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!