REHEARSALS FOR "HANNIBAL" BY CHALUMEAU
 
(We have reached the great choral scene in 
which HANNIBAL and his army return to save 
Carthage from the Roman invasion under 
Scipio.  HANNIBAL is UBALDO PIANGI; 
ELISSA, Queen of Carthage (his mistress) is 
CARLOTTA GUIDICELLI.  The two leading 
SLAVE GIRLS are played by MEG GIRY and 
CHRISTINE DAAE.  MME. GIRY is the ballet 
mistress. M. REYER, the repetiteur, is in 
charge.
 
We join the opera towards the end of ELISSA's 
(CARLOTTA's) great aria. She is alone, holding 
a pre. from the approaching HANNIBAL, a 
bleeding severed head)
 
CARLOTTA (at the climax of an extravagant cade)
This trophy from our saviours, from the 
enslaving force of Rome!
 
(A STAGE HAND carries a ladder across the 
stage.  OTHERS are seen still constructing 
parts of the scenery)
 
 
 
 
GIRLS' CHORUS 
With feasting and dancing and song, 
tonight in celebration 
we greet the victorious throng, 
returned to bring salvation!
 
MEN'S CHORUS 
The trumpets of Carthage resound ! 
Hear, Romans, now and tremble! 
Hark to our step on the ground!
 
ALL 
Hear the drums - Hannibal comes!
 
(PIANGI enters, as HANNIBAL)
 
PIANGI (HANNIBAL) 
Sad to return to find the land we love 
threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching 
grasp.
 
REYER (interrupting him) 
Signor . . . if you please: "Rome". We say 
"Rome' not "Roma"
 
PIANGI
Si, si, Rome, not Roma. Is very hard for me.
(practising) Rome . . . Rome . . .
 
(Enter LEFEVRE, the retiring manager of the 
Opera, with M. FIRMIN and M. ANDRE, to 
whom he has just sold it)
 
REYER (to PIANGI) 
Once again, then, if you please, Signor: "Sad to 
return . . ."
 
LEFEVRE (to ANDRE and FIRMIN) 
This way, gentlemen, this way. Rehearsals, as 
you see, are under way, for a new production of 
Chalumeau's "Hannibal".
 
(seeing a hiatus in the rehearsal, LEFEVRE attempts to 
attract attention.)
 
LEFEVRE
Ladies and gentlemen, some of you may already, 
perhaps, have met M. Andre and M. Firmin ...
 
(the new managers are politely bowing, when REYER 
interrupts)
 
REYER
I'm sorry, M. Lefevre, we are rehearsing.  If you  wouldn't 
mind waiting a moment?
 
LEFEVRE
My apologies, M. Reyer.  Proceed, proceed ...
 
REYER
Thank you, monsieur  (turning back to PIANGI).
"Sad to return..." Signor ...
 
LEFEVRE (sotto voce to ANDRE and FIRMIN)
M. Reyer, our chief repetiteur.  Rather a tyrant, I'm 
afraid.
 
(the rehearsal continues)
 
PIANGI (HANNIBAL) 
Sad to return to find the land we love 
threatened once more by 
Rome's far-reaching grasp.
Tomorrow we shall break 
the chains of Rome.
Tonight, rejoice - your army has 
come home.
 
BALLET GIRLS begin their dance. 
LEFEVRE, ANDRE and FIRMIN 
stand centr-stage watching the 
ballet.  They are in the way.  The 
ballet continues under the 
following dialogue.)
 
LEFEVRE (indicating PIANGI) 
Signor Piangi, our principal 
tenor. He does play so opposite 
La Carlotta.
 
GIRY (exasperated by their 
presence, bangs her cane angrily 
on the stage) 
Gentlemen, please! If you would 
kindly move to one side?
 
LEFEVRE 
My apologies, Mme. Giry.
(leading ANDRE and FIRMIN 
aside) 
Mme. Giry, our ballet mistress. I 
don't mind confessing, M. 
Firmin, I shan't be sorry to be rid 
of the whole blessed business.
 
FIRMIN 
I keep asking you, monsieur, why 
exactly are you retiring?
 
LEFEVRE (ignoring this, calls 
his attention to the continuing 
ballet) 
We take a particular pride here in 
the excellence of our ballets.
 
(MEG becomes prominent among the dancers)
 
ANDRE
Who's that girl, Lefevre?
 
LEFEVRE
Her? Meg Giry, Madame Giry's 
daughter.  Promising dancer, M. 
Andre, most promising.
 
(CHRISTINE becomes prominent. She has absent-
mlndedly fallen out-of-step)
 
GIRY (spotting her, bangs her cane again) 
You! Christine Daae!  Concentrate, girl!
 
MEG (quietly, to CHRISTINE) 
Christine . . . What's the matter?
 
FIRMIN (to LEFEVRE) 
Daae? Curious name.
 
LEFEVRE 
Swedish.
 
ANDRE 
Any relation to the violinist?
 
LEFEVRE 
His daughter, I believe. Always has her head in the 
clouds, I'm afraid.
 
(The ballet continues to its climax and ends. The 
CHORUS resumes)
 
CHORUS 
Bid welcome to Hannibal's guests -
the elephants of Carthage! 
As guides on our conquering quests, 
Dido sends 
Hannibal's friends!
 
(the ELEPHANT, a life-sized mechanical replica, enters.  
PIANGI is lifted, in triumph, onto its back)
 
CARLOTTA (ELISSA)
Once more to my 
welcoming arms
my love returns 
in splendour!
 
PIANGI (HANNIBAL)
Once more to those
sweetest of charms
my heart and soul
surrender!
 
CHORUS
The trumpeting elephants sound 
hear, Romans, now and tremble! 
Hark to their step on the ground 
hear the drums! 
Hannibal comes!
 
(At the end of the chorus LEFEVRE claps 
his hands for silence. The elephant is led 
off. Two stage-hands are revealed operating 
it from within)
 
LEFEVRE 
Ladies and gentlemen - Madame Giry, thank 
you - may I have your attention, please?   
As you know, for some weeks there have 
been rumours of my Imminent retirement.  I 
can now tell you that these were all true and 
it is  my pleasure to introduce to you the 
two gentlemen  who now own the Opera 
Populaire,  M. Richard Firmin and M. 
Gilles Andre.
 
(Polite applause. Some bowing. 
CARLOTTA makes her presence felt)
 
Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our 
leading soprano for five seasons now.
 
ANDRE 
Of course, of course. I have experienced all 
your 
greatest roles, Signora.
 
LEFEVRE 
And Signor Ubaldo Piangi.
 
FIRMIN 
An honour, Signor.
 
ANDRE 
If I remember rightly, Elissa has a rather 
fine aria in Act Three of "Hannibal". I 
wonder, Signora, if, as a personal favour, 
you would oblige us with a private 
rendition? (Somewhat acerbic). Unless, of 
course, M. Reyer objects . . .
 
CARLOTTA 
My manager commands . . . 
M. Reyer?
 
REYER 
My diva commands. Will two bars 
be sufficient introduction?
 
FIRMIN
Two bars will be quite sufficient
 
REYER (ensuring that CARLOTTA is ready)
Signora?
 
CARLOTTA
Maestro.
 
  (The introduction is played on the piano)
 
 
CARLOTTA
Think of me,
think of me fondly,
when we've said
goodbye.
Remember me
once in a while -
please promise me
you'll try.
 
When you find
that, once
again, you long
to take your heart . . .
 
(As CARLOTTA is singing a backdrop crashes to the 
floor cutting her off from half the cast)
 
MEG/BALLET GIRLS/CHORUS
He's here:
the Phantom of the Opera . . .
He is with us . . .
It's the ghost . . .
 
PIANGI (looking up, furiously)
You idiots!
 
(He rushes over to CARLOTTA)
Cara! Cara! Are you hurt?
 
LEFEVRE
Signora! Are you all right? Buquet! 
Where is Buquet ?
 
PIANGI
Is no one concerned for our prima donna?
 
LEFEVRE
Get that man down here ! 
(to ANDRE and FIRMIN)
Chief of the flies. He's responsible for this.
 
(The drop is raised high enough to reveal upstage an old 
stagehand, JOSEPH BUQUET, holding a length of rope, 
which looks almost like a noose)
 
LEFEVRE
Buquet!  For God's sake, man, what's going on up there?
 
BUQUET
Please monsieur
don't look at me:
as God's my witness,
I was not at my post.
 
Please monsieur
there's no one there:
and if there is, well
then, it must be a ghost . . .
 
MEG (looking up)
He's there; the Phantom of the Opera ...
 
ANDRE
Good heavens!
Will you show a little courtesy?
 
FIRMIN (to MEG and the OTHERS)
Mademoiselle, please!
 
ANDRE (to CARLOTTA)
These things do happen.
 
CARLOTTA
Si! These things do happen! Well, until you stop these 
things happening, this thing does not happen!
 
Ubaldo! Andiamo!
  (PIANGI dutifully fetches her furs from the wings)
 
PIANGI
Amateurs !
 
LEFEVRE
I don't think there's much more to assist you,
gentlemen. Good luck. If you need me, I shall be in 
Frankfurt .
 
  (He leaves. The COMPANY looks anxiously at the NEW 
MANAGERS)
 
ANDRE
La Carlotta will be back.
 
 
GIRY
You think so, messieurs? I have a message, sir, from the 
Opera Ghost.
 
  (The GIRLS twitter and twirl in fear)
 
FIRMIN
God in Heaven, you're all obsessed!
 
GIRY
He merely welcomes you to his opera house and 
commands you to continue to leave Box Five empty for 
his use and reminds you that his salary is due.
 
FIRMIN
His salary?
 
GIRY
Monsieur Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a 
month. Perhaps you can afford more, with the Vicomte de 
Chagny as your patron.
 
 (Reaction to this from the BALLET GIRLS.
  CHRISTINE takes hold of MEG nervously)
 
ANDRE (to GIRY)
Madame, I had hoped to have made that
announcement myself.
 
GIRY (to FIRMIN)
Will the Vicomte be at the performance tonight, 
monsieur?
 
FIRMIN
In our box.
 
ANDRE
Madame, who is the understudy for this role?
 
REYER
There is no understudy, monsieur - the
production is new.
 
MEG
Christine Daae could sing it, sir.
 
FlRMIN
The chorus girl ?
 
MEG (to FIRMIN)
She's been taking lessons from a great teacher
 
ANDRE
From whom ?
 
CHRISTINE (uneasily)
I don't know, sir . . .
 
FIRMIN
Oh, not you as well!
(turning to ANDRE)
Can you believe it? A full house - and we have to cancel !
 
GIRY
Let her sing for you, monsieur. She has been well taught.
 
REYER (after a pause)
From the beginning of the aria then, mam'selle.