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Phantom of the Opera

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Something sinister is haunting the Paris opera house.  One night during a performance by reigning Diva Carlotta, the opera house chandelier mysteriously comes loose and plummets, killing a few adoring patrons.

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Warnings from the "Opera Ghost" go unheeded and a few nights later, during another performance, Diva Carlotta suddenly disappears right in the middle of an aria!

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The caverns beneath the opera house cover a dark, secret realm!

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Young singer, Christine Daae, is summoned to the world beneath the theater.  There she is tutored by the strange and always-masked figure but one day she becomes too curious and removes his mask for a terrifying revelation.

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Worried about Christine's odd disappearances and behavior, her boyfriend, Raoul de Chagny, seeks police assistance.  The able police commissary Mifroid finds a secret passage which leads to the phantom's underground lair.   In a jealous rage, Erik (the phantom) confronts the intruders and is stopped cold by Inspector Mifroid's revolver.  Sad ending to misunderstood musical genius.

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The cast (minus Diva Carlotta who was signing autographs and missed the finale/taking-of-bows).

MODEL/STORY OUTLINE:  Just about every version of this story differs in some way from the original work.  For my  inspiration I read a translation of the original novel by Gaston Leroux and watched the Hammer Films' 1962 movie version.  My apologies to any fans of A.L. Webber's musical version (which I've never seen) because there probably aren't any similarities here to that production.

DESIGN NOTES:  Since I usually work with alternate models this was quite a challenge (I even tried to make the model using only pieces from the 6097 Night Lord's Castle but there weren't any stairs or sufficient large plates for the stage).  As it is, I started with the bottom/cavern section and basically built up from there.
I really wanted to make a couple of spectator booths (to specifically include the phantom's own "box 5" with an exit to the sewers) but the model started getting too large and I wanted to keep it within the building size of a large castle set.   Also, I had seriously considered having my wife make some curtains for the stage (out of something like the sail material that comes with Pirate sets) but Matthew Verdier's Halloween contest deadline was fast approaching and I wanted to make this an entry.  As it was I won third prize!! (Thanks, Matthew, for a fun contest.)

MISC:   The phantom's mask is actually a trimmed-down, painted Bat Lord helmet.  This is my first foray into the horror genre, I'm looking forward to making other sets of varying sizes.  I'm including a couple of pictures of the earlier version (before I trimmed down the chandelier and finished the roof) Picture 1, Picture 2.

This model design is personal property of Joseph Gonzalez.    The original story of the Phantom of the Opera is a work of fiction by French author Gaston Leroux.  Find out more by visiting your local library or favorite internet bookstore.