Guide and Guardian

Orphaned at the age of fifteen and left in the care of her cruel stepmother, Charlotte Laurent has not led an easy life. After the death of her beloved father, Charlotte is soon brought to the Palais Garnier, of which her stepmother - Madame Isabella Giudicelli - is now the patroness. Rather than being trained in the arts as a ballerina or chorus girl, Charlotte is forced to work as her stepmother's servant and Carlotta Giudicelli's maid.

Luckily, upon arriving at the Paris Opéra House, Charlotte is soon reunited with her childhood friend, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, and introduced to famed tenor, Erik Destler. She also finds the loving mother she never knew in Madame Monqiue Giry, as well as a friend and confidant in her daughter, Meg. Unfortunately, tragedy seems to follow Charlotte, and this time, it leaves the opera house in disarray.

The Vicomte de Chagny seems determined to win her hand in marriage, and each time Charlotte politely declines his proposal, his temper only grows worse. Abused by those who claim to be her family, the atmosphere of the theatre in which Charlotte works and loves soon turns toxic, and she finds herself performing the most menial and grueling of tasks meant for men much stronger than she.

Though the kindness of Madame Giry and her daughter ease Charlotte's pain, she only finds true solace upon returning to her dormitory...

"No, what I love best," Lottie said, "is when I'm asleep in my bed, and the Angel of Music sings songs in my head."

All characters and songs from The Phantom of the Opera, with the exception of Charlotte Laurent and Gaston Lareau, belong to Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber.