Ah, the musicals! They can be adored and go to all premieres. You can hate them and fastidiously purs your lips as soon as you hear "about this stupidity." In the end, this type of art may simply not be understood. But it’s impossible to remain completely indifferent to musicals.
Computer games, dancing in nightclubs and 3D cinemas gradually replaced ballet, opera and operetta, performances and musicals from the life of most modern people. Only true connoisseurs are ready to sacrifice time and almost any amount of money to once again touch art and fill their inner world with shades of different emotions.
In this article we will talk about the beautiful, incomparable, legendary musical The Phantom of the Opera, which for 30 years has been confidently at the peak of popularity and not only has been performed in all countries of the world to this day, but has also been filmed with the participation of Hollywood actors.
Love and creativity
The story of this musical began at the moment when Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera" fell into the hands of the British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The story, written by a French writer, amazed the composer to the core.
What is Gaston Leroux talking about in his novel The Phantom of the Opera? Summary books can be described as the struggle of such human feelings as Love, Hatred and ... Hope. This is history:
- about two men in love with a talented girl;
- about a girl with a pure soul and her faith in the Angel of Music;
- about an unfortunate, ugly, but brilliant man with a crippled fate;
- about the complex interweaving of fates and mercy.
In fact, it is not entirely correct to try to retell the Phantom of the Opera in a nutshell (plot). Indeed, it is simply impossible to fully and fully convey the experience of the heroes, their feelings and emotions!
Before writing the musical, the talented composer married a charming young actress and singer Sarah Brightman, who later performed the role of opera singer Christina Dae.
Sarah Brightman had a unique voice - a tall and pure soprano, in love with his beautiful wife Andrew Lloyd-Webber felt an inexhaustible need to create, they both bathed in love and happiness. Apparently, the stars formed a certain complex pattern, or maybe the mysterious good powers intervened, but thanks to this coincidence, the world saw and heard The Phantom of the Opera - a musical that wins hearts immediately, implicitly and forever. His loyal fans are sure that this is because he is "involved" in real feelings. In a word - “The Phantom of the Opera” (the book and its embodiment in music) is a creation of people who know firsthand what love is.
Companions in the musical field
In addition to Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Charles Hart (libretto) and Richard Stiglow (separate parts) participated in the writing of the musical. Lloyd-Webber came up with an interesting score, in which the musical periodically went to the opera and vice versa. The composer played with styles, mixing his own unique musical cocktail. It was thanks to his bold fantasy “The Phantom of the Opera” - a musical that was able to bring its charm through time. The souls of those who were fortunate enough to see and hear him at least once were filled with pleasant emotional memories.
Designer Talent
Separately, it is worth noting the outstanding work of the designer Maria Bjørnson, who came up with the scenery and costumes: it was she who, letting through the Phantom of the Opera (the plot of the musical, the emotions of the artists, the spirit of the times), suggested in the production to use such memorable moments as a luxurious chandelier, fragile gondola, a majestic staircase and a gloomy dungeon.
Fans of the creations of Leroux Gaston and Andrew Lloyd-Webber will confirm: when describing the musical The Phantom of the Opera, the story can hardly be summarized. Too many details, feelings, dialogs, emotions ...
The mystery of the Paris Opera
So, the musical "Phantom of the Opera" ... The plot unfolds back in 1881. The main scene - Paris Opera - the scene of the brilliant opera diva Carlotta. And it is in the deep dungeons under the building that the mysterious Phantom of the Opera lives, according to rumors. By the way, the new owners of the Opera do not believe in the existence of an insidious phantom and stop any talk on this subject.
Once, during a rehearsal of Carlotta, something strange happens: one of the scenery collapses, which almost crippled the opera diva. Impressive witnesses of the incident unanimously argue that this is nothing but a Phantom of the Opera, and the Primadonna herself refuses to speak and is outraged in every way that the new owners - Firmen and Andre - do not care about the safety of the artists.
The opera choreographer - Madame Giri - devotes the new owners to the secret of the Phantom: it turns out that he has long felt himself to be the master of the Opera! The impudent phantom demands a high salary and forbids to occupy box No. 5 during performances, because he considers it his own.
New Prima
Firman and Andre are horrified - and no wonder: the scenery is broken, the Diva refuses to speak, and even this Phantom! Opera, musical and other performances - all this will be destroyed if the upcoming performance does not take place!
We need to find a new Prima, and it becomes an inconspicuous chorus, a native of Sweden - Christina Dae. The hosts of the Paris Opera do not have any particular hopes for her, but unexpectedly for all Christine shows the full power of her beautiful voice, first during the rehearsal, and then at the performance itself.
Good evil angel
After a dizzying debut, Christina secretly tells her friend Meg that she has a kind spirit sent to her by her dead father, who calls himself the Angel of Music. And even if she had never seen him, but only heard him, he was everything to her: a friend, a critic, and a mentor. It was the Angel of Music who taught Christina to control her voice and sing beautifully.
Meanwhile, a new character appears in the Opera, Raul Viscount de Chagni - a very wealthy young man who decided to become a philanthropist of the Paris Opera. By the way, de Chagni and Cristina have known each other for a long time - in childhood they spent a lot of time together at the games. Christina also talks about the Angel of Music to Raul, but he is too pragmatic to believe in fables. Raoul is in love with Christina, but does not dare to confess to her. He invites Christine to dine together, but she refuses the ardent lover.
Of course, in fact there is no Angel of Music: there is the Phantom of the Opera, obsessed with passion for the tender Christine. The book of Gaston Leroux very well conveys the love suffering of the phantom, and the composer Lloyd Webber clearly and very clearly managed to show them through music.
Obsessed with love
At the moment when Christina is left alone, a voice is heard in her dressing room - this is the Phantom of the Opera displeased with her candor and jealousy. The plot is becoming more and more dramatic. Curious Christina is eager to see what her mentor looks like, and asks him to appear. A ghost appears in the mirror, but to the disappointment of the young singer, a mask hides his face. A phantom guides Christine through the mirror and leads her into the dungeons of the Opera.
The ghost carries Christina, trembling from fear and curiosity, deeper and deeper into the labyrinths of the catacombs. On an old gondola, they cross a small underground lake and find themselves in a gloomy place where the Phantom lives. A huge number of candles burn in the phantom's lair and there are many organ pipes through which he spoke with Christina in the guise of an Angel of Music.
Embraced by love, the Ghost ardently confesses Christine's love and invites her to stay with him forever. Impressive girl faints. The phantom carefully puts her on the bed, and he sits down at the organ in order to compose new music.
Meanwhile, Christina woke up quietly creeping up to the Phantom, carried away by a new work, and deftly tearing off the mask from him, under which she finds with horror an ugly and disfigured face. The phantom comes in an indescribable rage from the fact that its ugliness was revealed to the girl. In anger, he tells her that he dreams of a normal appearance, so that Christina could love him, and then takes her back to the dressing room. Christina is discouraged that her Angel of Music is the Phantom of the Opera.
Death for disobedience
The plot of the musical is further developed as follows: the new owners of the Opera - Firmen and Andre - receive a letter from the Phantom demanding to approve Christina for all the main parties. Raul and Carlotta receive letters from the Ghost. In a letter to de Chagny, the Ghost forbids him to approach Christine, and Carlotta phantom notifies her of removal from execution.
Firman and Andre are not going to obey some Ghost, and Carlotta shines again on stage. However, during the performance, strange metamorphoses occur with her voice, and instead of singing, a terrible croaking spreads throughout the Opera. Carlotta is forced to leave the stage, and instead Christina is preparing for the performance.
In order not to cause suspicion among the audience, a ballet is dancing on the stage. One of the dancers touches the ill-fated back decoration, it falls and opens a terrible sight - the hanged Joseph Bouquet (one of the theater workers). No one doubts that the culprit is none other than the Phantom of the Opera!
The plot continues to gain momentum. The audience in a panic leaves the room, and the frightened Christina and Raoul hide on the roof, where the girl tells de Chagni about a visit to the gloomy dungeon and everything that happened there. Raoul still considers this a fantasy and, having gained courage, confesses to Christine in love. The girl reciprocates him, they kiss, and the phantom who watched them falls into a wild rage. He longs for revenge and, in order to at least somehow throw out his anger, brings down a huge opera chandelier on the stage!
Six months later, Christina and Raul got engaged, and the girl does not remove the ring presented by the young man. The owners of the Paris Opera hold a costume ball at which the Phantom of the Opera appears with a red mask on his face. He announces the creation of a new opera and demands that Prima in it, of course, be Christina. Then he forcibly takes away the engagement ring from the girl and disappears.
The revealed secret
The ubiquitous Phantom thoroughly annoyed Raoul with his antics, and he is trying to find out who is actually hiding under the mask of a phantom. He is told a sad story about a certain freak who was sitting in a cage at the performance of a wandering fair, which was a passage in Paris many years ago. Everyone was laughing at the terrible appearance of the prisoner, however, despite the ugliness, the unfortunate one had a sharp mind, he felt great music and was versed in architecture. He managed to get out of the cage and seemed to dissolve in the air.
Raul is sure that the Phantom of the Opera is that same genius freak and decides that during the premiere of a new opera a trap can be set up for the freak. He shares his plans with Christina and asks her for help. Motivated by love for the young man and fear of the Ghost, the girl promises her lover to help capture the phantom.
Ghost Trap
On the day of the performance, the Paris Opera Hall is full. Christina goes on stage with Ubaldo Pianji, with whom she must sing a duet. However, during the performance, Christina realizes that next to her is not Ubaldo, but the Ghost! The phantom holds out the ring to the girl, and she deftly rips off the mask from him. Numb with terror, the disfigured face of the freak opens up. Phantom grabs Christina and carries her into her lair. Behind them on the heels follows an angry mob led by Raul.
In his lair, the Ghost forces the girl to wear a wedding dress and tries to force her to become his wife. Suddenly, de Chagni bursts into the gloomy cloister, the Ghost binds him and invites Christine to make a choice: the life of her beloved or freedom from the phantom. The girl is afraid for her lover, and to soften the heart of the cruel freak kisses the Phantom. The kiss turned out to be magical: the unfortunate, rejected by all, the Phantom had mercy and released the lovers.
Discarded mask
Raul and Cristina run away from the monster's lair, and the phantom is left alone and cries sobbing, wiping her tears with a veil. A crowd intoxicated by hatred rushes into the dungeon and sees the dark outline of a figure wrapped in a cloak. Christina's girlfriend, Meg, boldly rips off her cloak, but underneath it is only a mask of the Phantom of the Opera, the owner of the dungeon himself has disappeared ...
Thus ends the musical The Phantom of the Opera, which remains legendary to this day. It is impossible to imagine that this magnificent production might not have happened if Gaston Leroux had not written The Phantom of the Opera, if this book had not inspired the in love composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber, and if Sarah Brightman did not have a unique voice. The combination of circumstances sometimes gives a truly fabulous turn, which makes our world kinder and more beautiful.