Rating: PG for this part. That may change to a PG-13 soon.
Author's note: Okay, so I was sitting on the train, listening to my tape of the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack and I got this amazing idea. We've all seen fanfic with songs and movie plots in them, but there's something I've never seen... a full musical encorporated into a DC fanfic series! Yes, I know I'm twisted... but I love the Phantom of the Opera, the music, everything. How will this work? Well, I found a script of the play and decided to work some characters into the lead roles. For example, Jen will be Meg, the dancer, Joey will be Christine, the lead female, etc. You don't have to have seen the play to read this, although it might help. You may be able to imagine it better, and I suggest seeing it anyway if you can. Otherwise, you will still get it. It may take a little longer, because I have to set up the story, but you will understand it, don't worry. I changed the plot of the play somewhat, it's more modernized, some parts have been cut out, some will be added in. Just because you have seen the ending of the play doesn't mean this will end the same... and since I don't want to spoil anything for anyone about the real play, I'm not going to say if I used the same ending or not. We'll get to that much later, though, at the end. I've only written through part 2 at this point. There are some direct quotes from the script, and the songs are basically the same. There are little MIDIs to go with each one (you may want to scroll to the end of this story before you start reading it so the wav in this one will load by the end). You may have to stretch your imagination a little.... let's pretend the characters on DC really can sing and dance. That may be kind of hard, but they CAN all sing well and dance.. just keep telling yourself that.... they CAN.. they CAN... they CAN...
Please excuse the crappy title, I needed to use it to make the picture, though, and I think the picture is pretty darn cool. The sound link in this story is an actual wave since I couldn't find a MIDI file, and plays the first twenty seconds of the overture.
Disclaimer: Don't own any characters from DC, any characters from Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and any of the songs, lyrics, or lines I may have quoted. Don't own any of the MIDIs, I'm just playing with everything. The only thing I might own is the cool picture I made for this series, but I used other pictures to make that so I don't even know if that counts. Don't sue me, please!!!!
On with the show...
Prologue
"Lot number 664... a beautiful pair of ballet shoes worn by the famous Bridget Jones at this very theater. The straps are made of genuine rubies... how much do I hear?"
Jennifer Miller wrung her hands nervously in anticipation of the next lot. 665. She drove almost two hundred miles when she heard the Carmington Theater was finally closing... for good. She had gotten her start there and it was always very special to her. She loved to dance.
Jen started dancing in high school. Too much had happened and Jen needed an escape. One day she stumbled into Mrs. Glover's jazz classes and decided to try it. She was a natural. Jen pursued her dancing because, at first, she wasn't Jen when she got on stage. She was Jamie or Melody or whatever other part she could pull off. She soon decided to study voice and went to a music conservatory for college. She was never as good as she wanted to be, but it didn't hurt to listen to her. She had done small parts for a few years after she graduated college, but never achieved consistently employed status. Then, when she was twenty-seven, she landed a part in the chorus of West Side Story at Carmington Theater. After working on various shows there, she made a name for herself and was on Broadway three years later.
"Lot number 665, an original West Side Story poster from the 2010 production of it. Starring Eric Lewis and Abigail Cooper as Tony and Maria... do I hear a bid?"
Jen popped out of her reminiscing and quickly raised her bid number.
"DoIheartwenty,there'stwenty,doIhearthirty,forty,forty-five,forty-five, sold to bidder 62!" the auctioneer rambled. He spoke so quickly, Jen almost didn't realize that she had won. She quickly ran to pay her money and cautiously took the poster.
"Jennifer Lindley," she proudly read to herself from the list of tiny worded credits. "And there I am." She put her thumb next to a younger version of herself dressed in a plain looking dress, her arms extended toward Abby. She frowned and looked down at herself in the present. It was eighteen years later. Her frown softened back into a smile. She didn't look so bad, she actually looked quite good for being the middle aged mother of three. Her short, now dyed blond hair was shiny and soft, she had few wrinkles, and she was still rather thin. Anyone who could visualize her with her hair a little longer could probably recognize her from high school, she still looked so similar.
Jen had what she came for, she was prepared to take one last walk through the theater and say her goodbyes before the building department tore it down. Maybe Andre and Firmin did take decent care of it when the owned the place, she thought. We only used to tease them about it because they were so stupid, though. She smiled at the memory and started to leave when the mention of the next lot stopped her.
"Lot 666... a lovely antique candelabra and cape rumored to have been owned by the infamous Phantom of the Opera. Every theater has its ghosts... this one haunted this theater almost twenty-five years ago. It is an incredible legend... do I hear six hundred?"
Jen stood frozen in place in the back of the theater. She took a deep breath and weakly leaned against a nearby column. A cold chill went through her body as she took a thirty year old picture out of her wallet and looked at it numbly. "Only about eighteen years ago," she whispered as a correction to the auctioneer, but no one heard her. Her vision blurred slightly with tears as she turned to look at the stage and could almost see the old chandelier hanging as actors performed. She tried so hard to, but she never forgot. The ghosts continued their pantomime on stage as Jen could almost hear the familiar music... Listen to the Overture courtesy of The Phantom of the Opera Home Page.
Stay tuned for Act One Scene One...
In the meantime, send me some feedback! Tell me how you like my idea.