Webber Phantom fan extraordinaire, it was not
Lloyd Webber's version that first brought her
into the Phantom fold. Sandra writes:
"It all began when I was thirteen.
I loved all literature but French literature was
my passion: Victor Hugo, Dumas, etc. I
remember the first time I read Gaston Leroux's
The Phantom of the Opera I didn't want to
finish it. I was amazed by the main character,
the story, the mystery . . .
When I finished the last chapter I was crying
like a little child. Soon, I was rereading my
favorite scenes.
It was then I realized this was no ordinary
book. It was a book that called to me".
father bought her one of the Lloyd Webber cast albums. She became involved
with several of the on-line fan communities, started reading the books and
watching the films. At present, Sandra collects different editions of Leroux's
novel and Susan Kay's Phantom. So far she owns editions in Spanish, French,
English, Chinese, German, Italian Czech and Russian. She also owns the books
for a number of the different theatrical versions as well as CDs and videos when
those are available.
But of all the non-Leroux literary versions, Sandra was most touched by
Susan Kay's retelling and Brigitta D'Arcy-Hays' sequel. She wrote to both
authors and received responses in each case.
Of Kay, Sandra says, "I really love her book. It's the best Phantom novel apart
from Leroux's that I've read." In her letter, Sandra asked Kay why she wrote the
novel in different sections, each from the point of view of a different character.
Kay responded that she wanted to give Erik real depth and to give the reader
insight into why Erik acted as he did in Leroux's original novel.
Regarding D'Arcy-Hays' work, Sandra states, "It's so touching, so sweet and
sad at the same time . . . I think she knows very well how a fan feels Erik's story."
She and D'Arcy-Hays struck up more than a casual correspondence. The author
had become friends with Renata de Waele, public relations officer at the Opera
Garnier. De Waele had previously written an article describing the discovery of a
corpse in the opera cellars when the workmen were digging to bury the 1907 time
capsule. De Waele told D'Arcy-Hays that everything in the article was true and
even took her on a tour of the Opera cellars showing her the different places that
corresponded with that story. D'Arcy was given another tour of the Opera at one
point, a roof-to-cellar tour, during which she took photos.
As their friendship grew, D'Arcy-Hays sent a number of her Opera Garnier
photos to Sandra. Eventually she sent Sandra what—for a Phantom fan—could
only be deemed a "holy relic:" an actual piece of the cloth from box five. D'Arcy-
Hays told Sandra that a number of years ago, the staff was refurbishing some of
the boxes, including box five, replacing, in the process, the cloth that lined the
walls. This was the first such refurbishing ever to take place since the
inauguration of the Opera Garnier in 1875. As a result, Sandra says, "Brigitta told
me that Erik had actually touched that piece of cloth that was now in my hands!"
But the story of Sandra's literary adventures do not end here. At the tender
young age of sixteen, she wrote and self-published her own book, a history and
analysis of the Leroux and Lloyd Webber Phantom versions entitled: El Fantasma
de la Opera: Ensayo sobre el Musical y la Obra Literaria available for purchase on
her website.
The Origin of the Legend
IN AN E-MAIL, Sandra wrote, "I love the legend more than any musical or
movie." And indeed, in this, the third installment of Sandra's Phantom
Adventures, we'll follow her as she delves into the background of the
Phantom story itself.
According to The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, the events he
recounts in the novel took place at the Opéra Garnier in Paris. In Chapter Four
of that novel, the reader learns that "Box Five" is the Phantom's "private box"
and that it was to be kept ready for him during all performances. Sandra had
the great fortune of entering Box Five at the Opéra Garnier for the first time
on her eighteenth birthday. Sandra writes:
I was on a cloud. I could barely breathe as the Opéra staff director opened
the door and when I entered and sat in the same chair from which Erik once
watched the operas. Unfortunately, the director stayed right there, staring at
me the whole time. I think he knew why I wanted to be there and so I couldn't
explore as much as I'd hoped.
Sandra goes on to say that as boxes go, Five has an excellent view of the
stage but in most other respects it's identical to any other. With the exception
of the mirror. Most of the other boxes have one. Box five did not—when
Sandra visited it. Additionally, although she wanted to check on the hollow
pillar, the director kept a suspicious eye on her. Sandra writes:
At the Opéra Garnier, the Phantom legend is a prohibited subject. If you
ask about it, they'll deny having heard of it. Some will even shout that they
don't know what you're talking about. Even the Opera library has nothing in
it of the Phantom story.
Sandra tells of an encyclopedia of Opéra Garnier History that is kept in
their on-site library. The encyclopedia has a separate volume for each year . . .
except 1896: the year in which the counterweight of the chandelier actually
fell. Sandra visits the library every summer and that particular volume is
always missing.
She managed a second visit to Box Five a few years later as the result of
having written a Phantom of the Opera related book. In addition to permitting
her to soak up the ambience in the Phantom's private box, opera management
allowed her to enter the "stalls" (what in the U.S. we'd call "Orchestra Seats")
which are, apparently, off limits to anyone except ticket-holding patrons
during an actual performance. Sandra says the Angel of Music must have been
looking out for her that day, because while she was still at the Opéra Garnier,
she ran into Gaston Leroux's great granddaughter, Veronique. Veronique was
accompanied by a biographer, introduced only as "Arnold," who said he was
currently working on the life story of Gaston Leroux.
Veronique invited Sandra to dinner. Apparently her pots and pans were
from Gaston Leroux's old home so Sandra was served from the same
kitchenware as the author himself. Additionally, Veronique told Sandra that
the Phantom story was based on real events and on a real person who lived in
the Opéra cellars. Still, she admitted that her great grandfather freely
embellished around the facts to make a more coherent, romantic and artistic
story. Sandra asked how much of the story she thought to be true. Veronique
believed the factual content was somewhere around 70% "including the love
affair with an opera singer."
As for Arnold, he described the cellars to Sandra as "dark and terrifying
but also beautiful." He told her that one of Gaston Leroux's other characters,
Rouletabille, was based on his brother Joseph. Additionally, one of the
characters in The Perfume of the Lady in Black, was supposed to have been
based on Leroux's mother.
Before Sandra left, Veronique showed her some items from her great
grandfather's collection. Sandra remembers several different framed Phantom-
related pictures on the wall. One showed the Ken Hill Phantom wearing the
white mask, black cloak and an evil smile. Another was the cover of an old
edition of Leroux's Phantom showing Erik with a green face, carrying
Christine in his arms and heading toward the Opera house in the background.
There was also a small framed picture of the Lloyd Webber Phantom logo—
cracked letters and white mask.
Of the non-Phantom items, Sandra recalls a quanitity of Rouletabille
memorabilia including the framed covers of The Mystery of the Yellow Room
and The Perfume of the Lady in Black. There were also photos of the various
cinematic incarnations of the Rouletabille character. Of Gaston Leroux
himself, Sandra saw formal portraits, caricatures and a photograph of Leroux
working at his desk. There were newspaper clippings and comics about
Leroux as well as articles written by him. Finally, Sandra had the chance to see
some Leroux family photos including some of Gaston's mother and brother.
As a parting gift, Veronique gave Sandra two modern French-language
editions of Leroux's novels: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra and Le Fauteuil Hanté.
And so, here end the Phantom adventures of Sandra Andrés Belenguer . . .
for now (October, 2004). Something tells me, though, that this remarkable lady
is far from finished.
