Chapter 8

The day of the auditions dawned. The Musical Director of the Opera Populaire, a pompous man with a face which resembled a withered monkey, seated himself beside the Opera's managers. He loathed the two men, who he regarded as commoners, unsuited to the management of a company of such celebrity. Nonetheless, they were rich and easily led in matters of artistic direction. Firmin and Andre, while certainly not refined, were good natured and kindly, and they saw that their Director was not. The three men were however, forced to work together in the daily running of the theatre. Also present were Raoul De Chagney and, of course, Christine Daae, the departing soprano. Her good judgment would be invaluable in deciding who was to be her replacement.

The afternoon was spent listening to sopranos: some old, some young, some talented and some not. None of them however was suitable to play Lolita.
"For God's sake!" spat the director, "This is getting us nowhere."
"There are still two more girls to see" proffered the ever hopeful Firmin
"But neither of them looks hopeful" interjected Andre. "One is already a member of the company; a dancer. The other is unknown to me, but gives her name as Anne-Marie."
"Very well" called Raoul, anxious to preserve the peace, already fearing that the auditions may render his wife fatigued, "Send in the first girl."

Her name was Isabella and for the past year she had slept in the bed next to Marianne. She was sweet and gentle, and widely acknowledged as the best dancer in the ballet. When she stepped onto the stage, her slender frame and pretty face immediately charmed the judges.
"Bonjour" she said quietly, dropping into a low and graceful curtsy, borne of her long years of ballet training. "I would like to sing an aria from Hannibal, named "Think of Me."

Her rendition of the aria which Christine Daae herself had made famous was, like her appearance, utterly charming. She reached the high notes with ease and the dramatic scale which concluded the song was executed with care and gusto. She seemed ideal for the part. Although she lacked the darkness of the Patron's wife, which had seemed to make her so perfect for the role, she would bring a sweetness to the role which, as Firmin said, "would sell!"