The morning after the opera the papers were abuzz. Everyone wanted to read about the mysterious show.

Le Epoque

Mysterious Opera at the Garnier Sweeps Music World

The Paris Opera House has been graced with a production so powerful that all tickets for the next five showings have been sold out. Don Juan Triumphant, an opera in three acts, written by an unknown artist, has swept the musical world. It had become, overnight, a national fetish. Even our foreign cousins, the British, are hailing it as a masterpiece, fitting for modern artistic tastes. Acclaimed theatrical critic, Jean du Marc, hails Don Juan as "...an exciting and fresh story... darkly enchanting ...a performance that no artistic minded person would miss..." British critic, Sir William Kent Bandsburry, says, "It is my deep hope that Don Juan will grace the English stages soon. Never has the legend been more perfectly arranged since Lord Byron..." He goes on to say, "...it Don Juan Triumphant has everything that makes an opera an opera. The music is sensational, the story dramatic, the sets brilliant in their own original way." The only criticism given the opera was from the ever harsh critic, Eduard Sylvian, who said, "...the only flaw I could perceive was the casting of Piangi as the Don. A younger, more emotional singer is needed for the part. It is refreshing to see Mlle. Daae in the role of Diva for a change, however. The show would have been a failure had La Carlotta sang." Tickets for Don Juan Triumphant will be sold for upcoming performances, and it is wise to purchase them in advance...

Le Echo

Grand Opera or Grand Theft?

The managers of the Garnier may think that they have struck gold in the performance of Don Juan Triumphant, but they may be wrong. The opera, written by an unknown man, has made the managers, M. Andre Moncharmin and M. Firmin Richard, former dealers in the junk business, exceptionally wealthy. However, is this surplus legitimate? The managers claim that a mysterious man dressed as a character from Poe gave them the opera. The man was said to have descended the stairs of the opera foyer during the masked ball, handed over his score, and simply allowed it to be played without a single cent entering his pocket. After this ludicrous action, the composer was said to have vanished into thin air. Is this a likely story, my dear readers? Investigators believe otherwise...

"We're ruined!" Firmin cried, "Ruined!"

"What ever is the matter?" Andre asked.

"The paper! They say that we stole Don Juan Triumphant! A private detective just spent hours questioning all the ballet girls! We'll be thrown out!" Firmin was almost weeping.

"I wish I had thought of that," Andre mused.

"Of what?"

"Why, of pretending to be a detective so that I might spend the day with the ballerinas!" Andre replied.

"Pay attention! We could be imprisoned!"

"Nonsense!" Andre said, "Our ghost wrote it, didn't he? Well, he'll just have to come out and say so. Then, when he says that it was his idea in the first place to perform the opera, we'll be just right as rain!"

"If he comes," Firmin grumbled.

"Don't be such a pessimist," Andre retorted coolly, "He's bound to come. He is the Opera Ghost, and he stays in the opera. He'll be about in no time."