Masquerade / Why So Silent

作詞：     作曲：Andrew Lloyd Webber

(The gauze lifts fully to reveal the staircase of the opera house.
The opera ball begins.
Among the GUESTS are four carrying strange percussion instruments:
a monkey with cymbals, a toy soldier with a drum, a triangle, bells.
Together they play weirdly throughout)

CHORUS
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade...
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will never find you!

Masquerade!
Every face a different shade...
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another mask behind you!

Flash of mauve...
Splash of puce...
Fool and king...
Ghoul and goose...
Green and black... Queen and priest...
Trace of rouge... Face of beast...

Faces...
Take your turn, take a ride
on a merry-go-round...
in an inhuman race...
Eye of gold... True is false...
Who is who... ?
Curl of lip... Swirl of gown...
Ace of hearts... Face of clown...
Faces...
Drink it in, drink it up,
till you've drowned
in the light...
in the sound...

RAOUL/CHRISTINE
But who can name the face... ?

ALL
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds...
Masquerade!
Take your fill -
let the spectacle astound you!

Masquerade!
Burning glances, turning heads...
Masquerade!
Stop and stare
at the sea of smiles around you!

Masquerade!
Seething shadows, breathing lies...
Masquerade!
You can fool
any friend who ever knew you!

Masquerade!
Leering satyrs, peering eyes...
Masquerade!
Run and hide -
but a face will still pursue you!

(The ENSEMBLE activity becomes background, as ANDRE, FIRMIN, MEG, GIRY, PIANGI and CARLOTTA come to the fore, glasses in hand)

GIRY
What a night!

MEG
What a crowd!

ANDRE
Makes you glad!

FIRMIN
Makes you proud!
All the crème de la crème!

CARLOTTA
Watching us watching them!

MEG/GIRY
And all our fears
are in the past!

ANDRE
Six months...

PIANGI
Of relief!

CARLOTTA
Of delight!

ANDRE/FIRMIN
Of Elysian peace!

MEG/GIRY
And we can breathe at last!

CARLOTTA
No more notes!

PIANGI
No more ghost!

GIRY
Here's a health!

ANDRE
Here's a toast:
to a prosperous year!

FIRMIN
To the new chandelier!

PIANGI/CARLOTTA
And may its
splendour never fade!

FIRMIN
Six months!

GIRY
What a joy!

MEG
What a change!

FIRMIN/ANDRE
What a blessed release!

ANDRE
And what a masquerade!

(They clink glasses and move off.
RAOUL and CHRISTINE emerge.
She is admiring a new acquisition:
an engagement ring from RAOUL, which she has attached to a gold chain around her neck)

CHRISTINE
Think of it!
A secret engagement!
Look – your future bride!
Just think of it!

RAOUL
But why is it secret?
What have we to hide?

CHRISTINE
Please, let's not fight...

RAOUL
Christine, you're free!

CHRISTINE
Wait till the time is right...

RAOUL
When will that be?
It's an engagement, not a crime!
Christine,
What are you
afraid of?

CHRISTINE
Let's not argue...

RAOUL
Let's not argue...

CHRISTINE
Please pretend...

RAOUL
I can only hope I'll...

CHRISTINE
You will...

BOTH
... understand
in time…

(Dance section, in which CHRISTINE, almost coquettish, almost jittery, goes from man to man.
But too many of her partners seem to be replicas of the PHANTOM, and each spins her with increasing force.
Eventually RAOUL rescues her and holds her tightly.
He whirls her back into the dance, as the music heads towards its climax)

ALL
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade.
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will never find you!

Masquerade!
Every face a different shade!
Masquerade!
Look around -
There's another mask behind you!

Masquerade!
Burning glances, turning heads...
Masquerade!
Stop and stare
at the sea of smiles around you!

Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds...
Masquerade!
Take your fill -
let the spectacle astound you

(At the height of the activity a grotesque figure suddenly appears at the top of the staircase.
Dressed all in crimson, with a death's head visible inside the hood of his robe, the PHANTOM has come to the party.
With dreadful wooden steps he descends the stairs and takes the centre of the stage)

PHANTOM
Why so silent, good messieurs?
Did you think that I had left you for good?
Have you missed me, good messieurs?
I have written you an opera!
(He takes from under his robe an enormous bound manuscript)
Here I bring the finished score –
“Don Juan Triumphant”!
(He throws it to ANDRE)
I advise you to comply -
my instructions should be clear -
Remember,
there are worse things than a shattered chandelier...

(CHRISTINE, mesmerized, approaches as the PHANTOM beckons her.
He reaches out, grasps the chain that holds the secret engagement ring, and rips it from her throat)

Your chains are still mine –
you will sing for me!

(ALL cower in suspense as the music crescendos, until, suddenly, his figure evaporates)