The Phantessa of the Ballet
Prologue
A carriage pulls up in front of a building in Firenze, Italy. A banner stretches over the door.
Public Auction Today Asta In Pubblico OggiThe driver of the carriage helps an old woman out. She is dressed in black. She leans on the arm of the driver as she stumps into the dipladated theatre.
"Sold!" the auctioneer cries as she enters. "To the gentleman down in front! Lovely buy! You'll be happy, signor!"
"Now," he continues, "Lot 665, a bear in a snow globe, wearing a vest, and playing a harp! Discovered in this very theater! Plays music still!"
"Showing here!" He places the snow globe on the podium. After a few twists on the knob, the bear begins to move. His paws move over the strings of the harp. Gentle music pours out of the snow globe.
"Let's start the bidding at, hmmmmm, 15!"
The old woman raises her hand.
"20?"
An old man raises his hand.
"25, Signor Giry?"
The old woman looks at Signor Giry (Madame Giry). He smiles and shakes his head.
"Well then!" the auctioneer says. "20, selling once, selling twice! Sold! To Signora Viscountess di Firenze!"
The old woman takes the snow globe and cradles it in her arms.
"Well signors and signora's! Lot 666! A crystal mobile in shards!"
Signor Giry and the old woman look at the cloth covering a pile of something huge.
"Well, we have been informed that this is the very mobile that once hung from the ceiling of this very theatre! The very one that crashed in the infamous diaster! Now, we have repaired it!"
"Showing here!" The auctioneer whisked the cloth off the mobile. Men in the balconies pulled on ropes, carrying the mobile to its lofty position hanging from the ceiling.
As the mobile moves higher, the dipladated theatre is restored. Gone are the cobwebs. The dust disapears. The gold shimmers, the marble gleams.
Even the age in the faces of the onlookers disapears, as they are taken back in time to Firenze, Italia, 1832.