The Phantom of the Opera opened in London's West End in 1986. The production was directed by Hal Prince, choreographed by Gillian Lynne, designed by Maria Björnson, with lighting by Andrew Bridge.[citation needed]
In 2004, the musical was made into a film, directed by Joel Schumacher, and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In 2008, the West End production surpassed its nine thousandth performance.[citation needed]
In March 2010, a musical sequel is expected to open entitled Phantom: Love Never Dies. It was delayed from its original date of November 2009. The first act was staged at Andrew Lloyd Webber's country home, Sydmonton.[citation needed]
Source:
- Score
Lloyd Webber's score is sometimes operatic in style but he maintains the form and structure of a musical throughout. The fully-fledged operatic writing is reserved principally for the subsidiary characters such as the theatre managers, Andre and Firmin; their Prima Donna, Carlotta; and principal tenor, Piangi. Fittingly, it is also used to provide the content of the fictional "operas" that are taking place within the show itself. i.e.; Hannibal, Il Muto, and the Phantom's masterwork, Don Juan Triumphant. Here, Lloyd Webber affectionately pastiches various styles from the grand operas of Meyerbeer through to Mozart and even Gilbert and Sullivan (Coveney, 1999). These pieces are often presented as musical fragments, interrupted by dialogue or action sequences in order to clearly define the musical's "show within a show" format. The musical extracts we hear from the Phantom's opera, "Don Juan Triumphant", during the latter stages of the show, are much more dissonant and modern – suggesting, perhaps, that the phantom is ahead of his time artistically (Snelson, 2004). This is also displayed when The Phantom makes his entrance on the show's title song. Andrew had said himself that the title song was "Rock n' roll merely masquerading as opera". For the characters of Christine, the Phantom, and Raoul, the direct and "natural" style of modern song is used rather than the more decorative aspects of aria; their material provides the musical centre of the piece
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera_(1986_musical)
Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman performing the title song of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre.
Act II
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 also confronts Christine and takes her engagement ring from her, shouting that she belongs to him.
Masquerade
"Masquerade" is a song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera. It is sung at the beginning of the second act where a New Year's masquerade ball is held at the Opera House. Several months have passed since the end of the first act and the cast and crew of the Opera House have heard nothing of the Phantom for that period of time, thus assuming that he had left them for good. The owners of the Opera, Andre and Firmin, are determined to celebrate this, as well as the "new chandelier" installed after the Phantom fell the last one (although this is changed to "our friends who are here" for the film, where the falling chandelier is moved until a later scene). Christine and Raoul also mention their secret engagement, each expressing doubt and that they need not be so silent about it.
[edit] Themes and metaphors
The song begins in a bright, cheery, and perhaps innocently sinister manner, with all people dancing and swirling about in costumes. The lyrics, though, reveal that there is something strange about the song. They describe the power of masks and their ability to conceal one's persona, which may seem like a game—but the words reveal the dangerous side of hiding away. As the revelers sing, "You can fool any friend who ever knew you!" Indeed, Firmin and Andre begin the song by tentatively approaching one another in skeleton costumes, uncertainly whispering one another's names and only breaking into a self-congratulatory conversation once they have established their identities.
The song also acts a strange parallel to the Phantom himself. The lyrics of the song boldly state:
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade...
Masquerade!
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
This mirrors not only the fact that the Phantom wears a mask to conceal his disfigured face, but also the fact that he hides himself away from the world. By turning his daily practice into a fun but dark game for the patrons and workers of the opera, the song suggests that all social interaction requires one to metaphorically conceal oneself. One can only enjoy perfect liberty while in disguise. This is driven home when the Phantom disrupts the song by arriving in an elaborate Red Death costume and mask, bullies and taunts the managers and wrenches the chain Christine wears her engagement ring on from around her neck.
It should also be noted that "bal masques" were popular middle-class entertainments held at the Palais Garnier and elsewhere throughout the latter quarter of the nineteenth century, and did not necessarily have any connection to other events or performances at the Opera.
"Masquerade" is usually viewed as the show's theme (alongside the "Phantom of the Opera" melody), mainly because it is the first song that the audience hears throughout the whole play, even before the overture begins. It is the song that plays from the mysterious monkey and barrel organ music box that eventually becomes a symbol of the Phantom's and Christine's love. In the play's final scenes, the Phantom, unmasked, observes the music box in his lair. It comes to life by magic, and tinkles out its tune across a vast, silent stage. The Phantom sings the lines quoted above while staring at his mask, reflecting on his life of hiding away and perhaps on his impending need to secure himself from his pursuers. He finally whispers, "Christine...I love you...," echoing Raoul's identical declaration several scenes before, before preparing to disappear. Perhaps significantly, he leaves his mask on his chair.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_(song)
Masquerade
The Lyrics
THE STAIRCASE OF THE OPERA HOUSE
(A gauze half conceals the tableau of guests at the
opera ball. The guests (whom we cannot yet see
clearly) are in fancy dress a peacock, a lion, a
dragon, Mephistopheles, a highwayman, a clown,
knights, ladies, an executioner. M. ANDRE enters.
He is dressed as a skeleton in an opera cape. Almost
immediately M. FIRMIN arrives.He is also dressed
as a skeleton in an opera cape. The two skeletons see
each other and approach nervously)
ANDRE
M'sieur Firmin?
FIRMIN
M'sieur Andre?
(Each raises his mask to the other. They recognise each
other.)
FIRMIN
Dear Andre
what a splendid party!
ANDRE
The prologue
to a bright new year!
FIRMIN
Quite a night!
I'm impressed!
FIRMIN
Well, one does
one's best . . .
ANDRE/FIRMIN (raising their glasses)
Here's to us!
FIRMIN
I must say, all the same, that
it's a shame that 'Phantom'
fellow isn't here!
(The gauze lifts fully to reveal the staircase of the
opera house. The opera ball begins. Among the
GUESTS are four carrying strange percussion
instruments: a monkey with cymbals, a toy soldier
with a drum, a triangle, bells. Together they play
weirdly throughout)
CHORUS
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade . . .
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will
never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!
Flash of mauve . . .
Splash of puce . . .
Fool and king . . .
Ghoul and goose . . .
Green and black . . .
Queen and priest . . .
Trace of rouge . . .
Face of beast . . .
Faces . . .
Take your turn, take a ride
on the merry-go-round . . .
in an inhuman race . . .
Eye of gold . . .
Thigh of blue . . .
True is false . . .
Who is who . . .?
Curl of lip . . .
Swirl of gown . . .
Ace of hearts . . .
Face of clown . . .
Faces . . .
Drink it in, drink it up,
till you've drowned
in the light . . .
in the sound . . .
RAOUL/CHRISTINE
But who can name the face . . .?
ALL
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows,
spinning reds . . .
Masquerade!
Take your fill -
let the spectacle
astound you!
Masquerade!
Burning glances,
turning heads . . .
Masquerade!
Stop and stare
at the sea of smiles
around you!
Masquerade!
Seething shadows
breathing lies . . .
Masquerade!
You can fool
any friend who
ever knew you!
Masquerade!
Leering satyrs,
peering eyes . . .
Masquerade!
Run and hide -
but a face will
still pursue you!
(The ENSEMBLE activity becomes background, as
ANDRE, FIRMIN, MEG, GIRY, PIANGI and CARLOTTA
come to the fore, glasses in hand)
GIRY
What a night
MEG
What a crowd!
ANDRE
Makes you glad!
FIRMIN
Makes you proud!
All the creme
de la creme!
CARLOTTA
Watching us watching them!
MEG/GlRY
And all our fears
are in the past!
ANDRE
Six months...
PIANGI
Of relief!
CARLOTTA
Of delight!
ANDRE/FIRMIN
Of Elysian peace!
MEG/GIRY
And we can breathe at last!
CARLOTTA
No more notes!
PIANGI
No more ghost!
GIRY
Here's a health!
ANDRE
Here's a toast:
to a prosperous year!
FIRMIN
To the new chandelier!
PIANGI/CARLOTTA
And may its
splendour never fade!
FIRMIN
Six months!
GIRY
What a joy!
MEG
What a change!
FIRMIN/ANDRE
What a blessed release!
ANDRE
And what a masquerade!
(They clink glasses and move off RAOUL and
CHRISTINE emerge. She is admiring a new acquisition:
an engagement ring from RAOUL, which she has
attached to a gold chain around her neck.)
CHRISTINE
Think of it!
A secret engagement!
Look - your future bride!
Just think of it!
RAOUL
But why is it secret?
What have we to hide?
CHRISTINE
Please, let's not fight . . .
RAOUL
Christine, you're free!
CHRISTINE
Wait till the time is right . . .
RAOUL
When will that be?
It's an engagement,
not a crime!
Christine,
What are you
afraid of?
CHRISTINE
Let's not argue . . .
RAOUL
Let's not argue . . .
CHRISTINE
Please pretend . . .
RAOUL
I can only hope I'll . . .
CHRISTINE
You will . . .
BOTH
. . . understand
in time . . .
(Dance section, in which CHRISTINE, almost
coquettish almost jittery, goes from man to man. But too
many of her partners seem to be replicas of the
PHANTOM, and each spins her with increasing force.
Eventually RAOUL rescues her and holds her tightly. He
whirls her back into the dance, as the music heads
towards its climax.)
ALL
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade!
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will
never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade!
Masquerade!
Look around -
There's another
mask behind you!
Masquerade!
Burning glances,
turning heads . . .
Masquerade!
Stop and stare
at the sea of smiles
around you!
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows,
spinning reds . . .
Masquerade!
Take your fill -
let the spectacle
astound you.
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
