His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
prologue
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
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Your number, sir? Thank you
Lot 665, ladies and gentlemen: a papier-mâché musical box
In the shape of a barrel-organ
Attached, the figure of a monkey in Persian robes, playing the cymbals
This item, discovered in the vaults of the theatre, still in working order
May I start at twenty francs? Fifteen, then?
Fifteen I am bid
Twenty, sir? Thank you
Twenty? Twenty-five? Thank you, madam
Thirty, selling at thirty, then
Thirty once, twice
Sold for thirty francs to the Vicomte de Chagny
Thank you, sir
A collector's piece indeed, every detail exactly as she said
She often spoke of you, my friend
Your velvet lining, and your figurine of lead
Will you still play, when all the rest of us are dead?
Lot 666, then: a chandelier in pieces
Some of you may recall the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera:
A mystery never fully explained
We are told, ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier
Which figures in the famous disaster
Our workshops have restored it and fitted up parts of it
With wiring for the new electric light so that we may get a hint of
What it may look like when reassembled
Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago
With a little illumination, gentlemen?
The Prologue from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" sets the stage for the musical's story. The scene takes place at a auction of old props from the Paris Opera. The auctioneer introduces Lot 665, which is a papier-mâché musical box in the shape of a barrel-organ, featuring a monkey in Persian robes playing the cymbals. The item is in working order and discovered in the vaults of the theatre. The auctioneer starts the bidding at twenty francs, and the price is driven up by the bidders to thirty francs, eventually sold to the Vicomte de Chagny.
In the next section, the auctioneer introduces Lot 666, a chandelier in pieces, which was involved in the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera. He tells the audience that this is the very chandelier that figures in the famous disaster, and the workshops have restored it with wiring for the new electric light. The auctioneer hopes that by illuminating the chandelier, they may frighten away the ghost of the opera.
The Prologue sets the tone for the musical's supernatural and thrilling elements. It also introduces key themes of the story, especially the attraction between the young soprano Christine and the Phantom, who haunts the opera's halls with his music.
Line by Line Meaning
Sold
The auction has officially started
Your number, sir? Thank you
The auctioneer is requesting the buyer's identification number
Lot 665, ladies and gentlemen: a papier-mâché musical box
A box made of paper-mâché that plays music is up for bidding
In the shape of a barrel-organ
The box is shaped like a barrel organ
Attached, the figure of a monkey in Persian robes, playing the cymbals
The box has a monkey figurine dressed in Persian robes that plays the cymbals
This item, discovered in the vaults of the theatre, still in working order
The box was found in the theater vault and is still functional
Showing here
The auctioneer is presenting the item for bidding
May I start at twenty francs? Fifteen, then?
The auctioneer is starting the bid at twenty francs and then drops to fifteen
Fifteen I am bid
A buyer offers to purchase the item at fifteen francs
Twenty, sir? Thank you
Another buyer offers to purchase the item at twenty francs
Twenty? Twenty-five? Thank you, madam
A woman offers to purchase the item at twenty-five francs
Thirty, selling at thirty, then
The auctioneer accepts a bid of thirty francs
Thirty once, twice
The auctioneer confirms the final bid price of thirty francs
Sold for thirty francs to the Vicomte de Chagny
The item is sold for thirty francs to the Vicomte de Chagny
Thank you, sir
The auctioneer thanks the buyer
A collector's piece indeed, every detail exactly as she said
The item is rare and has been described accurately
She often spoke of you, my friend
The previous owner often spoke of the buyer
Your velvet lining, and your figurine of lead
The box has a velvet lining and a lead figurine
Will you still play, when all the rest of us are dead?
The auctioneer questions if the box will still be functional in the future
Lot 666, then: a chandelier in pieces
Another item up for bidding is a chandelier that is currently in pieces
Some of you may recall the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera:
The auctioneer is referencing a previous event at the Opera House involving a phantom
A mystery never fully explained
The Phantom's actions were never fully understood
We are told, ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier
The auctioneer claims that the chandelier is the same one from the previous event
Which figures in the famous disaster
The chandelier was involved in the famous disaster at the Opera House
Our workshops have restored it and fitted up parts of it
The chandelier has been restored by the workshop and has new parts added
With wiring for the new electric light so that we may get a hint of
The chandelier has new wiring to give us an idea of what it will look like with new lighting
What it may look like when reassembled
The auctioneer is curious how the chandelier will look when it is fully assembled
Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago
The auctioneer hopes to scare away the phantom from the previous disaster
With a little illumination, gentlemen?
The auctioneer suggests using new lighting to try and scare away the phantom
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind