissed it.
"Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons now," said Lefevre. Piangi, Carlotta's love, and opposite in the play, cleared his throat. Lefevre took notice. "And Ubaldo Piangi." Piangi bowed.
"It's an honor, signor," said Raoul. "I believe that I'm keeping you from your rehearsal. I'll be back tonight to share in your great triumph. My apologies, monsieur."
Christine's hopes soared when Firmin, Andre, Lefevre, and Raoul passed by. He wouldn't have recognized her. It had been so long since they had last seen each other.
Meg had apparently seen the hope on her face and tried to comfort her. "He didn't see you." Christine smiled at her attempt. She was right.
Reyer then continued with the music, and the ballet girls took off. Giry went to the new managers and grabbed them. Christine watched from her place on the side, playing the backup piano. Only the one song needed the two pianos, and she was the only one there who could play it.
She played gently, watching Giry lead the managers out of the way of the dancers. No doubt telling them how good their ballet was. 'It's the pride of this Opera House' she had preached to Christine for the past eight weeks.
All of a sudden, Christine noticed Carlotta approach Andre and Firmin. "Crap," she muttered to herself, stopping the music. This wasn't going to be very good.
"Allora, allora, allora," she said, speaking to Lefevre. Christine rolled her eyes and turned to face them. "I ope your patron is as excited by dancing girls as your new managers, because I will not be singing!" Carlotta rushed off, yelling orders at her maids. Christine swore if she ever became like that, she wanted someone to shoot her.
"Principessa, bella diva," shouted Andre after her. Carlotta turned, getting exactly what she wanted.
"Si, si," she said.
"Goddess of song!" shouted Firmin. It was true – if they lost Carlotta, they had lost the star of the play. Andre then turned to Reyer.
"Mr. Reyer," he said, "Isn't there a marvelous aria for Elisa in act three of Hannibal?"
"Yes, yes," said Carlotta. "But I ave not my costume for act three because SOMEBODY not finish it. And, I ate my at!"
"Would you be willing to oblige us with a private rendition?" asked Andre. They were groveling. It was nearly essential to have Carlotta. No wonder Giry didn't like her. "Unless, Mr. Reyer objects…"
"No," said Carlotta, putting her hand to her forehead, pretending to stop herself from crying. She smiled. "If my managers command. Mr. Reyer?"
"If my diva commands," said Reyer, walking to his podium above the pit. Carlotta had a sudden mood-swing.
"Yes, I do," she said. She walked to the center of the stage and continued yelling. "Everyone must be very quiet! You! Over there! You too!"
"Miss?" asked Reyer when he was ready. Carlotta had to take a spray of her 'boxy' as she called it.
"Maestro," she said.
Christine walked to Meg, who was now standing at the side of the stage, listening to Carlotta starting to sing the song. It was a beautiful song, and Christine had heard it, like the rest of the play, enough to know every word. She even knew the notes well enough to play the entire thing on the piano.
Then, one of the back drops cam crashing to the ground, landing right on top of Carlotta. Christine felt the urge to laugh, but held it back. Reyer and the rest of the crew rushed over to her, asking if she was alright and to help get the heavy material off of her.
"Buquet!" yelled Lefevre to the upper-deck where Buquet was the main man in charge of the scenery, "Where are you, man!"
Buquet came rushing to his post and started immediately to lift up the drop. "Don't look at me," called Buquet, "I wasn't at my post. No one's there – but if there is…well, it must have been a ghost."
"He's here: the Phantom of the Opera," whispered Meg, beside Christine, looking around, bewildered. Christine watched as Andre warily approached Carlotta. She wanted to laugh even harder, but couldn't.
"These things do happen," Christine heard Andre say sheepishly. That wouldn't cut it for Carlotta.
"For the past three years, these things do appen! And did you stop them from appening! NO!" Carlotta then rounded on Andre and Firmin, "And you two. You two are as bad as im! 'These things do appen. Until you stop these things from appening, this thing does not appen! Ubaldo! Adiamo!"
With that, Christine watched as Carlotta shoved her way out of the theatre, followed by Piangi and her maids. Reyer was groaning. Christine knew that he was always very involved and hated it when things went wrong.
"I have a message for you, sir," Christine heard Giry say. It looked like she was holding an envelope. "From the Opera Ghost. He welcomes you to his opera house and commands you to leave Box Five empty for his use. And he reminds you that his salary is due."
"Salary!" shouted Firmin. "His Opera House!"
"Mr. Lefevre used to give him twenty thousand francs a month," said Giry, throwing her hair back casually.
"Twenty-thousand!" exclaimed Firmin.
"Perhaps you can afford more with the Vicomte as your patron?" asked Giry. Christine loved her dry humor.
"I hope to make that announcement public tonight when the Vicomte was to join us for the gala. But now it appears that we have lost our star!"
"There must be an understudy," said Andre, looking to Reyer for assurance.
"There is no understudy for Carlotta!" exclaimed Reyer, putting his hand to his head in his usual dramatic style.
All of a sudden, Christine felt Giry's hand on her shoulder. "Christine Daae could sing it, sir," she said. Christine looked up in shock at Andre and Firmin. What was she talking about? "She has been taking lessons from a great teacher."
"Who?" asked Andre. Christine gave a nervous half-smile.
"I don't know his name, sir," she said.
"Let her sing for you," said Giry, pushing Christine gently forward. "She has been well taught."
Christine looked back at Giry as she was ushered forward by Andre to the center of the stage. She looked back one last time as Reyer began to play the aria. Then, she began to sing.
"Think of me," she sang softly, remembering the words and singing them with even more power. The whole time, she was thinking of all the Phantom had taught her. "Think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try…."
Before she knew it, Christine was being whisked off to makeup and being dressed in Elisa's fabulous gown, the jewels being put into her dark brown hair. Next thing she remembered, she was out on stage, in front of hundreds of people, continuing where she had left off.
When she finished the cadenza, and had hit the highest note with ease, the cheers she received were enormous, and she couldn't count the number of flowers that were thrown on the stage for her. It was surreal that she had finally gotten the chance to show the world her voice. It was all thanks to the Phantom. He was the one who had helped her.
