There have been many literary and other dramatic works based on Leroux's novel, ranging from stage musicals to films to children's books. But, it seems that the mystery novel persona was a facade for the real genre being more of a Gothic romance. The Phantom has a torture chamber where he kidnaps and kills people, and the walls of the chapel in the graveyard are lined with human bones. The acting-manager. (Buquet had stumbled into this room and used a Punjab lasso hanging from a tree branch to commit suicide.). The commissary of the police who is called in to investigate the disappearance of Christine. "Silence!" ", "I worship the ground she stands on! 1M views 7 months ago #WestEnd #ThePhantomOfTheOpera #TheShowMustGoOn Sit down and relax whilst watching a compilation of the most popular songs from The Phantom of the Opera. Still, Christine begs and offers to be his "living bride", promising him not to kill herself after becoming his bride, as she had just attempted suicide. The Phantom of the Opera essays are academic essays for citation. Anyway the film went on and she was re united with her childhood sweetheart who was very charming and although most say wet, I think was very caring and charming (any girl wants prince charming on a white horse) despite what they say :-) There were lots of dream like scenes to follow and the film heightened emotionally all the way to the end, I've heard the song "Wishing you were somehow here again" but never knew its context, but the song and scene merged beautifully together for a very sentimental moment in the film enhanced by the angel statues covered in misty snow and a very Tim Burton moment. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Erik intends to hold her prisoner in his lair with him for a few days. It's cable. said Raoul impatiently. Meg is Madame Giry's daughter. Hugo in his preface to Cromwell (1827) wrote the stage should make as complete as possible the illusion of reality. When they meet years later, after Raoul watches Christine's performance at the Opera, they fall in love, get engaged, and make plans to elope. The musical has received more than fifty awards and is seen by many as being the most popular musical on Broadway.[9]. If I hated him, he would long ago have ceased doing harm. But you, sir, who do not love her, tell me why I find you ready to risk your life for her! 'The Phantom of the Opera' is a spellbinding and grandiose musical that takes the audience on a glittering and mysterious journey to the world of the Paris Opera House. He is referred to as "daroga" by Erik (daroga means "police chief" in Persian), and at one point he helped Erik escape the death penalty enacted by the Persian Shah (Erik knew too many state secrets). On the final night of their tenure they are thrown an extravagant farewell ceremony, in which all the Parisian social and artistic elites are present. As both of their parents have died, Philippe is owner of the family estate and wealth, and takes care of Raoul. Research into Leroux's sources has revealed that Leroux based this description upon a real-life Persian who frequented the Paris Opera in the 19th century, a mysterious exiled prince living on a pension from the British government.[1]. Sit down and relax whilst watching a compilation of the most popular songs from The Phantom of the Opera.Donate to these worthwhile arts causes: UK: http://actingforothers.co.uk/US: https://broadwaycares.org/Australia: https://www.actorsbenevolentfund.org.au/Donate to NHS Charities COVID19 Appeal:http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/NHSCharitiesCOVID19Welcome to The Shows Must Go On the channel bringing you showtunes, backstage access and full performances from some of the best loved musicals in history!Featuring the best performances from musical theatre and beyond!#TheShowMustGoOn #ThePhantomOfTheOpera #WestEnd Exercising his talent as an illusionist, Erik thus makes her abduction seem like a divine deed, instead of a merely human, jealousy-driven action, meant to keep her under his control. Meg Giry - Madame Giry's daughter. And the Persian, letting Raoul through the door which he had just opened, showed him the actress' room opposite. sighed the Persian. "If only Darius has come!" said the Persian. Eventually the Persian was relieved of his duties for helping Erik, but nonetheless he continued to receive a pension after having moved to Paris to keep an eye on Erik. He dies five months after giving this account. ", "If he is not there, he may be here, in this wall, in this floor, in this ceiling!Come!". LitCharts Teacher Editions. He brings guns to the Persian and Raoul in Christine's dressing room before they make their way to Erik's home. Leroux writes that he has "a noble and generous heart" and is an upright man concerned for the fate of others. It is with regret that I assure you it hasnt changed at all: for the sake of the passer-by who hasnt been warned, let me say that it looks like a railway station. ", "Once more, M. de Chagny, where are you going so fast? 1. With Julian Sands, Asia Argento, Andrea Di Stefano, Nadia Rinaldi. He still appears to be of Persian descent in the final film, though. Raoul is the Viscount of Chagny and Christine's childhood friend. After hearing Christines story, though, Raoul now seems to accept that the Phantom truly has supernatural powers, such as the capacity to shift forms. Leroux had heard the rumours about the time the opera house was finished, and these rumours became closely linked with the novel: Act One of the opera Helle had just finished when a fire in the roof of the opera house melted through a wire holding a counterweight for the chandelier, causing a crash that injured several and killed one. Carlotta is the spoiled and vain Spanish prima donna whose performance is sabotaged by Erik. Struggling with distance learning? ), Class Name Assassin (, Asashin? He is also involved in the investigation of the disappearance of the Christine. Karen (Freddies girlfriend) and he liked it too! In the 1925 silent film The Phantom Of The Opera, his character was changed into an inspector for the secret police named "Ledoux" who had been investigating Erik for months. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. It was made in 1916 and was directed by Ernest Matray. "Do you mean to fight a duel?" Antoinette Giry - Former ballet mistress of the Paris Opera, rescued Erik from a circus when he was a child, and years later helped him come to the United States. [9], By the time Leroux published The Phantom of the Opera, he had already gained credibility as a crime mystery author in both French- and English-speaking countries. The longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera debuted in 1988, winning seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. The original and the best, saw him many times in Toronto. You treat him as a monster, you speak of his crime, he has done you harm and I find in you the same inexplicable pity that drove me to despair when I saw it in Christine!". August 29, 1993; Los Angeles CAPro-shot video, soundboard audio.Pretty good quality recording (a little dark), Slightly remastered by me. Raoul is the Viscount of Chagny and Christine's childhood friend. Christine and Raoul elope together, never to return. ", "No, sir," said the Persian sadly, "I do not hate him. Shah, Raj. Raoul now remembered that his brother had once shown him that mysterious person, of whom nothing was known except that he was a Persian and that he lived in a little old-fashioned flat in the Rue de Rivoli. Mercier The acting-manager. The Persian's servant. Unfortunately, the shah owns a number of favorite cats and Nadir considers himself lucky to get off with imperial displeasure and a deep scratch on the ankle when he accidentally steps on a cat's tail. He brings guns to the Persian and Raoul in Christine's dressing room before they make their way to Erik's home. asked the young man. Anyone familiar with a large opera house would testify that it is an extraordinary labyrinth of people and passageways, but the Paris Opera House of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in which Gaston Leroux set The Phantom of the Opera, was remarkable by any standards. Anyone familiar with a large opera house would testify that it is an extraordinary labyrinth of people and passageways, but the Paris Opera House of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, in which Gaston Leroux set The Phantom of the Opera, was remarkable by any standards. Back to home page Return to top. "I hope, M. de Chagny," he said, "that you have not betrayed Erik's secret? Assumes Raoul is his father, but doesn't know his biological father. After the Professor and her father's deaths, Christine lives with Mamma Valerius in Paris. '", "But why do these walls obey him alone? and crossing the whole of the dressing-room he felt the great mirror. After being subcontracted to work on the Palais Garnier's foundations, Erik had discreetly built himself a lair to disappear in, complete with hidden passages and other tricks that allowed him to spy on the managers. [3], In Lloyd Webber's musical, he was focused on writing more of a romance piece and found the book and the musical took off from there. Based on Gaston Leroux's gothic novel, Phantom holds the record as the longest-running musical on Broadway. He is rash, impatient, and often speaks his mind without considering the relationships that he has built with the people around him, particularly in regard to his brother Philippe and his lover Christine. The first film version, a German adaptation called Das Gespenst im Opernhaus, is now a lost film. Experience the thrill of the West End's most haunting love story, starring double Olivier Award nominee Earl Carpenter as The Phantom, Holly-Anne Hull as Christine Daa and Matt Blaker as Raoul. There is also a mythic quality to it. On the retirement gala for the old opera managers, opera singer Christine attracts the attention of her childhood sweetheart, Raoul. Because of his fascination with both Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he wrote a detective mystery entitled The Mystery of the Yellow Room in 1907, and four years later he published Le Fantme de l'Opra. In the book he is the one who tells most of the background of Erik's history. This creates uncertainty about Raouls state of mind. The Persian's servant. Indeed, Mozart was not performed at the Paris Opera until the early 1800s and then only in a severely adapted form. He brings guns to the Persian and Raoul in Christine's dressing room before they make their way to Erik's home. In the 1880s, in Paris, the Palais Garnier Opera House is believed to be haunted by an entity known as the Phantom of the Opera, or simply the Opera Ghost. Afterward, a local newspaper runs the simple note: "Erik is dead." I think she thought the voice was so beautiful, could it be real? Read the Study Guide for The Phantom of the Opera, Erik of the Phantom of the Opera and Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights as Byronic Heroes, Identity Issues in The Phantom of the Opera, View the lesson plan for The Phantom of the Opera, View Wikipedia Entries for The Phantom of the Opera. The Paris Opera House rose to pre-eminence in the eighteenth century. Erik eventually releases Raoul and the Persian from his torture chamber. My power over you grows stronger yet. . Being kindhearted, he helped Erik escape from Persia instead, a trick that involved presenting a body washed up on the shore as Erik's. [11], In his article, Fitzpatrick compares the Phantom to other monsters featured in Gothic horror novels such as Frankenstein's monster, Dr. Jekyll, Dorian Gray, and Count Dracula. This was usually at the start of Act III. "The Phantom of the Opera Characters". The Phantom of the Opera study guide contains a biography of Gaston Leroux, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He is also involved in the investigation of the disappearance of the Christine. All rights reserved The Really Useful Group, Why collaborative partnerships are the way to grow your agency, Why WordPress coding standards are everything, Our first e-book is here, here is how you can get it, Weekly round-up of WordPress news Vol 21, Weekly round-up of WordPress news Vol 20, Weekly round-up of WordPress news Vol 19, Weekly round-up of WordPress news Vol 18, Weekly round-up of WordPress news Vol 17, How to find the best WordPress developers for you: Part 10 Security. "Oh, are we going out by the mirror?" [4] The underground "lake" that he wrote about, in reality an enormous cistern, does exist beneath the opera house, and it is still used for training firefighters to swim in the dark. It contained a pair of long pistols. [3], The next adaptation into a silent film was made in 1925 by Universal Studios. Just my opinion. Darius also cares for the Persian after Erik drops him at the Persian's front doorstep following the incident in the torture chamber. The Phantom of the Opera is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. It will then be on a pivot and will swing round.". She is loyal to Erik and even displays fondness for him, as he leaves her gifts and promises to help her daughter succeed if Madame Giry obeys him. Christine is the love interest of both Erik and Raoul, and Erik's jealousy over her love for Raoul is a major source of conflict throughout the novel. He is overcome with emotion. The novel can therefore be read as both a tribute to Leroux's novel, and also a satire of period novels. He is also involved in the investigation of the disappearance of the Christine. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Giry with Richard's concierge as the box keeper of Box Five. King of all this was the Operas chief designer Ciceri, the John Napier of the day. The tone and mood of Phantom of the Opera is mysterious, romantic, tragic, and serious. He attempts to visit her backstage, where he hears a man complimenting her from inside her dressing room. Salieri was hailed as the natural successor to Gluck, the main force at the opera in the third quarter of the eighteenth century, and was greatly influenced by his music. [as he leads Christine down the tunnels of the opera]. -Graham S. The societys reaction to Christines rumored plans to marry Viscount Raoul highlights the extent to which social judgment can lead one to isolationas has happened, in a more extreme manner, which Erik, who has always been rejected because of his appearance. [17] When Andrew Lloyd Webber created the musical, there started to be disagreements over whether it was "inspired by" or "based on" Gaston Leroux's novel. He is physically deformed and may be interpreted either as a tragic hero or a tragic villain. It was not apparent who the leading lady would be for a while until the chorus girl Christine was encouraged forward to sing replacing the Diva and was transformed from rags to a Cinderella style dress and sang with a pure beautiful voice and made me feel all magical and warm inside especially when she hit that note at the end!! Shortly before they leave, they warn Moncharmin and Richard, their successors, to follow Erik's conditions. The beginning of The Phantom of Manhattan is narrated by an ailing Madame Giry, and set in the early 1900s. Salieri had his greatest triumphs in Paris with Les Danaides (1787) and Tarare (1784). Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. What does "Hand at the level of your eyes" mean. ", "I don't know if it is possible or not; but there are ways and ways of carrying people off; and M. le Comte Philippe has never, as far as I know, had anything to do with witchcraft. Erik refers to him as the "daroga" (, Persian for "police-chief") and his memoirs are featured in five chapters of the novel. Christine tells him she has been tutored by the Angel of Music, whom her father used to tell them about. Based on Gaston Lerouxs horror novel, it tells the enticing story of The Phantom, who haunts the stage of the Paris Opera and subsequently falls in love with a beautiful young soprano. "Like Christine Daae. Shortly before they leave, they warn Moncharmin and Richard, their successors, to follow Erik's conditions. It was an infringement of the rule which insists upon the tall hat behind the scenes; but in France foreigners are allowed every license: the Englishman his traveling-cap, the Persian his cap of astrakhan. The new managers of the Opera House. The Persian is a figure from Erik's tragic past who provides information about him. Not the Opera Ghost or the Phantom. There is also a mythic quality to it. As a result, Erik uses the hollow walls (unbeknownst to them) of Box Five to scare them by projecting his voice; he drops the chandelier onto the crowd, killing Richard's concierge. ", "To-night, there is no other!" Wagners Tannhauser caused uproar with the Jockey Club because its ballet was placed too early in the production for their members convenience. As a result, Erik uses the hollow walls (unbeknownst to them) of Box Five to scare them by projecting his voice; he drops the chandelier onto the crowd, killing Richard's concierge. "It's not turning!" The Phantom: [sings] Sing once again with me our strange duet. [13] Leroux did not live to see all the success from his novel and its subsequent critical re-evaluation; he died in April 1927.[16]. I have had them a long time and they can be relied upon.". [15] The majority of the notability that the novel acquired early on was due to its publication in a series of installments in French, American, and English newspapers. Unquestionably among the most performed composers at that time was Salieri, whose music remained in the repertoire at the time of Lerouxs novel. Then the theatre turned to colour and all was sent spinning back in time and the busy backstage frolics of the cast at the Opera House were bought to life. He and Christine then cry together, and their tears "mingle." ", "I dare say he suspects it, for he knows that I understand the system. The Shah ordered him to execute Erik after Erik provided his services in construction for the Shah. Darius also cares for the Persian after Erik drops him at the Persian's front doorstep following the incident in the torture chamber. He is referred to as "daroga" by Erik (daroga means "police chief" in Persian), and at one point he helped Erik escape the death penalty enacted by the Persian Shah (Erik knew too many state secrets). The couple who took in Christine and her father after they struck poverty in an attempt to get famous from Christine's father's musical talents. He is a widower, his wife Rookheeya having died while giving birth to their son Reza. See production, box office & company info, The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, Auction at the Opera Populaire, 1919 (Prologue). Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. The Phantom of the Opera (French: Le Fantme de l'Opra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. The Paris Operas eruption of Vesuvius was legendary, employing real stones and the titles of operas alone convey everything: Le Siege de Corinth (Rossini), La Muette de Portici(Auber), Robert Le Diable (Meyerbeer) (noted for its Phantom of the Nuns effect) and, of course, Gounods Faust, the opera which is the backdrop to the Leroux novel. With Les Danaides ( 1787 ) and he liked it too musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with by! 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