Oooh... Gustav, could you hand me those earrings? The diamond ones on the left. There. How do I look? You look so beautiful, so very beautiful, like a queen in a book. You too are beautiful, so very beautiful, once this performance is through. We'll spend some time, just us two, won't that be fun? Father, doesn't Mother look lovely tonight? Indeed she does. As lovely as she looked the very first time I came to her dressing room door. And look at you, Ron. You look just like that handsome boy in the opera box, the one who would always toss me a single red rose. Please, Gustav, if you don't mind, would you wait outside a while? May I go exploring by myself? Yes, but stay backstage, my dear. When I'm finished, meet me here. I will. Since our wedding day, things have gone astray. I'm not proud of the way that I've acted. We've both been... The demands I've made, all the hopes mislaid. I'm aware of the price they've exacted. Though I've no right to ask you to, there's one thing more I'd have you do. If you love me as I love you. Anything, darling. Don't sing the song, dear. What? But, Ralph... You have to know something's terribly wrong, dear. But I have to do this. It's what we agreed to. That hell-spawn demon, he's had us playing his game all along, dear. Let me just get through this. Listen, please, I need to. You need so much, it's true, and I've denied you. You need the man you knew back here beside you. You'll have him back, I vow, just ask it of me. But we must leave here now if you still love me. Do you mean it, Ralph? Truly? I've booked a passage for three to Cherbourg on the Atlantic, Queen. It leaves in an hour. We'll have just enough time. I beg you, let's be on it for both our sakes and the child's. Leave this place behind. He knew me well, he knew me well. He knew me well, he knew me well. He knows his love is not enough. He knows he isn't what you need. He knows you're made of finer stuff. I think on that we're all agreed. It's time to leave him in the dust. It's time to be who you should be. It's time to do now as you must and set the music in you free. In moments, mere moments, drums will roll. There you'll stand just like before. The crowd will hush and then in one sweet rush I will hear you sing once more. And music, our music, will swell and then unwind like two strands of melody at last entwined. Fulfill us, complete us, make us whole, seal our bonds forevermore. Tonight for me, embrace your destiny. Let me hear you sing once more. Miss Daae, it's time. Twisted every way, what answer can I give? I know I can't refuse, and yet I wish I could, oh God. Oh God! Christine, Christine, don't think that I don't care. But every hope and every prayer rests on you now. © transcript Emily Beynon