Prima Donna

歌詞

a vertical line of **** indicates areas of the text where there is a substantial overlapping of different voices) ANDRÉ Your public needs you! FIRMIN We need you, too! CARLOTTA Would you not rather have your precious little ingenue? ANDRÉ/FIRMIN Signora, no! The world wants you! ANDRÉ/FIRMIN Prima donna, first lady of the stage! Your devotees are on their knees to implore you! ANDRÉ Can you bow out when they're shouting your name? FIRMIN Think of how they all adore you! BOTH Prima donna, enchant us once again! ANDRÉ Think of your muse... FIRMIN And of the queues round the theatre! BOTH Can you deny us the triumph in store? Sing, prima donna, *once more! * *RAOUL *Christine spoke of an angel... * *CARLOTTA *Prima donna, your song shall live again! *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Think of your public! *CARLOTTA *You took a snub, *but there's a public *who needs you! * *GIRY *She has heard the voice *of the angel of music... * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Those who hear your voice *liken you to an angel! *CARLOTTA *Think of their cry *of undying *support! * *RAOUL *Is this her angel of music...? * *ANDRÉ *We get our opera... *FIRMIN *She gets her limelight! * *CARLOTTA *Follow where the limelight *leads you! * *MEG *Is this ghost *an angel or madman...? * *RAOUL *Angel or madman...? * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Leading ladies are a trial! * *CARLOTTA *Prima donna, *your song shall never die! * *MEG *Voice of hell, or of heaven...? * *GIRY *Heaven help you, *those who doubt... * *CARLOTTA *You'll sing again, *and to an unending *ovation! * *RAOUL *Orders! Warnings! *Lunatic demands! * *GIRY *This miscasting *will invite damnation... * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Tears...oaths... *lunatic demands *are regular occurrences! * *MEG *Bliss or damnation? *Which has claimed her...? * *CARLOTTA *Think how you'll shine *in that final *encore! *Sing, prima donna, *once more! * *GIRY *Oh fools, *to have flouted his warnings! * *RAOUL *Surely, for her sake... * *MEG *Surely, he'll strike back... * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Surely, there'll be further scenes - *worse than this! * *GIRY *Think, before *these demands are rejected! * *RAOUL *...I must see *these demands are rejected! * *MEG *...if his threats *and demands are rejected! * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Who'd believe a diva *happy to relieve a *chorus girl, who's gone *and slept with the patron? *Raoul and the soubrette, *entwined in love's duet! *Although he may demur, *he must have been with her! * *MEG/RAOUL *Christine must be protected! * *CARLOTTA *O, fortunata! *Non ancor *abbandonata! * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *You'd never get away *with all this in a play, *but if it's loudly sung *and in a foreign tongue, *it's just the sort of story *audiences adore, in *fact a perfect *opera! * *RAOUL *His game is over! * *GIRY *This is a game *you cannot hope to win! * *RAOUL *And in Box Five *a new game will begin... * *GIRY *For, if his curse *is on this opera... * *MEG *But if his curse *is on this opera... * *ANDRÉ/FIRMIN *Prima donna, *the world is at your feet! *A nation waits, *and how it hates *to be cheated! * *CARLOTTA *The stress that falls upon a *famous prima donna! *Terrible diseases, *coughs and colds and sneezes! * *Still, the driest throat *will reach the highest note, *in search of perfect *opera! * *MEG/GIRY *...then I fear the outcome... * *RAOUL *Christine plays the Pageboy, *Carlotta plays the Countess... * *GIRY *...should you dare to... * *MEG *...when you once again... ALL Light up the stage with that age-old rapport! Sing, prima donna, once more! PHANTOM (spoken) So, it is to be war between us! If these demands are not met, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur! ALL Once more