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Venue: Her Majesty's Theatre,
London & 99 UK tour, Edinburgh, Dublin, Bristol etc..
Her Majesty's Theatre:
Haymarket,
London,
SW1Y 4QL
020 7494 5400
Roles: Understudy
Raoul & Phantom, finally Pricipal Phantom.
Show Written By: Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Other:
- See the 'Phantom' page.
Show
Synopsis: (From www.thephantomoftheopera.com)
ACT 1: We are thrust in the middle of a rehearsal for the opera Hannibal.
Monsieur Lefèvre, the retiring manager of the Opera, is showing the new managers, Monsieurs Firmin and André, the great stage.
As the prima donna, Carlotta, is singing, a backdrop falls to the floor, nearly killing her. The cry is raised, "It's The
Phantom of the Opera!" Upset, Carlotta refuses to sing.
Meg Giry, daughter of the ballet mistress, Madame Giry, suggests
her friend, Christine Daaé, take Carlotta's place. Christine has been taking lessons from a mysterious new teacher.
At her triumph in the Opera, is Raoul, a nobleman and patron of
the Opera. Raoul recognizes Christine as a childhood friend. He comes backstage after the performance to escort her to dinner,
but Christine tells him she cannot go, because her teacher, "The Angel of Music," is very strict.
When Raoul leaves Christine's room, the Phantom appears. Christine
is lured into the bowels of the Opera House, where the Phantom will continue her lessons.
He leads her to his underground lair, where she sees a frightening
vision of herself in a wedding gown. She faints, only to be awakened several hours later by the Phantom's music on the organ.
Creeping up behind him, she rips off his mask. Horrified, he takes her back to the surface.
The Phantom has sent notes to both the managers of the Opera, as
well as Raoul, Madame Giry and Carlotta, which give instructions that Christine will have the lead in the new opera, Il
Muto. The manager's refuse to give in to the Phantom's demands.
Il Muto proceeds as planned, with Carlotta in the lead,
and Christine in a secondary role. As promised, disaster strikes - the stage hand, Joseph Buquet, is killed, and Carlotta's
voice is stolen.
In the confusion, Raoul and Christine escape to the roof of the
Opera House. There, with all of Paris around them, they pledge their love to one another. They cannot see the Phantom overhearing
their vows of love. Enraged at Christine's betrayal, the Phantom causes the final disaster of the night - the mighty chandelier
comes crashing to the stage floor. ACT 2: The second act opens at a grand Masquerade Ball, held on the steps of the Paris Opera. No one has heard from
the Phantom in six months. Christine and Raoul are engaged, but are keeping it a secret; Christine keeps her engagement ring
on a chain around her neck.
Suddenly, the Phantom appears, disguised as The Red Death, and delivers
to the managers a score from his opera, Don Juan Triumphant.
At first, the managers refuse to perform the strange, disturbing
opera. Then, with the help of Raoul, they devise a plan to trap the Phantom, using Christine as bait. Plans for Don Juan
Triumphant, and the trap, are made.
Christine visits the grave of her father. There on the grave stands
the Phantom, beckoning her to join him. Raoul appears and takes her away.
At last, the opening night of Don Juan Triumphant arrives.
The theater is surrounded by guards and police, eager to catch the Phantom. As the opera comes to its end, the Phantom takes
the place of Piangi, the lead singer. He confronts Christine on stage during the performance, and escapes with her once more
to his labyrinth below the Opera House.
In a last confrontation, the Phantom gives Christine a choice:
stay with him forever, or he will kill Raoul. Her decision brings to an end the story of The Phantom of the Opera.
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