Curiously, almost all of them are united to Phantom's world, and we could
say they're part of him.
The first element we can see is the music box with the shape of a money.
Raoul is the first character who sings to this music box remembering old
times: that's our first clue to know the importance of this object.
In the movie version of this musical, we can know the origin of this box, but
here its symbol is clear too: it represents the childhood of the Phantom, and
his tragedy. His gorgeous intellect refrained by a single mask; his desire of
love, defeated by his deformed face.
For this reason, the melody of this music box is always the same: Masquerade.
It is the symbol of all what he hates his mask, his ugliness and the rejection
which they produce. Meanwhile society can be dresses with masks enjoining
his good luck, the Phantom has to be covered by these masks forever.
A phrase in one of Rocambole* books shows us this aspect:
"Life has its inconveniences. Men run to find happiness. Dance, fools! If you
have not suffered yet, dance and sing! You can not imagine that in this same
moment there're persons who are crying and suffering".
The music box appears when something related to the mask is going to take
place: the unmasking, Masquerade, final scene...
This object is one of the most representative of this musical, together with
the white mask, which appears during all the play: it's part of his being...
However, it will convert itself in a symbolic element when he leave it in his
throne. Maybe, like Notre Dame cathedral in the famous novel by Victor
Hugo, the mask be the main character after all.
The Chandelier is one of the scenic elements more important.
It's a symbol of the Phantom power towards everyone who works at the
Opera House.
In the Prologue, the auctioneer explains the audience how this chandelier
caused a disaster not long time ago. This is a premonition of what is going to
happen in a reconstructed past. The Phantom controls not only the persons,
but also the whole building.
Another object is the apple which Christine tries to eat at Point of no Return
scene.
United with the lyrics and sensual music, we can easily think in the apple
which Eve ate in the famous narration in the Genesis.
The prohibited fruit can be the prohibited love between Christine and the
Phantom...
story and characters.
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