The Phantom of the Opera (Daniel Tiger version)

### Prologue[edit]

In the present Neighborhood of Make Believe, the Children host a pretend auction of old theatrical props.[39] Among the attendees is Daniel Tiger, who purchases a papier-mâché music box and eyes it sadly, remarking how the details are "exactly as she said."[40][41] Miss Elaina presents the next item for bid, "lot 666", "a chandelier in pieces", alluding to a connection with "the Phantom of the Opera". As Jodi and O the Owl remove the drop cloth covering the fixture, it flickers to life and ascends to the ceiling as the school is transformed into an auditorium whisking them back into the past ("Overture").

### Act I[edit]

It is now 1869[42] and the cast of a new production, *Hannibal*, are rehearsing onstage when they learn that new owners, O the Owl and Prince Wednesday, are taking over the Neighborhood Opera House ("Hannibal Rehearsal"). Xeli, the Opera's resident soprano wolf, begins to perform an aria for the new managers when a backdrop inexplicably falls from the flies, barely missing her and prompting anxious chorus girls to whisper, "She's here! The Phantom of the Opera!". The managers try to downplay the incident, but Xeli angrily insists that such things have been happening for "three years" and she storms out, quitting the show. Chrissie, the Opera's ballet mistress, informs O the Owl and Prince Wednesday that Miss Elaina, a chorus girl and orphaned daughter of a prominent violinist, has been "well taught" and can sing Xeli's role. With cancellation of the sold-out show being their only other alternative, the managers reluctantly audition her and are surprised to discover that she is indeed talented. As Miss Elaina sings the aria during the evening performance, the Opera's new patron, Daniel Tiger, recognizes her as his best friend and playmate ("Think of Me").

Backstage after her triumphant debut, Miss Elaina confesses to her friend Katerina Kittycat, Chrissie's friend, that she knows her mysterious teacher only as an invisible "Angel of Music" ("Angel of Music") who sings to her in her dreams. Daniel pays a visit to Miss Elaina's dressing room and the two reminisce about the "Angel of Music" stories that her late father used to tell them. Miss Elaina confides that the Angel has visited her and taught her to sing ("Little Lotte"). Daniel indulges what he assumes are fantasies and insists on taking Miss Elaina to dinner. When Daniel leaves to fetch his hat, Miss Elaina hears the jealous Jodi's voice and entreats her to reveal herself. Jodi obliges by appearing as a ghostly, partially masked face in her mirror ("The Mirror/Angel of Music (Reprise)"). Believing her to be the Angel of Music sent by her deceased father, Miss Elaina is irresistibly drawn through the mirror to Jodi, who leads her down into the cellars of the Opera house. The two then board a small boat and cross a subterranean lake to her secret lair ("The Phantom of the Opera"). Jodi explains that she has chosen Miss Elaina to sing her music and serenades her. When she reveals a mirror that reflects an image of her in a wedding dress, the figure in the mirror gestures to Miss Elaina and she faints from shock. Jodi then covers her tenderly with her cloak and puts her on a bed ("The Music of the Night").

As Jodi is composing music at her organ, Miss Elaina awakens to the sound of the monkey music box ("I Remember"). Overcome with curiosity, she slips behind Jodi, lifts her mask, and beholds her grotesquely disfigured face. Jodi rails at her prying gesture and Miss Elaina runs in fear. She then ruefully expresses her longing to be loved ("Stranger Than You Dreamt It"). Moved by pity, Miss Elaina returns the mask to Jodi and she escorts her back above ground.

Meanwhile, Sam, the Opera's chief mouse stagehand, regales the chorus girls with tales of the "Opera Ghost" and her terrible Punjab lasso. Chrissie arrives and warns Sam to exercise restraint or face Jodi's wrath ("Magical Lasso"). In the managers' office, Wednesday and O read notes from Jodi and are interrupted by Daniel, who accuses them of sending him a note saying that he should make no attempt to see Miss Elaina again. Xeli and Jacob then burst in, demanding to know who sent Xeli a note warning that her "days at the Neighborhood Opera House are numbered." As Wednesday and O try to calm Xeli, Chrissie delivers another note from Jodi: she demands that Miss Elaina replace Xeli as the Countess in the new opera, *Il Muto,* and that Box 5 be kept empty for her. The managers are warned they will face a "disaster beyond imagination" if these demands are not met ("Notes"). O and Prince Wednesday assure the furious Xeli that she will remain their star and Miss Elaina will play the Pageboy, a silent role ("Prima Donna").

The premiere of *Il Muto* initially goes well, until the voice of Jodi suddenly cuts through the performance, enraged that Box 5 was not kept empty for her as she had directed. As Miss Elaina whispers that she knows Jodi is near, Xeli reminds her that her role is silent, calling her a "little toad". Jodi states that it is Xeli who is the toad and reduces the diva's voice to a frog-like croak. O rushes to defuse the situation by announcing to the audience that Miss Elaina will take over the starring role, and he instructs the conductor to bring the ballet forward to keep the audience entertained. Suddenly, the corpse of Sam drops from the rafters, hanging from the Punjab lasso. O and Prince Wednesday plead for calm as mayhem erupts and Jodi's sinister laugh is heard throughout the auditorium ("Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh").

In the ensuing chaos after Il Muto, Miss Elaina escapes with Daniel to the roof and tells him about her subterranean encounter with Jodi ("Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I've Been There"). Daniel is skeptical but promises to love Miss Elaina cries in tears and protect her, and Miss Elaina reciprocates his vow ("All I Ask of You"). Miss Elaina and Daniel go back inside, unaware that Jodi has overheard their entire conversation. The heartbroken Jodi angrily vows revenge before returning to the auditorium. After the curtain call, the chandelier crashes on the stage ("I Gave You My Music").

**Act Il**

 Six months later, during a masquerade ball, Jodi appears in costume as the Red Death. She announces that she has written an opera entitled *Don Juan Triumphant* and demands that it be produced with Miss Elaina (who is now secretly engaged to Daniel) in the lead role, and she warns of dire consequences if her demands are not met. Noticing an engagement ring on a chain around Miss Elaina's neck, Jodi angrily pulls it from her and vanishes in a blinding flash of light ("Masquerade/Why So Silent").

As the masquerade attendees scatter in fear, Daniel accosts Chrissie and demands that she reveal what she knows about Jodi. Chrissie reluctantly explains that Jodi is actually a brilliant scholar, magician, architect, inventor, and composer who was born with a terrifyingly deformed face and was ostracized for it. Feared and reviled by society, she was cruelly exhibited in a cage as part of a traveling fair until she eventually escaped and disappeared. She subsequently took refuge beneath the opera house, which has now become her home.

Before rehearsals, Daniel plots to use the premiere of *Don Juan Triumphant* as a trap to capture Jodi and put an end to her reign of terror. Xeli falsely accuses Miss Elaina of being the mastermind, suggesting that it is all a ploy to make her the star. Miss Elaina angrily defends herself, explaining that she is her victim just like everyone else. Daniel, knowing of Jodi's obsession with his fiancee, asserts that Jodi will attend the opera's premiere and begs a reluctant Miss Elaina to help lure Jodi into the trap, but she refuses ("Notes/Twisted Every Way"). During rehearsal, Jacob is unable to sing his part in the new opera, causing frustration and chaos for everyone. The piano suddenly begins to play the piece by itself (having been possessed by Jodi) and the entire company immediately sings the proper notes in unison.

Torn between her love for Daniel and her awe of Jodi, Miss Elaina visits her father's grave, longing for his guidance ("Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"). Jodi appears atop the mausoleum, again under the guise of the Angel of Music ("Wandering Child"). The weary Miss Elaina begins to succumb to Jodi's influence, but Daniel arrives to rescue her. Jodi taunts Daniel, hurling fire balls at him until Miss Elaina begs Daniel to leave with her. Furious, Jodi declares war upon them both and causes flames to spring up around the mausoleum ("Bravo Monsieur").

With armed policeants having secured the auditorium and watching for Jodi, *Don Juan Triumphant* premieres with Miss Elaina and Jacob singing the lead roles. During Don Juan's and Aminta's duet, Miss Elaina comes to the sudden realization that Jodi has somehow replaced Jacob ("Don Juan Triumphant/The Point of No Return"). Mimicking Daniels vow of devotion on the rooftop, Jodi once again expresses her love for Miss Elaina and forces her ring onto her finger. Miss Elaina rips off her mask, showing her horrifically deformed face to the shocked audience. Exposed, Jodi hurriedly drags Miss Elaina off the stage and back to her lair. Jacob's garroted body is revealed backstage and the opera house plunges into chaos. An angry mob, vowing vengeance for the murders of Sam and Jacob, search for Jodi. Chrissie tells Daniel how to find Jodi's subterranean lair and warns him to beware the magical lasso. ("Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer").

Down in the lair, Jodi has compelled Miss Elaina to don a wedding dress. In a moment of epiphany, she explains that she is not fearful of her physical appearance, but rather her inner nature. Daniel reaches the lair and attempts to persuade Jodi to spare Miss Elaina and begs her for compassion. Jodi retorts that the world had never shown her any and ensnares Daniel in the Punjab lasso. Jodi offers Miss Elaina an ultimatum: if she will stay with her, she will spare Daniel, but if she refuses, Daniel will die ("The Point of No Return Reprise"). As Jodi and Daniel both vie for Miss Elaina, she sadly asks Jodi what life she has been forced to live. Finally, she tells Jodi that she is not alone and kisses her, showing her compassion for the first time in her life.

Having experienced kindness at last, Jodi realizes that she cannot win Miss Elaina by force and sets them both free. Daniel hurries Miss Elaina out of the lair, but she returns alone to give Jodi back her ring. Jodi once again pledges her love to her as she tearfully exits the lair to rejoin Daniel. As the angry search mob closes in, the devastated Jodi huddles on her throne beneath her cloak. Katerina is first to reach the lair and finds no one there. She approaches the throne with curiosity and quickly pulls away Jodi's cloak, but finds only her mask. She lifts the mask up into the light and gazes at it in wonder as the curtain falls ("Finale").