The Phantom of the Opera

Overture

Christine (22) and Evangeline (20) are now grown up into beautiful young mademoiselles. They have worked hard in ballet ever since they were brought to the Populaire. Christine and Evangeline were the best of friends with Madame Giry's daughter, Meg. The three acted like they were all sisters and looked out for each other. Madame Giry was true to her word and treated Christine and Evangeline like her own. She thought the girls were wonderful dancers. She was going to give Meg the Prima Ballerina Role but, Meg turned it down. So the role was given to Christine while Meg and Evangeline remained chorus girls.

Evangeline loved dancing with her sisters but she loved singing with her Angel more. She spent every night either in her room, on the stage, or in the chapel learning everything her Angel had to offer. Her Angel told her after every lesson that she was improving and her voice was the most angelic voice he's ever heard of. All she wanted to do was sing for him and make him proud, but the thought of singing in front of an audience scared her. Singing was different than dancing since she couldn't hide in the back of the chorus girls if she sang. Her Angel said that he will help her past her fear and she can share her voice with the world.

The other ballet girls would mention a ghost they called the "Phantom of the Opera" saying all these rumors about him. Evangeline didn't listen to them since they'd never seen the ghost before. She didn't bother to mention it to her Angel since it seemed like a rumor to spread to freak the girls out. The one they all had to watch for was Joseph Buquet. Chief of the flies that would always be drinking while on the job and would always sneak into the ballet girl's room. Madame Giry made sure that the doors got new locks and were locked every night to stop Buquet.

Evangeline didn't mention her Angel to anyone but Christine. At first, Christine didn't approve of her sister talking to mysterious voices that taught her how to sing at night, but once she heard Evangeline's progress, she allowed her sister to continue the lessons. As if her sister saying no to the lessons was going to stop Evangeline from seeing her Angel of Music.

Evangeline wanted to be the Prima Donna but that position was filled by a singer named Carlotta Giudicelli. She was a horrible singer and sounded like croaking toads. She showed up 4 years ago and decided 3 years ago she would bully and belittle Evangeline. Once that started, the Opera Ghost got more active. Stage props and sandbags would fall while Carlotta would be practicing for productions. Costumes would go missing and back-drops would be ruined and have to be redone. Carlotta would always claim she would be leaving but Monsieur Lefèvre, the owner of the Populaire would always bring her back.

"Evangeline, focus!" Madame Giry said, breaking Eve from her thoughts

"Sorry Madame," I replied

We're rehearsing for a new production we are going to perform: Chalumeau's Hannibal. Christine dances beautifully now. I am proud that my older sister is the Prima Ballerina. I wish to be the Prima Donna so I can perform with her, but my fear of performing in audiences is still there and I wish to stop being the target of Carlotta's abuse.

My body moves along to the music and it has done many performances before. I like dancing with the girls because I can hide behind them. My thoughts are broken again when the music finishes and Madame Giry allows us to get water and instructs us to go to the stage for the final rehearsal.

"What were you thinking about? Even Madame Giry saw you distracted." Christine asked

"I'm excited about the show tonight is all." I replied

"I know that you're not saying the whole truth, but we can discuss that later, we mustn't be late." Meg said

We raced down the stage and got in our places as we had to endure hours of Carlotta staring over and over again with her horrible voice.