Author's note: If this starts a little slow, it is simply because I am setting the scene. It will pick up, trust me, but this part is important.
The Phantom from the Creek
Act One Scene One
"Stop, stop, cut," the director called from the seats in the audience. "Abby, you lost the accent again! You must feel your character, you must be Maria. You have just met Tony, the love of your life! There needs to be more emotion! Now... action!"
"You know, it would be much easier to be Maria if you didn't make stupid directions like adding this song you wrote into the play. West Side Story does not need your additions!" Abby muttered before getting back into place.
"Abby hasn't changed one bit since high school, it's amazing," Jen giggled offstage to Josephine Potter. Joey joined in her laughter.
"Still rude and obnoxious. And she can be because she's the 'star,'" Joey exaggerated the word with a fake English accent. She smiled broadly at her friend. Jen had been very close to Joey since the accident happened twelve years before. Joey had almost no one to turn to, but she found Jen to be surprisingly understanding. In that one instant the summer of junior year, everything changed. Everything. Joey had still not fully recovered and she expected that she never would. She realized that she was dwelling on the past again and sadly closed her eyes. She opened them to see Jen's concerned face.
"Are you thinking about..."
"Yeah, but I'm fine," Joey quickly interrupted her. "Just a passing thought."
"Are you sure?" Jen asked, worried.
"Yes, I--"
"No, Abby, no! 'Spare a thought,' not 'spare a thawght'! Enunciate! Ugh, okay, again!" the director yelled. Joey and Jen burst into laughter, earning a glare from Abby before she started to sing again.
"Girls, girls!" Mrs. Giry called. "Please take your places!" Mrs. Giry was the choreographer and Jen's aunt as well. Jen was surprised to find out that dancing ran in her family. It had been so long since she talked to her parents that she was very surprised to find her aunt was hired for the choreographer shortly after she was hired for the chorus. Her aunt did not play favorites, though. While in the theater, she was all business.
"Step, one two, spin, arms up, higher!" she screamed at her dancers. Abby stopped singing and turned around, her lips pursed into an angry frown.
"Excuse me! I can barely hear myself over your bellowing and your dancers' stampeding! Either keep it down or wait until I am finished!" Abby warned. Everyone could feel the tension on the stage. At the moment, Alfonso Martinez stepped into the theater and started to speak.
"My dear actors, I have an announcement. I am going to retire and have just now sold Carmington Theater to these two men, Andre and Firmen. Why don't you do a scene so they can see what they have gotten themselves into?" Alfonso was only half kidding.
The dancers started their scene as Mrs. Giry yelled at them from the front. Andre watched Jen with interest.
"She's very good, who is she?" Andre asked Alfonso.
"Jen Lindley, our star chorus girl. She's Mrs. Giry's niece."
"A lot of star potential in that Jen," Firmen nodded in agreement.
"Mrs. Giry, on the other hand," Alfonso rolled his eyes. She was yelling at the girls and stamping her foot. "She's half the reason I'm retiring. Quite a handful, that lady, and she's only been here for a few months. She does excellent work, though." She started yelling at Joey, who had fallen out of step.
"And who is the tall dark haired girl? The one Mrs. Giry is yelling at?" Andre asked.
"Josephine Potter. She's new to the theater. She was business major, but she decided to try musical theater after she graduated. Her dancing needs improvement, though, I'm afraid," Alfonso replied. Joey and Jen let out a sigh of relief when he turned away from them and they both excused themselves to the dressing room. "Abby, dear. Won't you sing for the gentlemen? Abby is out star. She can sing like a bird," Alfonso said proudly. "Well, I'm off!"
Abby started her song again.
As Abby was singing, the chorus quietly continued their practicing. The stage hands had come back from their break and were moving immense pieces of the set. One of them collided with the back row of the dancers and half of the set came tumbling down. Abby stopped singing at the sound of the loud crash. "What is going on?" she roared.
A timid chorus girl named Lily who had not seen what had happened spoke up. "He's there:" she said ominously, "the Phantom of the Opera." At the mention of the Phantom, a rumbling went through the chorus.
"He is with us... It's the ghost."
"Enough of this nonsense!" Abby scowled. "Phantom of the Opera."
"Andre and Firmen," Mrs. Giry suddenly called, "allow me to introduce myself. Lila Giry, your choreographer. I welcome you to the theater. I also bear a message from the Phantom. He welcomes you and asks that you kindly reserve his normal booth number five for opening night."
"Phantom of the Opera?" Andre snapped. I have never heard of such nonsense!"
"Nonsense indeed?" cried Mrs. Giry. "Why, Alfonso used to leave the Phantom a fifth of the monthly profits!"
"So now this Phantom is a man?" Firmen said skeptically.
"Yes, and a very powerful and mad one at that. If you happen to catch a glimpse of him, you can be sure he'll have a mask to cover his horribly scarred face. I suggest you listen to him and obey him."
"Is Abby okay?" said the director, Piangi, as he rushed over to her. "You idiots! Is no one concerned for our prima donna? Get that man down here! Chief of flies, he's responsible for this. Buquet! For God's sake, man, what's going on up there?"
A strange little old man came walking over. "I'm sorry," Lefevre, the old stage hand trembled slightly, "but please don't look at me, I was not at my post. Please, there's no one there: and if there is, well then it must be a ghost..."
"Good heavens," Andre yelled, "will you show a little courtesy? And put down that rope. Why are you carrying around something that looks like a noose?"
"Abby, darling," Firmen tried to pacify her, "these things to happen."
"Sure, these things do happen! Well, until you stop these things from happening, this thing does not happen!" Abby tromped angrily off the stage.
"Amateurs!" Piangi threw his hands in the air and left the other way. The cast looked to the new managers with anxious faces.
"Abby will be back," Andre sighed.
"You think so?" Mrs. Giry asked. "I have a message from the Opera Ghost." The chorus girls started to quiver in fear."
"God in Heaven, you're all obsessed!" Firmin yelled.
"Quiet. It was like I said before, 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."
"Salary indeed. Why--"
"Before you complain, Andre, I think you can afford it, especially with Mr. P. Witter as your sponsor. " The chorus girls let out an excited screech. Mr Witter was one of the richest and most prominent producers in the country. "Will he be at the production tonight?"
"Yes, in our box..." Andre started. Jen returned and noticed a troubled expression come over Andre's face. "Mrs. Giry, who is the understudy for this role?"
"There is no understudy, sir, the production is new." Firmen and Andre let out a groan.
"Josephine Potter could sing it sir," Jen ran over to Andre and Firmen.
"The chorus girl?" Firmin asked skeptically.
"Yes, she's been taking lessons from a great teacher," Jen said excitedly.
"From whom?" Andre questioned suspiciously.
"Well, I really don't know, sir," Jen shifted uneasily.
"Oh, not you as well!" Firmin rolled his eyes. "Can you believe this, Andre? A full house and we have to cancel!"
"Let her sing for you," Mrs. Giry vouched for Jen's friend. "She has been well taught." Andre and Firmin looked at each other and finally nodded their consent.
"Take it from the top," Andre waved to the air. Joey walked back in.
"Joey, sing Abby's song for everyone, okay?" Jen smiled at her. A look of terror crossed Joey's face.
"What? Why?"
"Just do it?" Jen pleaded.
"Wait, Jen, what did you--" Joey stammered.
"Shh, you'll miss your entrance," Jen pushed her forward. Joey cautiously walked over to the microphone. Her leg was shaking. The last time she had sung for an audience was at the Ms. Windjammer pageant when she was a teenager. She looked back to Jen and started to say I can't do this, but Jen gave her an encouraging glance and motioned for her to face Andre and Firmin.
Listen to Think of Me courtesy of this site.
"Andre, this is doing nothing for my nerves."
"Don't fret, Firmin."
Joey continued stuttering about nervously, luckily missing the comment. Suddenly, she had a thought. She let herself ease comfortably into the song and sung the way Jen knew that she could.
"You're wonderful!" Andre clasped his hands together. "You will open for us tonight!"
All the preparation for that night happened for Joey in a whirl of confusion. Suddenly, she was there, onstage in full costume, singing for hundreds of people.
Joey did not see the familiar face from her past over the bright lights shining in her eyes. Pacey watched her in awe from his box. It had been really sad that they lost touch after high school, but now... look at her...
Joey continued the song, not being able to place the familiar bravo.
Joey was met with more applause than she had ever gotten before for anything in her whole life. She smiled and bowed, beaming. She was a star.
Incidentally, the ah's are all notes she's holding while singing and the AHH is a very high note. Stay tuned for Act One Scene Two with our favorite rich producer, P. Witter :)