THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA


It is 1911, and the contents of the Paris Opera House are on the auction block. Raoul, now 70 years old and in a wheelchair, buys a poster and a music box. As the auctioneer displays the Opera House chandelier, Raoul begins to spin the tale of The Phantom of the Opera. With a flash of light, the audience is transported back in time, when the Paris Opera was at its zenith.

The Story...

[Photo]

Davis Gaines as "The Phantom" and Tracy Shayne as "Christine" in The Phantom of the Opera.

When a backdrop mysteriously crashes to the floor of the opera house stage and almost kills the prima donna soprano, Carlotta, everyone cries, "It's the Phantom of the Opera!" The ingenue, Christine Daae, is proposed as a replacement, as she has been studying with a mysterious new teacher.

Christine's love interest is Raoul, a nobleman and one of her childhood friends. After a dinner invitation from Raoul, the Phantom appears and Christine is lured into the bowels of the Opera House to continue her voice lessons.

The Phantom leads her to his underground lair, where she sees a frightening vision of herself in a wedding gown. She faints and wakes up hours later to the sounds of the Phantom's organ music. Creeping up behind him, she rips off his mask.

The Phantom sends notes to the opera's managers saying that Christine must have the lead in the new opera, Il Muto. They refuse to give in to the Phantom's demands and keep Carlotta in the lead. Disaster strikes again: A stagehand is killed and Carlotta loses her voice.

Meanwhile, Raoul and Christine have fallen deeply in love. Unbeknownst to them, the Phantom overhears their vows to one another. Enraged at Christine's betrayal, the Phantom causes another disaster -- the famed crashing of the opera house chandelier.

At the opening of the second act, no one has heard from the Phantom in six months, and Christine and Raoul are secretly engaged.

Suddenly, the Phantom appears and delivers to the managers a score from his own opera, Don Juan Triumphant. They devise a plan to trap the Phantom, using Christine as bait. On opening night of the Phantom's opera, the theater is surrounded by guards and police. As the opera ends, however, the Phantom takes the place of the lead singer and spirits Christine away to his labyrinth.

In a last confrontation, the Phantom gives Christine a choice: stay with him forever, or he will kill Raoul. Her decision brings about the climax of The Phantom of the Opera.


[Home] [Back]