The Phantom of the Opera
Friday, February 22, 2013
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The Phantom of the Opera is a musical written by the famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
It is generally considered one of his greatest works after Cats and
Jesus Christ Superstar. It is also considered one of the greatest pieces
of musical theater because of its clichés, reprises, generally annoying
characters that spend most of their stage time crying and or whining,
reprises, its lack of singers that remember how to articulate anything
and reprises. All very common themes explored in many if not all of
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals. Time for another reprise, Mr. Webber? I
feel so too.
It is also currently the longest-running show in Broadway
history. This just goes to show that just because everyone is doing
something consistently for a very long time, does make it right. It just
recently surpassed Cats, another fantastic musical.
Characters
- The Phantom of the Opera - A horribly deformed musician, who is directly from God. Especially when portrayed by Ramin Karimloo. It’s hard to be a horribly deformed opera singer when you look this amazing? Has the voice of angel.
- Christine - A character with little character. She sings many songs in the show and cries in all of them. She was voted most likely to give herself over willingly to a strange figure in her mirror because he says he’s an angel. In real life, she’s the sort of person you'd walk three blocks to avoid because she won’t stop telling you about her feelings about things and her problems and her fears. Seriously kids, don’t talk to strangers.
- Raoul, Viscount de Chagny - As if the villain wasn't effeminate enough, the hero is a French nobleman, fond of champagne, scented handkerchiefs and absinthe. Only appears to create a messy love triangle, and to be an overall douche. Needless to say, he doesn't cut loose with a machine gun in the third act. He’s another character that most people chalk up as “just generally really, really annoying.” These kinds of characters have become stock-characters for Mr. Webber.
- The Theater Manager - Essentially a rip-off of the Mayor from Jaws. Refuses to believe in the Phantom, in spite of the mounting evidence; including notes, eye-witness accounts and the fact that he is harmonizing with the "nonexistent" phantom. The Manager is not very bright.
- Madame Carlotta - the prima dona, or annoying woman, of the opera company. Thank god they managed to write an annoying woman into the story.
- The Chandelier A huge lighting fixture that the Phantom drops on the audience of the opera house. It's also the time machine that narrates the tale of so many years ago after being wired with parts for electricity (The "In" thing in the early 1900's). It's hard to picture "Phantom" without this important character.
- The Amazing Zandor - A vaudeville magician, who is paid a hefty salary by the Opera House in spite of the fact that they never show magic acts. The Manager wants to fire him, but Zandor hides under a blanket whenever he comes by, thereby foiling the stupid man.
- Charles de Gaulle - comic relief (but with no red nose).
Plot
The plot states that at the Opera Populaire in Paris in 1911, an
auction is underway. Set pieces from the old theatre are being sold.
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, purchases a music box 'in the shape of barrel
organ'. Lot 666
is then up, which is a chandelier in pieces. The auctioneer mentions
that the chandelier was involved in the "strange affair of the Phantom
of the Opera, a mystery never fully explained." The chandelier
illuminates and slowly begins to rise to the rafters of the theatre as
the opera house is restored to its original grandeur (Overture).At the Opera Populaire, 1881, a rehearsal for Hannibal
is underway. Monsieur Lefevre, the owner, announces that he has sold
the theater to two new managers, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André.
They observe two of the ballet dancers, Meg Giry and her friend,
Christine Daaé, with some curiosity. André asks Carlotta, the resident
diva, to sing an aria. She agrees, but in the middle of the song, a
backdrop suddenly falls dangerously close to her. The company blames the
accident on the Opera Ghost. Carlotta has dealt with such incidents for
several years, and says that she has had too much of it. She quits,
taking Piangi, the tenor, with her. The managers lament having to cancel
the show, but Meg quickly suggests they consider Christine to replace
Carlotta. They agree to hear her sing, and Christine starts her song
("Think of Me") tentatively, but as she impresses the entire company
with her voice the scene changes to the night of the performance.
Christine, now in costume as the leading lady, makes a triumphant debut.The managers and Raoul (the new patron of the Opera House) look
on from the stage box. Raoul is particularly impressed; he remembers
Christine from their childhood. After the performance, Madame Giry
praises Christine and castigates the ballet girls, forcing them to
practice into the night.
The Phantom's voice in the distance commends Christine on that night's
performance. Meg sneaks away from the rehearsal to find Christine
outside her dressing room. She expresses her delight in her friend's
change of fortune but wonders how it came about. Christine tells Meg
that the Angel of Music has been tutoring her in singing during the
night and thinks he has been sent from Heaven by her father. The two
discuss this mysterious teacher ("Angel of Music") until Madame Giry
arrives to retrieve Meg and deliver a note from Raoul.
Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman performing the title songThe managers bring Raoul to Christine's dressing room. She is
pleased to see him, and reminisces with him ("Little Lotte"). She tells
him she has been visited by the Angel of Music, and he, impressed by the
beauty of her voice, says he is sure she has, not realizing that the
Angel is not just imaginary. He invites her to dinner, but she declines
because the Angel of Music would be angry. When Raoul leaves, the
Phantom sings to Christine about his displeasure that Raoul is trying to
court her ("Angel of Music/The Mirror"). Christine pleads for his
forgiveness and begs the Angel to show himself. He complies, revealing
himself behind Christine's mirror. The Phantom takes Christine behind
the mirror and through a series of underground tunnels to his lair ("The
Phantom of the Opera"), where he entreats her to sing for him. The
Phantom later serenades her ("Music of the Night") eventually showing
her a life-size doll resembling Christine in a wedding gown. The doll
then reaches out to grab her, and Christine faints. The Phantom,
realizing that showing her the doll was too much, carries her to a bed.The next morning, Christine sees the Phantom bent over his organ,
furiously composing ("I Remember..."). As she sneaks up behind him, her
curiosity gets the better of her, and she pulls back his mask. She sees
his deformity behind the mask, though the audience does not. Chasing
her about the lair, he challenges her to look at his face and in the end
they finally both fall to the ground. The Phantom tries to explain that
he only wants to be like everyone else, and that he hopes she will
learn to love him in spite of his face ("Stranger than You Dreamt It").
She returns his mask and the two have a moment of understanding before
he returns her to the surface. As the Phantom and Christine sneak back
into the theatre,
Joseph Buquet regales the ballet girls with terrible tales of the
mysterious Opera Ghost ("Magical Lasso"), warning them that the only way
to protect themselves is to "keep your hand at the level of your eyes."
The Phantom catches sight of them, and the ballet girls run off
screaming. Madame Giry warns Buquet to exercise restraint, or the
consequences will be severe.In the managers' office, Firmin, Andre, Raoul and Carlotta are
puzzled by several cryptic notes received from the "Opera Ghost" and
blame each other for them. Madame Giry arrives with another note in
which the Phantom tells the managers to keep Box Five free for him, to
give the leading role in the opera Il Muto to Christine, and relegate
Carlotta to the silent part of a pageboy. ("Notes..."). Carlotta accuses
Raoul of orchestrating the whole event and claims that he has had an
affair with Christine. Fearing the loss of their main soprano (and her
lover, the principal tenor, Piangi) the managers promise her that she
will keep her leading role ("Prima Donna").At Il Muto that night, Carlotta indeed plays the role of the Countess; Christine is themute pageboy.
Raoul decides to sit in Box Five to watch the show. The show is going
well ("Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh"), until the Phantom appears on the
proscenium arch. He screams that the managers did not keep box five
empty. He then furiously tantalizes Carlotta and makes her voice croak
like a frog. Humiliated, she flees into Piangi's arms. The show stops,
and the managers announce that it will resume with Christine as the
Countess. The ballet chorus is sent out to entertain the waiting crowd,
but the performance is interrupted when the backdrop lifts to reveal the
corpse of Joseph Buquet hanging
from the rafters. In the ensuing melee, Christine finds Raoul and takes
him to the roof where they will be safe from the Phantom's
machinations.On the roof, Christine tries to tell Raoul that she has seen the
Phantom's face and been in his lair, but Raoul does not believe her
("Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I've Been There"). Christine
hears the Phantom, but Raoul looks around and sees no one. Raoul
promises to love and protect her always ("All I Ask of You"). The two
make plans to see each other after the show. After Christine and Raoul
head back downstairs, The Phantom emerges, having heard the entire
conversation. He is heartbroken, but his sorrow turns to rage and he
vows vengeance against Raoul ("All I Ask of You (Reprise)"). Returning
to the theater, he sends the mighty chandelier crashing down on the
stage during the curtain call.Everyone is in attendance at the masquerade ball ("Masquerade").
The Phantom has not shown himself for six months. Christine and Raoul
are now engaged. To Raoul's dismay, Christine insists on hiding her
ring, which is on a chain around her neck. The Phantom enters, dressed
as the title character from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death".
He announces that he has written an opera, and that he expects the
managers to produce it ("Why So Silent"). He them disappears in smoke,
hoping to kill some people through the harmful effects of secondhand
smoking. Unfortunately no one dies. Except Christine dies about ten
years later probably because she was the closest to the poofy smoke
cloud.The Phantom's opera, Don Juan Triumphant, causes chaos and
arguments among the managers and actors. Christine has been granted the
largest part in the opera, which angers everyone. She tells the managers
she does not 'want any part in this plot' because she fears the Phantom
will capture her. Raoul realizes that they can use the opera as a trap
to capture the Phantom ("Notes.../Twisted Every Way"). Christine is
unhappy with the idea as she does not want the Phantom dead. Tormented
by the choice she must make, she flees the room.Rehearsals begin and everyone converses, and Carlotta and Madame
Giry argue about the song. Finally, Carlotta sings the song mockingly.
The piano starts to play by itself, and everyone sings along
mechanically, except for Christine. She visits her father's grave to try
to make sense of the situation. She wishes her father were there to
help her make the right decision ("Wishing You Were Somehow Here
Again"). The Phantom appears and sings to her, again in the guise of the
Angel Of Music ("Wandering Child"). Christine easily falls under his
spell again.Raoul enters the scene and brings Christine back to reality.
The two men verbally spar ("Bravo Monsieur"), while the Phantom shoots
fireballs down at Raoul, but Christine begs Raoul to run away with her.
Enraged, the Phantom declares that they are both his enemies now and the
Graveyard disappears in flames. Raoul and the police go over
instructions to trap the Phantom. Raoul instructs a marksman hiding in
the orchestra pit to kill the Phantom, and the police set out to bar all
of the exits. The voice of the Phantom is heard, taunting them. He
appears in Box Five but vanishes as the marksman fires. Raoul rounds on
him, but the Phantom interrupts, insisting they show the play as usual
("Don Juan"). Christine appears on stage to sing ("Point of No Return").
Don Juan appears onstage, with his face covered. During her duet with
"Don Juan", Christine realizes she is singing with the Phantom instead
of Piangi. The Phantom gives her a ring and expresses his love.
Christine whips off his mask to reveal his deformed face to everyone.
Before the police can intervene, the Phantom drags Christine offstage.
Carlotta cries out in horror as Piangi is discovered dead, and a mob
sets out to track down the Phantom. Madame Giry locates Raoul to take
him to the bridge above the lake, and tells him where to find the
Phantom. She warns him of the Punjab lasso, telling him to keep "your
hand at the level of your eyes". Raoul asks that she come with him, but
Madame Giry insists that it is too dangerous.
Steve Barton and Sarah Brightman in the final sceneDown in the lair, the Phantom has forced Christine to put on the
wedding dress ("Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer"). Christine
asks if he is going to kill her, whereupon he assures her that he would
not, and that his face is the reason that she will not love him.
Christine declares that she is not afraid of his face, but his soul.
Raoul arrives, pleading to the Phantom to release Christine. The Phantom
admits him to the lair and snares him in the Punjab lasso. The Phantom
offers Christine an ultimatum: either he will kill Raoul and let
Christine go, or she will stay with him and Raoul can go free.The Phantom insists that she must choose. Christine sadly tells
the Phantom that he deceived her. Raoul apologizes and expresses his
love for Christine, telling her that as long as she is safe from the
Phantom it doesn't matter what happens to him. Finally, Christine makes
her choice and kisses the Phantom. Stunned by the kiss, which is the
first real human love he has ever felt, he sets Raoul free and releases
Christine. He asks them both to keep his existence a secret.Raoul leaves, but Christine wants to return the Phantom's ring.
The Phantom declares his love for her, and she forces herself to turn
away. She and Raoul leave in the Phantom's boat, singing to each other.
The Phantom sobs in the wedding veil Christine has left behind. As the
mob approaches, he sits down in his throne and pulls his cape around
him. Meg slips through the bars in the gate and searches for Christine.
She notices the throne and cautiously walks over to it. When she pulls
back the cape, she finds that the Phantom has vanished and all that
remains is his mask. Meg picks up the mask and holds it aloft as a
single light shining on the mask fades into darkness.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT, PLEASE COME BACK SOON...
Title: The Phantom of the Opera
Written By Kristofani
Hopefully this article useful to you. If you wish to quote either part or all of the contents of this article, please include dofollow links to http://kristianporung.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-phantom-of-opera.html. Thank you for reading this article.Written By Kristofani
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