CARLOTTA

Think of me,

think of me fondly,

when we've said

goodbye.

Remember me

once in a while -

please promise me

you'll try.



When you find

that, once

again, you long

to take your heart . . .



(As CARLOTTA is singing a backdrop crashes to the

floor cutting her off from half the cast)



MEG/BALLET GIRLS/CHORUS

He's here:

the Phantom of the Opera . . .

He is with us . . .

It's the ghost . . .



PIANGI (looking up, furiously)

You idiots!



(He rushes over to CARLOTTA)

Cara! Cara! Are you hurt?



LEFEVRE

Signora! Are you all right? Buquet!

Where is Buquet ?



PIANGI

Is no one concerned for our prima donna?



LEFEVRE

Get that man down here !

(to ANDRE and FIRMIN)

Chief of the flies. He's responsible for this.



(The drop is raised high enough to reveal upstage an old

stagehand, JOSEPH BUQUET, holding a length of rope,

which looks almost like a noose)



LEFEVRE

Buquet! For God's sake, man, what's going on up there?



BUQUET

Please monsieur

don't look at me:

as God's my witness,

I was not at my post.



Please monsieur

there's no one there:

and if there is, well

then, it must be a ghost . . .



MEG (looking up)

He's there; the Phantom of the Opera ...



ANDRE

Good heavens!

Will you show a little courtesy?



FIRMIN (to MEG and the OTHERS)

Mademoiselle, please!



ANDRE (to CARLOTTA)

These things do happen.



CARLOTTA

Si! These things do happen! Well, until you stop these

things happening, this thing does not happen!



Ubaldo! Andiamo!

(PIANGI dutifully fetches her furs from the wings)



PIANGI

Amateurs !



LEFEVRE

I don't think there's much more to assist you,

gentlemen. Good luck. If you need me, I shall be in

Frankfurt .



(He leaves. The COMPANY looks anxiously at the NEW

MANAGERS)



ANDRE

La Carlotta will be back.





GIRY

You think so, messieurs? I have a message, sir, from the

Opera Ghost.



(The GIRLS twitter and twirl in fear)



FIRMIN

God in Heaven, you're all obsessed!



GIRY

He merely welcomes you to his opera house and

commands you to continue to leave Box Five empty for

his use and reminds you that his salary is due.



FIRMIN

His salary?



GIRY

Monsieur Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a

month. Perhaps you can afford more, with the Vicomte de

Chagny as your patron.



(Reaction to this from the BALLET GIRLS.

CHRISTINE takes hold of MEG nervously)



ANDRE (to GIRY)

Madame, I had hoped to have made that

announcement myself.



GIRY (to FIRMIN)

Will the Vicomte be at the performance tonight,

monsieur?



FIRMIN

In our box.



ANDRE

Madame, who is the understudy for this role?



REYER

There is no understudy, monsieur - the

production is new.



MEG

Christine Daae could sing it, sir.



FlRMIN

The chorus girl ?



MEG (to FIRMIN)

She's been taking lessons from a great teacher



ANDRE

From whom ?



CHRISTINE (uneasily)

I don't know, sir . . .



FIRMIN

Oh, not you as well!

(turning to ANDRE)

Can you believe it? A full house - and we have to cancel !



GIRY

Let her sing for you, monsieur. She has been well taught.



REYER (after a pause)

From the beginning of the aria then, mam'selle.



CHRISTINE

Think of me

think of me fondly,

when we've said goodbye.

Remember me

once in a while -

please promise me

you'll try.



FIRMIN

Andre, this is doing nothing for my nerves.



ANDRE

Don't fret, Firmin.



CHRISTINE

When you find

that, once

again, you long

to take your heart back

and be free -

if you

ever find

a moment,

spare a thought

for me



(Transformation to the Gala. CHRISTINE is

revealed in full costume)





We never said

our love

was evergreen,

or as unchanging

as the sea -

but if

you can still

remember

stop and think

of me . . .



Think of all the things

we've shared and seen -

don't think about the things

which might have been . . .



Think of me,

think of me waking,

silent and

resigned.



Imagine me,

trying too hard

to put you

from my mind.



Recall those days

look back

on all those times,

think of the things

we'll never do -

there will

never be

a day, when

I won't think

of you . .



(Applause, bravos. Prominent among the bravos, those

of the young RAOUL in the MANAGERS' box)



RAOUL

Can it be?

Can it be Christine?



Bravo!



(he raises his opera-glasses)



What a change!

You're really

not a bit

the gawkish girl

that once you were...



(lowering his opera-glasses)



She may

not remember

me, but

I remember

her...



CHRISTINE

We never said

our love

was evergreen,

or as unchanging

as the sea -

but please

promise me,

that sometimes

you will think

of me