Masquerade / Why So Silent? - Live At The Royal Albert Hall/2011
M'sieur Andre!
M'sieur Firmin!
Dear André what a splendid party!
The prologue to a bright new year!
Quite a night! I'm impressed!
Well, one does one's best
ANDRÉ fIRMIN (raising their glasses)
Here's to us!
A toast for the city! FIRMIN
What a pity that the 'Phantom'
Can't be 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)
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 but who can name the face?
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!
What a night!
FIRMIN what a crowd!
Makes you glad!
Makes you proud! All the crème
De la crème!
|Watching us watching them! |
|And all our fears |are in the past!
| \Three months!
Of relief!
Of delight!
Of Elysian peace!
|And we can breathe at last! |
\No more notes!
No more ghost!
Here's a health
Here's a toast: To a prosperous year!
To our friends who are here!
|And may |it's splendour never fade!
| |Three months!
| \What a joy!
What a change!
What a blessed release!
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)
(Sung) Think of it!
A secret engagement! Look - your future
Bride! Just think of it!
But, why is it secret? What have
We to hide? You promised me
No, Raoul, please don't, they'll see
Won't we let them see? It's an engagement
Not a crime!
Christine what are you
Afraid of?
Let's not argue
Let's not argue
Please pretend
|I can only hope I'll |
\You will
BOTH understand
In time
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!
(At the height of the
Activity a grotesque figure
Suddenly appears at the top of the staircase
Dressed all in crimson, with a death's head
Visible inside the hood of his robe
The PHANTOM has come to the party
With dreadful wooden steps he
Descends the stairs and takes the
Centre of the stage) pHANTOM
Why so silent, good Messieurs?
Did you think that I had left you for good?
Have you missed me, good Messieurs?
I have written you an opera!
(he takes from under his robe
An enormous bound manuscript)
Here I bring the finished score -
"Don Juan Triumphant"!
(He throws it to ANDRÉ and then unsheaths his
Sword and brandishes it towards
His respective targets)
Fondest greetings to you all!
A few instructions just before
Rehearsal starts: Carlotta must
Be taught to act not her normal trick
Of strutting round the stage
Our Don Juan must lose some weight
It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age
And my managers must learn
That their place is in
An office, not the arts
(He sheaths his sword for his next target)
As for our star, Miss Christine Daae
No doubt she'll do her best - it's
True, her voice is good she knows, though
Should she wish to excel
She has much still to learn if pride will
Let her return to me, her
Teacher her teacher
(Meanwhile, RAOUL temporarily steps out to
Get his rapier cHRISTINE, mesmerised
Stands still as the PHANTOM
Approaches her he reaches out
Grasps the chain
That holds the secret engagement ring
And rips it from her throat)
Your chains are still mine
(spoken) you belong to me!
