REHEARSALS FOR "HANNIBAL" BY CHALUMEAU

(We have reached the great choral scene in

which HANNIBAL and his army return to save

Carthage from the Roman invasion under

Scipio. HANNIBAL is UBALDO PIANGI;

ELISSA, Queen of Carthage (his mistress) is

CARLOTTA GUIDICELLI. The two leading

SLAVE GIRLS are played by MEG GIRY and

CHRISTINE DAAE. MME. GIRY is the ballet

mistress. M. REYER, the repetiteur, is in

charge.

We join the opera towards the end of ELISSA's

(CARLOTTA's) great aria. She is alone, holding

a pre. from the approaching HANNIBAL, a

bleeding severed head)

CARLOTTA (at the climax of an extravagant cade)

This trophy from our saviours, from the

enslaving force of Rome!

(A STAGE HAND carries a ladder across the

stage. OTHERS are seen still constructing

parts of the scenery)

GIRLS' CHORUS

With feasting and dancing and song,

tonight in celebration

we greet the victorious throng,

returned to bring salvation!

MEN'S CHORUS

The trumpets of Carthage resound !

Hear, Romans, now and tremble!

Hark to our step on the ground!

ALL

Hear the drums - Hannibal comes!

(PIANGI enters, as HANNIBAL)

PIANGI (HANNIBAL)

Sad to return to find the land we love

threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching

grasp.

REYER (interrupting him)

Signor . . . if you please: "Rome". We say

"Rome' not "Roma"

PIANGI

Si, si, Rome, not Roma. Is very hard for me.

(practising) Rome . . . Rome . . .

(Enter LEFEVRE, the retiring manager of the

Opera, with M. FIRMIN and M. ANDRE, to

whom he has just sold it)

REYER (to PIANGI)

Once again, then, if you please, Signor: "Sad to

return . . ."

LEFEVRE (to ANDRE and FIRMIN)

This way, gentlemen, this way. Rehearsals, as

you see, are under way, for a new production of

Chalumeau's "Hannibal".

(seeing a hiatus in the rehearsal, LEFEVRE attempts to

attract attention.)

LEFEVRE

Ladies and gentlemen, some of you may already,

perhaps, have met M. Andre and M. Firmin ...

(the new managers are politely bowing, when REYER

interrupts)

REYER

I'm sorry, M. Lefevre, we are rehearsing. If you wouldn't

mind waiting a moment?

LEFEVRE

My apologies, M. Reyer. Proceed, proceed ...

REYER

Thank you, monsieur (turning back to PIANGI).

"Sad to return..." Signor ...

LEFEVRE (sotto voce to ANDRE and FIRMIN)

M. Reyer, our chief repetiteur. Rather a tyrant, I'm

afraid.

(the rehearsal continues)

PIANGI (HANNIBAL)

Sad to return to find the land we love

threatened once more by

Rome's far-reaching grasp.

Tomorrow we shall break

the chains of Rome.

Tonight, rejoice - your army has

come home.

BALLET GIRLS begin their dance.

LEFEVRE, ANDRE and FIRMIN

stand centr-stage watching the

ballet. They are in the way. The

ballet continues under the

following dialogue.)

LEFEVRE (indicating PIANGI)

Signor Piangi, our principal

tenor. He does play so opposite

La Carlotta.

GIRY (exasperated by their

presence, bangs her cane angrily

on the stage)

Gentlemen, please! If you would

kindly move to one side?

LEFEVRE

My apologies, Mme. Giry.

(leading ANDRE and FIRMIN

aside)

Mme. Giry, our ballet mistress. I

don't mind confessing, M.

Firmin, I shan't be sorry to be rid

of the whole blessed business.

FIRMIN

I keep asking you, monsieur, why

exactly are you retiring?

LEFEVRE (ignoring this, calls

his attention to the continuing

ballet)

We take a particular pride here in

the excellence of our ballets.

(MEG becomes prominent among the dancers)

ANDRE

Who's that girl, Lefevre?

LEFEVRE

Her? Meg Giry, Madame Giry's

daughter. Promising dancer, M.

Andre, most promising.

(CHRISTINE becomes prominent. She has absent-

mlndedly fallen out-of-step)

GIRY (spotting her, bangs her cane again)

You! Christine Daae! Concentrate, girl!

MEG (quietly, to CHRISTINE)

Christine . . . What's the matter?

FIRMIN (to LEFEVRE)

Daae? Curious name.

LEFEVRE

Swedish.

ANDRE

Any relation to the violinist?

LEFEVRE

His daughter, I believe. Always has her head in the

clouds, I'm afraid.

(The ballet continues to its climax and ends. The

CHORUS resumes)

CHORUS

Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests -

the elephants of Carthage!

As guides on our conquering quests,

Dido sends

Hannibal's friends!

(the ELEPHANT, a life-sized mechanical replica, enters.

PIANGI is lifted, in triumph, onto its back)

CARLOTTA (ELISSA)

Once more to my

welcoming arms

my love returns

in splendour!

PIANGI (HANNIBAL)

Once more to those

sweetest of charms

my heart and soul

surrender!

CHORUS

The trumpeting elephants sound

hear, Romans, now and tremble!

Hark to their step on the ground

hear the drums!

Hannibal comes!

(At the end of the chorus LEFEVRE claps

his hands for silence. The elephant is led

off. Two stage-hands are revealed operating

it from within)

LEFEVRE

Ladies and gentlemen - Madame Giry, thank

you - may I have your attention, please?

As you know, for some weeks there have

been rumours of my Imminent retirement. I

can now tell you that these were all true and

it is my pleasure to introduce to you the

two gentlemen who now own the Opera

Populaire, M. Richard Firmin and M.

Gilles Andre.

(Polite applause. Some bowing.

CARLOTTA makes her presence felt)

Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our

leading soprano for five seasons now.

ANDRE

Of course, of course. I have experienced all

your

greatest roles, Signora.

LEFEVRE

And Signor Ubaldo Piangi.

FIRMIN

An honour, Signor.

ANDRE

If I remember rightly, Elissa has a rather

fine aria in Act Three of "Hannibal". I

wonder, Signora, if, as a personal favour,

you would oblige us with a private

rendition? (Somewhat acerbic). Unless, of

course, M. Reyer objects . . .

CARLOTTA

My manager commands . . .

M. Reyer?

REYER

My diva commands. Will two bars

be sufficient introduction?

FIRMIN

Two bars will be quite sufficient

REYER (ensuring that CARLOTTA is ready)

Signora?

CARLOTTA

Maestro.

(The introduction is played on the piano)

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