Prima Donna, Light Up The Stage

Jim Adams, aka Newepicauthor, the creator of A Unique Title For Me, is hosting SONG-LYRIC-SUNDAY and this week he has chosen the theme: MUSICAL/OPERA

Far and above any other musical, I have seen “Phantom Of The Opera“. I cannot tell you how many times. The first time I saw it, I was a little girl. We watched it in Manchester. But I have seen it…goodness, it could be more than twenty times easily in London. I am not an obsessive fan. It’s just that whenever friends visited London they always seemed to want to see one musical. That’s how I ended up seeing it so many times.

For me there is no musical quite like it. I think many of you will have seen it, but for somebody who never has seen it, I assure you, the theatre experience is a sensation. I don’t want to drop any spoilers about the stage production, it’s better when it is a surprise for you. There is a reason why “Phantom Of The Opera” is one of the most successful stage musicals of all time. With lyrics from Charles Hart and music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber (who I used to live very close to), this musical has one of the most famous scores of all time.

You may hear some people dissing it. “Phantom Of The Opera” is a bit like Marmite it seems. I have seen it so many times that I don’t actually feel any desire to ever see it again! But yet I do applaud it for the fabulous score, the memorable set and costumes and for pulling on your heart strings. I saw another blogger mentioned today how many of us even found ourselves rooting for “the baddie”.

On stage, I love “Masquerade” and “Music Of The Night“. I always loved the lyrics and emotion in “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and “”All I Ask Of You“”. But when the musical “Phantom Of The Opera” was given the silver screen dusting, another song stood out to me. I absolutely loved “Prima Donna“. This is my favourite part of the movie version in fact!

ANDRE:

Your public needs you!

FIRMIN:

We need you, too!

CARLOTTA:

Would you not rather have your precious little ingenue?

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Signora, no! the world wants you!

Prima donna first lady of the stage!

Your devotees are on their knees to implore you !

Can you bow out when they’re shouting your name?

Think of how they all adore you!

Prima donna, enchant us once again!

Think of your muse and of the queues round the theatre!

Can you deny us the triumph in store?

Sing, prima donna, once more!

RAOUL:

Christine spoke of an angel . . .

CARLOTTA:

Prima donna your song shall live again!

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Think of your public!

CARLOTTA:

You took a snub, but there’s a public who needs you!

GIRY:

She has heard the voice of the angel of music . . .

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Those who hear your voice liken you to an angel!

CARLOTTA:

Think of their cry of undying support !

RAOUL:

Is this her angel of music?

ANDRE:

We get our opera

FIRMIN:

She gets her limelight!

CARLOTTA:

Follow where the limelight leads you!

MEG:

Is this ghost an angel or a madman.?

RAOUL:

Angel or madman . . .?

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Leading ladies are a trial!

GIRY:

Heaven help you, those who doubt . . .

CARLOTTA:

You’ll sing again, and to unending ovation!

RAOUL:

Orders! Warnings! Lunatic demands!

GIRY:

This miscasting will invite damnation . . .

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Tears . . . oaths . . .Iunatic demands

Are regular occurrences!

MEG:

Bliss or damnation?

Which has claimed her?

CARLOTTA:

Think how you’ll shine in that final encore!

Sing, prima donna, once more!

GIRY:

Oh fools, to have flouted his warnings!

RAOUL:

Surely, for her sake . . .

MEG:

Surely he’ll strike back . . .

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Surely there’ll be further scenes worse than this!

GIRY:

Think, before these demands are rejected!

RAOUL:

…I must see these demands are rejected!

MEG:

…If his threats and demands are rejected!

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Who’d believe a diva happy to relieve a chorus girl,

Who’s gone and slept with the patron?

Raoul and the soubrette, entwined in love’s duet!

Although he may demur, he must have been with her!

MEG/RAOUL:

Christine must be protected!

CARLOTTA:

0, fortunata! Non ancor abbandonata!

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

You’d never get away with all this in a play,

But if it’s loudly sung and in a foreign tongue

It’s just the sort of story audiences adore,

In fact a perfect opera!

RAOUL:

His game is over!

GIRY:

This is a game you cannot hope to win!

RAOUL:

And in Box Five a new game will begin . . .

GIRY:

For, if his curse is on this opera . . .

MEG:

But if his curse is on this opera . . .

ANDRE/FIRMIN:

Prima donna the world is at your feet!

A nation waits, and how it hates to be cheated!

CARLOTTA:

The stress that falls upon a famous prima donna!

Terrible diseases, coughs and colds and sneezes!

Still, the dryest throat will reach the highest note,

In search of perfect opera!

MEG/GIRY:

. . . then I fear the outcome . . .

RAOUL:

Christine plays the Pageboy,

Carlotta plays the Countess . . .

GIRY:

. . . should you dare to . .

MEG:

. . . when you once again . . .

ALL:

Light up the stage with that age old rapport!

Sing, prima donna, once more!

PHANTOM’S VOICE:

So, it is to be war between us!

If these demands are not met,

A disaster beyond your imagination will occur!

ALL:

Once more!