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Masquerade/Why So Silent? Lyrics by Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)

1986

[The gauze lifts fully to reveal the staircase of the opera house. The opera ball begins. Among the GUESTS are four carrying strange percussion instruments: a monkey with cymbals, a toy soldier with a drum, a triangle, bells. Together they play weirdly throughout.]
[ENSEMBLE]
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade
Masquerade!
Hide your face, so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade
Masquerade!
Look around—there's another mask behind you!
Flash of mauve...
Splash of puce...
Fool and king...
Ghoul and goose...
Green and black...
Queen and priest...
Trace of rouge...
Face of beast...
Faces...
Take your turn, take a ride
On the merry-go-round in an inhuman race
Thigh of blue...
True is false...
Who is who...?
Curl of lip...
Swirl of gown...
Ace of hearts...
Face of clown...
Faces...
Drink it in, drink it up
Till you've drowned
In the light, in the sound...
[RAOUL/CHRISTINE]
But who can name the face?
[ENSEMBLE]
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows
Spinning reds...
Masquerade!
Take your fill—let the spectacle astound you!
Masquerade!
Burning glances
Turning heads...
Masquerade!
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!
Masquerade!
Seething shadows, breathing lies...
Masquerade!
You can fool any friend who ever knew you!
Masquerade!
Leering satyrs, peering eyes...
Masquerade!
Run and hide—but a face will still pursue you!
[The ENSEMBLE activity becomes background, as ANDRÉ, FIRMIN, MEG, GIRY, PIANGI and CARLOTTA come to the fore, glasses in hand]
[GIRY]
What a night
[MEG]
What a crowd
[ANDRÉ]
Makes you glad
[FIRMIN]
Makes you proud
All the crême de la crême
[CARLOTTA]
Watching us
And watching them!
 
[MEG/GIRY]
And all our fears are in the past!
[ANDRÉ]
Six months
[PIANGI]
Of relief
[CARLOTTA]
Of delight
[ANDRÉ/FIRMIN]
Of Elysian peace
[MEG/GIRY]
And we can breathe
​at last!
 
[CARLOTTA]
No more notes!
[PIANGI]
No more ghost
[GIRY]
Here's a health
[ANDRÉ]
Here's a toast
To a prosperous year
[FIRMIN]
To the new chandelier
[PIANGI/CARLOTTA]
And may our
​splendour
​never fade!
 
[FIRMIN]
Six months!
 
[GIRY]
What a joy!
[MEG]
What a change
[FIRMIN/ANDRÉ]
What a blessed release
[ANDRÉ]
And what a masquerade!
[They clink glasses and move off. RAOUL and CHRISTINE emerge. She is admiring a new acquisition: an engagement ring from RAOUL, which she has attached to a gold chain around her neck]
[CHRISTINE]
Think of it, a secret engagement
Look—your future bride
Just think of it
[RAOUL]
But why is secret? What have we to hide?
[CHRISTINE]
Please let's not fight
Wait till the time is right
Let's not argue
Please pretend
You will understand in time
[RAOUL]
Christine, you're free
When will that be?
It is a engagement, not a crime
Christine, what are you afraid of?
Let's not argue
I can only hope
I'll understand in time
 
[Instrumental interlude]
[ENSEMBLE]
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade
Masquerade!
Hide your face, so the world will never find you
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade
Masquerade!
Look around—there's another mask behind you
Masquerade!
Burning glances, turning heads
Masquerade!
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds
Masquerade!
Take your fill—let the spectacle astound you
[At the height of the activity a grotesque figure suddenly appears at the top of the staircase. Dressed all in crimson, with a death's head visible inside the hood of his robe, the PHANTOM has come to the party. With dreadful wooden steps he descends the stairs and takes the centre of the stage]
[PHANTOM]
Why so silent, good Messieurs?
Did you think that I had left you for good?
Have you missed me, good Messieurs?
I have written you an opera
[He takes from under his robe an enormous bound manuscript]
Here I bring the finished score
*Don Juan Triumphant*!
I advise you to comply
My instructions should be clear
Remember there are worse things than a shattered chandelier
[To CHRISTINE]
Your chains are still mine
You will sing for me!
Credits
Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera

Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera

About “Masquerade/Why So Silent?” by Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera

Read the complete lyrics to "Masquerade/Why So Silent?" by Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera from the album "The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)" in 1986. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under England, In English, Soundtrack.

"Masquerade/Why So Silent?" is performed by Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera. from the album "The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)" in 1986 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Masquerade/Why So Silent?", explore more songs by Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Masquerade/Why So Silent?" is credited to Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Masquerade/Why So Silent?" appears on "The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)" in 1986.

Visit the Original London Cast of The Phantom of the Opera artist page at /artist/original-london-cast-of-the-phantom-of-the-opera for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.