Andrew Lloyd Webber - Masquerade / Why So Silent? - Live At The Royal Albert Hall/2011 lyrics

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 gla**es) 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 gla**es 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 d**h'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 man*script) 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!