In the musical Phantom of the Opera, the opera house where most of the story takes place gets new managers partway through the show. The previous longstanding manager retires, and two new men take over the management duties. This change in leadership is an important plot point, as it leads to some critical events in the story involving the new managers, the phantom, and ingénue Christine Daaé.
Quick Answers
Who are the new managers?
The new managers of the opera house are Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles André.
When do they take over management of the opera house?
Firmin and André take over management of the opera house about halfway through Act 1 of the musical.
Why is there a change in management?
The previous manager, Monsieur Lefèvre, is retiring after many years running the opera house. He personally selects Firmin and André to take over for him.
How do the new managers react to the opera ghost?
Initially skeptical, Firmin and André are soon convinced the phantom is real when he causes a chandelier crash and issues demands through notes. They become fearful of disobeying his orders.
Background on the Opera House Setting
The Phantom of the Opera musical is set in the Opéra Garnier opera house in Paris in the year 1881. This magnificent, opulent opera house had been built relatively recently, completed in 1875. Prior to the start of the events depicted in the musical, the opera house has been run for many years by Monsieur Lefèvre.
Lefèvre managed both the business and creative aspects of the opera company during his tenure. However, as the show opens, Lefèvre is preparing to retire and hand the management duties over to two newcomers, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André.
Opéra Garnier History and Architecture
The Palais Garnier, known more commonly as the Opéra Garnier, was built in Paris during the mid-19th century, from 1861-1875. Designed by architect Charles Garnier, the elaborate opera house was commissioned by Emperor Napoléon III. The Palais Garnier served as the primary home of the Paris Opera and was the backdrop for the early scenes in Gaston Leroux’s 1910 Gothic novel The Phantom of the Opera, which inspired the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
With ornate neo-Baroque architecture, the Palais Garnier epitomized the opulence of the ”new Paris” that Napoléon III was trying to create in the late 1800s. The lavish interior design included a magnificent grand staircase, gilded accents, ceiling paintings, and an eight-ton crystal chandelier as the centerpiece of the auditorium. The opera house immediately became a symbol of Paris’s vibrant cultural life and still serves as an iconic performing arts venue today.
Monsieur Lefèvre’s Tenure
Monsieur Lefèvre is introduced right at the start of Phantom of the Opera as an aging gentleman preparing to retire after many years serving as the Opéra’s manager. Lefèvre had control over all aspects of the opera company, from the business side of budgeting, staffing, and contracts to the artistic side of selecting productions and casting singers.
Little is known about Monsieur Lefèvre’s full tenure, but it is clear he presided over the opera house for many years and was involved in its operations since not long after it opened in 1875. Lefèvre had been acquainted with the mysterious phantom since his earliest appearances and kept his existence secret from most others. However, Lefèvre felt it was time to retire and put his faith in new managers to take over leadership.
Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André Background
When Monsieur Lefèvre decides to retire as manager, he selects two men to take over in his place: Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André. These two newcomers become the new managerial team of the Palais Garnier Opera House.
Introducing Monsieur Firmin
One of the new managers is Monsieur Gilles André. André likely comes from a business background, as he seems focused mostly on the company’s finances and business operations. He is portrayed as logical, pragmatic, and grounded.
André appears nervous about keeping the Opera House operating within its budget. He often questions expenditures and suggests cost-saving measures. However, he is outranked by Firmin in most decisions. Monsieur André serves as a secondary manager next to Firmin but still participates actively in running the company.
Introducing Monsieur André
Working alongside André is Monsieur Richard Firmin as the more authoritative of the two new managers. Less is known about Firmin’s background, although he is comfortable mingling with the societal elite and gives orders to the rest of the company’s personnel.
Firmin fancies himself sophisticated and cultured, attempting to dictate artistic policy despite lacking experience. He makes grand gestures without always considering their feasibility, such as renouncing the Opera Ghost publicly during Don Juan Triumphant’s performance. Nevertheless, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André balance each other out in their new leadership roles.
Firmin and André’s Managerial Partnership
As the new managers of the Palais Garnier opera house, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André have distinct yet complementary skill sets and personalities. Their partnership allows them to divide up responsibilities between the artistic leadership and business administration sides of running the opera company.
André’s financial prudence and Firmin’s social aspirations combine to sustain the opera house through its continuing intrigues involving the mysterious opera ghost. Their joint inexperience dealing with the ghost and trusting ingénue Christine Daaé also drive the plot forward. Overall, the contrast between uptight André and impulsive Firmin humanizes the managers amid the Phantom of the Opera’s fantastical drama.
The New Managers Arrive at the Opera House
Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André make their arrival at the Palais Garnier opera house in the opening scenes of Phantom of the Opera. The previous manager, Monsieur Lefèvre, introduces them to the opera staff and stars before announcing his retirement. Firmin and André must quickly get acclimated while also balancing Lefèvre’s warning about the opera ghost.
Monsieur Lefèvre Welcomes the New Managers
In the musical’s opening number, “Overture,” Monsieur Lefèvre arrives with Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André and bids the staff and performers of the opera house to welcome them. Lefèvre calls Firmin and André “my new managers” and asks everyone to make them feel at home, as “I’m sure you’ve read, in the Paris press, of the recent succession.” This establishes that Lefèvre has already announced his retirement publicly and that Firmin and André were previously named as the successors.
Firmin and André Observe Rehearsals
As the opera rehearses for their upcoming production of “Hannibal,” Firmin and André observe and begin interacting with the staff. In the song “Hannibal Rehearsal,” the two new managers introduce themselves to the prima donna Carlotta and principal tenor Piangi on stage. This is the new managers’ initial glimpse into the company they will soon be running.
Lefèvre’s Ominous Warnings
Before departing, Lefèvre takes Firmin and André aside to share some words of caution. In the song “Lefèvre’s Warning,” he tells them that “you both know the ghost is here” and “heed my words and keep a wary eye.” This foreshadows the complications the ghost will create for the new managers. Lefèvre is glad to be free of “his accursed salary” but leaves the newcomers to contend now with the infamous opera ghost.
The New Managers Struggle with the Opera Ghost
Initially skeptical about tales of the opera ghost, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André quickly have to accept the reality of this phantom haunting their opera house. A series of sinister events forces the new managers to reckon with the ghost’s powers and demands.
The Chandelier Crash
During the climax of “Il Muto,” the opera’s new production, a massive chandelier suddenly comes crashing down onto the stage at the opera ghost’s hand. The enormous crystal fixture had been a centerpiece of the auditorium since the Palais Garnier first opened. In this demonstration of the phantom’s powers, André and Firmin can no longer deny that the opera ghost is real and extremely dangerous.
Demands and Warnings in Notes
Firmin and André begin receiving ominous letters from the opera ghost, demands that include box seating for his use and casting the young Christine Daaé in lead roles. Most threatening is the ghost’s warning in the tenor Piangi’s fate if his orders are ignored, saying Piangi would face “a disaster beyond your imagination.” The petrified managers have no choice but to comply after witnessing the chandelier incident firsthand.
The Prima Donna Vanishes
When the enraged prima donna Carlotta goes missing, André and Firmin panic about appeasing the opera ghost’s demands for his protégé Christine to take over her roles. The managers are relieved when Carlotta turns up unharmed, but the incident leaves them more anxious about potentially agitating the frightening phantom. Over time, an underlying terror of him permeates the opera house.
Relationships with the Lead Characters
As managers of the opera house, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André interact regularly with the main characters involved with the opera ghost drama. They develop distinct relationships with each, both positive and negative.
Dealings with Diva Carlotta
Prima donna Carlotta Giudicelli has a contentious relationship with the new managers, used to being fawned over and indulged by Monsieur Lefèvre. Firmin and André try flattering and cajoling Carlotta like Lefèvre did to get her to cooperate, as when Firmin calls her “our star,” but the haughty diva does not make things easy for them. She storms out of rehearsals and threatens to quit when displeased.
Patronizing Meg and Madame Giry
Ballet instructor Madame Giry and her daughter, dancer Meg Giry, represent the middle-class opera staff to the aristocratic managers. Firmin and André regard them as merely employees, not social equals. Their attitudes show a casual misogyny typical of the time, with Firmin making advances toward pretty Meg while ignoring the older Madame Giry’s knowledge about the opera ghost.
Faith in Ingénue Christine
Young soprano Christine Daaé impresses André and Firmin with her talent when she steps in for Carlotta. But they grow frustrated by the opera ghost’s inexplicable schemes to make Christine a star through threats. Still, the managers cooperate, casting her as the lead in “Il Muto” and “Don Juan Triumphant” at the phantom’s behest, with disastrous results both times.
Don Juan Triumphant Premiere Disaster
The new managers’ decision to stage the opera “Don Juan Triumphant,” with conditions dictated by the opera ghost, ends up becoming an utter fiasco on opening night. The infamous disaster provides a dramatic conclusion to Firmin and André’s story arc in Phantom of the Opera.
Casting Christine as Aminta
For his own nefarious reasons, the Phantom demands Christine be cast in the lead role for the opera’s new production, an opera called “Don Juan Triumphant” written by the phantom himself. André and Firmin acquiesce, despite reservations, casting Christine to star as the female lead Aminta even as she is preparing to flee with her fiancé Raoul.
Piangi is Murdered Backstage
On opening night, the opera ghost murders Ubaldo Piangi backstage and assumes his identity on stage as the lead role of Don Juan. Firmin and André are unaware of this while left to anxiously watch the performance spiral out of control before a confused audience. The horror unfolds onstage as Christine realizes she is singing with the disguised phantom.
Chaos Erupts Onstage
Finally comprehending the danger, Raoul races onstage to rescue Christine. The opera ghost traps them with a collapsing bridge, then escapes by disappearing through a fiery trapdoor amidst fiery special effects rigged by the phantom. This fiery spectacle utterly horrifies the audience and humiliates André and Firmin as inept managers. The opera ghost had turned their house into a mockery.
Aftermath and Conclusion
Reeling from the disastrous Don Juan Triumphant premiere overseen under their management, Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André find the opera house in more chaos than ever before. The show concludes without revealing their final fates, but Firmin and André’s tenure has forever been scarred by the mysterious opera ghost.
Financial and Reputational Ruin
After the debacle of Don Juan Triumphant, Firmin and André face utter professional disaster. The outrageous events of the performance scandalize Parisian society. Their opera house and its resident opera ghost are a laughingstock. Meanwhile, the elaborate pyrotechnics and special effects have plunged the company into debt. Angry creditors close in as André bemoans “We are ruined!”
The Phantom’s Disappearance and Legacy
With the opera ghost having vanished along with Christine Daaé that night, André and Firmin hope to rebuild the opera house’s reputation over time. But despite the phantom’s physical absence, his destructive legend haunts the theater and the managers’ minds. The managers brought down by the opera ghost’s schemes reflect the supernatural’s dangers intruding upon Gilded Age rationalism.
Uncertain Future for the Opera House
It remains ambiguous if Firmin and André retained their manager jobs in the Palais Garnier opera house after the disastrous incidents involving the phantom. Perhaps the two inexperienced but well-meaning men learned from their ordeals and eventually restored the company to success. Regardless, the opera ghost’s drama forever impacted Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André’s doomed management.
Character | Role | Relationship to Managers |
---|---|---|
Monsieur Lefèvre | Previous opera house manager | Selects Firmin and André as successors |
Monsieur Firmin | New co-manager | Frustrated by opera ghost threats |
Monsieur André | New co-manager | Concerned about finances and reputation |
Carlotta | Prima donna | Resentful diva gives managers trouble |
Madame Giry | Ballet mistress | Dismissed by managers as just staff |
Christine | Young soprano | Pushed by managers into lead roles |
Conclusion
In the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Phantom of the Opera, the managers newly appointed to lead the Palais Garnier opera house have an eventful and traumatic tenure. Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André take over control after the previous manager Lefèvre’s retirement but soon face obstacles and threats posed by the mysterious opera ghost.
Despite initial skepticism about the phantom, violent incidents force the managers to placate his demands that soprano Christine Daaé be cast in lead roles. This leads to utter disaster when the opera ghost wreaks havoc during the premiere of his own opera Don Juan Triumphant. The resulting scandal leaves Firmin and André’s managerial future in uncertainty, having failed to contend with the opera house’s infamous resident phantom.