Before The Performance - Andrew Lloyd Webber

GUSTAVE:

Ooh… ooh…ooh…ooh…

CHRISTINE:

Gustave, could you hand me those earrings?

The diamond ones on the left.

There, how do I look?

GUSTAVE:

You look so beautiful

So very beautiful

Like a queen in a book

CHRISTINE:

You too are beautiful

So very beautiful

Once this performance is through

We’ll spend some time

Just us two

Won’t that be fun?

GUSTAVE:

(Father! Doesn’t Mother look lovely tonight?)

RAOUL:

(Indeed she does. As lovely as she looked the very first time I came to her

dressing room door.)

CHRISTINE:

(And look at you, Raoul! You look just like that handsome boy in the opera box.

The one who would always toss me a single red rose.)

RAOUL:

Please, Gustave, if you don’t mind

Would you wait outside a while?

GUSTAVE:

(May I go exploring? By myself?)

CHRISTINE:

Yes, but stay backstage my dear

When I’m finished, meet me here

GUSTAVE:

(I will.)

RAOUL:

Since our wedding day

Things have gone astray

CHRISTINE:

(Raoul…)

RAOUL:

I’m not proud of the way that I’ve acted

CHRISTINE:

(We've both been…)

RAOUL:

The demands I’ve made

All the hopes mislaid

I’m aware of the price they’ve exacted

Though I’ve no right to ask you to

There’s one thing more I’d have you do

If you love me as I love you

CHRISTINE:

(Anything, darling.)

RAOUL:

Don’t sing the song, dear

CHRISTINE:

(What? But Raoul…)

RAOUL:

You have to know something’s terribly wrong, dear

CHRISTINE:

But I have to do this

It’s what we agreed to

RAOUL:

That hell spawn demon

He’s had us playing his game all along, dear

CHRISTINE:

Let me just get through this

Listen, please.

I need to

RAOUL:

You need so much, it’s true

And I’ve denied you

You need the man you knew

Back here beside you

You’ll have him back, I vow

Just ask it of me

But we must leave here now

If you still love me

CHRISTINE:

(Do you mean it, Raoul? Truly?)

RAOUL:

(I've booked a passage for three to Cherbourg on the Atlantic Queen.

It leaves in an hour, we’ll have just enough time.

I beg you.

Let’s be on it,

for both our sakes.

And the child’s.)

Leave this place behind

PHANTOM:

He knows his love is not enough

He knows he isn’t what you need

He knows you’re made of finer stuff

I think on that, we’re all agreed

It’s time to leave him in the dust

It’s time to be who you should be

It’s time to do now as you must

And set the music in you free

In moments, mere moments

Drums will roll

There you’ll stand

Just like before

The crowd will hush

And then in one sweet rush

I will hear you sing once more

And music, our music

Will swell and then unwind

Like two strands of melody

At last entwined

Fulfill us, complete us

Make us full

Seal our bond forever more

Tonight, for me

Embrace your destiny

Let me hear you sing

Once more!

STAGEHAND:

(Miss Daaé, it’s time.)

CHRISTINE:

Twisted in every way

What answer can I give?

I know I can’t refuse

And yet, I wish I could

Oh, god

RAOUL:

(offstage)

Christine, Christine

Don’t think that I don’t care

PHANTOM:

But every hope and every prayer

Rests on you now