p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I, Christine Daae was nervous as I waited for my number, 666, to be called. Unfortunately, since I was the last applicant auditioning for LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, I would have to suffer Carlotta's singing./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Of course, she would be a shoo-in since both of her parents were on LaGuardia's board of admissions. Fortunately, they were not judges for the auditions./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I winced as I heard Carlotta embutcher /em"The Jewel Song" from emFaust /emwith her screeching. If I was a judge, she would certainly not have got in! I wonder what people saw in Carlotta to believe she would become an opera star. 'More like a butt of a comedy skit in Saturday Night Live,' I thought cynically./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Then came my turn. I wanted to get in due to my merits, not due to my family name since my father was the famous violinist Gustave Daae. So I changed my last name./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Number 24601, Christine Day," Madame Giry's voice cut into my thoughts./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I walked onto the stage, curtsied before the judges, and slated./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My name is Christine Day, I am 14 years old and today I will be performing "Your Eyes See But My Shadow" from the opera emDon Juan Triumphant /emwritten by E. Destler./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Let us know when you are ready, mademoiselle," Monsieur Reyer said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I took a deep breath and sang,/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emYour eyes see but my shadow./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emMy heart is overflowing./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emThere's so much you can learn to love./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emYou've got my heart glowing./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emTenderly, you could see my soul./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I heard applause and expected to be dismissed. Instead, I heard a question from the new choir teacher, Mr. Foster./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""How do you know the words to emhis /emsong?" he asked./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I…I've heard and sung it before," I replied./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We will let you know if you are accepted or not in three days' time by email," Nadir Khan, the director of admissions said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Thank you," I said as I ran off the stage./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Once off stage, I was confronted by an angry Carlotta. "Do you think that knowing the words to some obscure opera will curry favor with the judges, and you will get in? Carlotta hissed. "Well, girl, I have some news for you. Since you don't have connections as I do, you won't get in. That's all they care about."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I rolled my eyes and pushed my way past Carlotta. She was just jealous that I could sing well, and she could not even sing well if you called her screeching emsinging!/em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Of course, she would be a shoo-in since both of her parents were on LaGuardia's board of admissions. Fortunately, they were not judges for the auditions./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I winced as I heard Carlotta embutcher /em"The Jewel Song" from emFaust /emwith her screeching. If I was a judge, she would certainly not have got in! I wonder what people saw in Carlotta to believe she would become an opera star. 'More like a butt of a comedy skit in Saturday Night Live,' I thought cynically./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Then came my turn. I wanted to get in due to my merits, not due to my family name since my father was the famous violinist Gustave Daae. So I changed my last name./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Number 24601, Christine Day," Madame Giry's voice cut into my thoughts./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I walked onto the stage, curtsied before the judges, and slated./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My name is Christine Day, I am 14 years old and today I will be performing "Your Eyes See But My Shadow" from the opera emDon Juan Triumphant /emwritten by E. Destler./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Let us know when you are ready, mademoiselle," Monsieur Reyer said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I took a deep breath and sang,/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emYour eyes see but my shadow./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emMy heart is overflowing./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emThere's so much you can learn to love./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emYou've got my heart glowing./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emTenderly, you could see my soul./em/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I heard applause and expected to be dismissed. Instead, I heard a question from the new choir teacher, Mr. Foster./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""How do you know the words to emhis /emsong?" he asked./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I…I've heard and sung it before," I replied./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We will let you know if you are accepted or not in three days' time by email," Nadir Khan, the director of admissions said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Thank you," I said as I ran off the stage./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Once off stage, I was confronted by an angry Carlotta. "Do you think that knowing the words to some obscure opera will curry favor with the judges, and you will get in? Carlotta hissed. "Well, girl, I have some news for you. Since you don't have connections as I do, you won't get in. That's all they care about."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"I rolled my eyes and pushed my way past Carlotta. She was just jealous that I could sing well, and she could not even sing well if you called her screeching emsinging!/em/p
