Masquerade/Why So Silent Songtext - Andrew Lloyd Webber

Masquerade/Why So Silent - Andrew Lloyd Webber

FIRMIN

M'sieur Andre!


ANDRÉ

M'sieur Firmin!


FIRMIN

Dear André,
what a splendid party!


ANDRÉ

The prologue
to a bright new year!


FIRMIN

Quite a night!
I'm impressed!


ANDRÉ

Well, one does one's best....


ANDRÉ/FIRMIN
(
raising their glasses
)
Here's to us!


ANDRÉ

A toast for the city!


FIRMIN

What a pity that the 'Phantom'
can't be here!

(
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 the merry-go-round...
|in an inhuman race...
\Eye of gold...
Thigh of blue...
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...
But who can name the face...?

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!


CARLOTTA

What a night!


FIRMIN

What a crowd!


ANDRÉ

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!
|
|
ANDRÉ

\Three months!


PIANGI

Of relief!


CARLOTTA

Of delight!


ANDRÉ

Of Elysian peace!

|
FIRMIN

|And we can breathe at last!
|
|
CARLOTTA

\No more notes!


PIANGI

No more ghost!


GIRY

Here's a health


ANDRÉ

Here's a toast:
to a prosperous year!


FIRMIN

To our friends who are here!

|
PIANGI/CARLOTTA

|And may
|its splendour never fade!
|
|
FIRMIN

|Three months!
|
|
GIRY

\What a joy!


MEG

What a change!


FIRMIN/ANDRÉ

What a blessed release!


GIRY

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

(Sung) 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? You promised me.


CHRISTINE

No, Raoul, please don't, they'll see...


RAOUL

Won't we let them see? 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...


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 ANDRÉ and then unsheaths his sword and brandishes it towards his respective targets
)

Fondest greetings
to you all!
A few instructions,
just before
rehearsal starts:
Carlotta must
be taught to act,
not her normal trick
of strutting round the stage.
Our Don Juan must
lose some weight -
it's not healthy in
a man of Piangi's age.
And my managers
must learn
that their place is in
an office, not the arts.

(
He sheaths his sword for his next target
)
As for our star, Miss Christine Daae...
No doubt she'll
do her best - it's
true, her voice is
good. She knows, though, should she wish to excel
she has much still to learn,
if pride will
let her
return to me, her
teacher,
her teacher...

(
Meanwhile, RAOUL temporarily steps out to get his rapier. CHRISTINE, mesmerised, stands still as the PHANTOM approaches her. He reaches out, grasps the chain that holds the secret engagement ring, and rips it from her throat
)

Your chains are still mine -
(spoken) you belong to me!


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