MASQUERADE
From "The Phantom of the Opera"
(Charles Hart / Andrew Lloyd Webber / Richard Stilgoe)
Andrew Lloyd Webber
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 . . .
RAOUL/CHRISTINE
But who can name the face . . .?
ALL
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!
(The ENSEMBLE activity becomes background, as
ANDRE, FIRMIN, MEG, GIRY, PIANGI and CARLOTTA
come to the fore, glasses in hand)
GIRY
What a night
MEG
What a crowd!
ANDRE
Makes you glad!
FIRMIN
Makes you proud!
All the creme
de la creme!
CARLOTTA
Watching us watching them!
MEG/GlRY
And all our fears
are in the past!
ANDRE
Six months...
PIANGI
Of relief!
CARLOTTA
Of delight!
ANDRE/FIRMIN
Of Elysian peace!
MEG/GIRY
And we can breathe at last!
CARLOTTA
No more notes!
PIANGI
No more ghost!
GIRY
Here's a health!
ANDRE
Here's a toast:
to a prosperous year!
FIRMIN
To the new chandelier!
PIANGI/CARLOTTA
And may its
splendour never fade!
FIRMIN
Six months!
GIRY
What a joy!
MEG
What a change!
FIRMIN/ANDRE
What a blessed release!
ANDRE
And what a masquerade!
