Hear My Voice

Forget These Wide Eyed Fears

I smile at the crowd before me, trying to seem as doll-like as possible. Even though I was not cast as the star of Il Muto, the Countess, I try to make the most of the silent role I am the face of: the pageboy.

"Serafimo- away with this pretense!" Carlotta twirls my apron/skirt like apparatus off as I yank the hat away and turn back to her. An easy wardrobe change compared to the others I have and will have to go through, "You cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence!"

Opening my mouth with a wide and rather shocked expression, I lean in to air kiss Carlotta as she leads me up stage to the flamboyant bed set up there. The music's tempo shifts slightly as the violins speed up their staccato notes.

"Poor fool he makes me laugh!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Time to get a better half!"

The whole time Carlotta and I are sitting on the bed we make dramatic movements of air kissing and adoring smiles. Ha, too bad in the musical Carlotta hates Christine. Luckily, Michelle McConnell (who plays Carlotta) and I are friends in real life. 

"Poor fool he doesn't know!"

We hold hands.

"Ho ho ho ho ho!"

I rub her back, as I was told during my quick rehearsal that it would seem more affectionate. 

"If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!"

We lean in for another air kiss. 

"Did I not instruct, that box five is to be kept empty?" the Phantom- I mean Jeremy Stolle's-  voice booms throughout the theatre.

The repetitive notion from before dissipates to show a rampage of craziness and  horror. As soon as I jump off of the bed and run forward, gazing about the auditorium, Meg runs up to me and grabs my hands:

"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" she wails.

I don't look at her though. Instead, I keep my eyes transfixed on the ceiling. Almost as if I know he is up there hiding and watching...waiting... but of course he isn't, Jeremy Stolle is just offstage.

"It's him.." I sigh, my cheeks hollow with fear, my eyes stunned with curiosity, and my heart aching with want. 

The quick clicks of heels coming up from behind me eventually breaks the spell, "Your part is silent, little toad!" Carlotta screeches in a stage-whisper fashion.

"A toad madame? Perhaps it is you who is the toad..." the Phantom sneers. 

And then he's gone.

Almost awkwardly, we stand next to each other as she holds her hands outwards, "Serafimo- away with this, uh, pretense." She mimics taking off my apron again, this time with a forced smile upon her lips. With stiff movements I pretend to through my hat off again as well.

"You cannot speak, but kiss me in my husbands abse-"

Suddenly a huge croak erupts from her perfectly lipsticked lips. 

The crowd gasps in horror as the opera singer frantically covers her mouth with her hands. However, the violins restart their staccato beat and Michelle's cue approaches. Frantically, she tries to recover.

"P-poor fool he makes me laugh, ha ha ha h-"

Another toad-like croak explodes through the air. But the diva keeps up a desperate charade of singing and croaking. Eventually her struggle ends as she gives up the fight and runs off stage in a messy case of tears and anger as the curtain comes to a close.