[Another Tuesday morning dawns. Anyone out and about early may hear a sudden clatter from the area of the dressing rooms - Jean Valjean and D-ne's stars have fallen from their dressing room doors and are now lying face-down on the floor. Apparently stars here aren't as constant as they seem.
The Balladeer hasn't appeared in public since the events of the weekend, but today his voice sounds around the building again.]
Hey. Meeting in the main lobby at noon.
[That's all he has to say, but it's probably obvious what's going to happen. Regardless of whether or not everyone decides to show up by the appointed time, the theatre doors open right at noon, admitting the Balladeer - though, given his current costume, he's only identifiable by voice.]
Thanks for coming, my good cast Happy Halloween from all of us here Time for tricks now, my good cast I have brought you your incentive Here, I bring a little gift Your darkest secrets!
[He holds up a pile of long crimson envelopes, fanning them out so everyone can see. There's eighteen, each one with a cast member's role written on the front in fancy cursive handwriting. As he continues singing, the Balladeer starts moving around handing each out to their recipient.]
Here's the way that this will work A few instructions handed down from up above You have 'til Friday to decide If these secrets will be kept or revealed If no one is dead by then They'll be trumpeted for everyone to hear And my managers do note, their hand stretches from the Opera To your homes As for myself, please do remember...
[He pauses...and then lifts off the mask and attached hat, tucking it under his arm and tugging at the high embroidered collar around his neck. His hair is matted down from the weight of the skull.]
God, okay, that's it. I do not know how anybody does that! It's hot in there...
Um...point being, I haven't read these, but there's an even chance I know about whatever they say anyway. So if you want to talk it out, you know where to find me. Bottling everything up isn't really healthy, you know? Strict confidentiality here, of course, I won't tell anyone else about anything we discuss.
Not right now, though, I've gotta go take all this off. Oh, and Happy Halloween, I guess - they tell me it's Halloween somewhere. I brought you some candy corn.
[He draws a pumpkin-shaped bucket, full of candy corn, out from somewhere within that big fancy cloak and sets it on the nearest end table, then goes into the box office and shuts the door behind himself.]
MOTIVE: WHY SO SILENT?
The Balladeer hasn't appeared in public since the events of the weekend, but today his voice sounds around the building again.]
Hey. Meeting in the main lobby at noon.
[That's all he has to say, but it's probably obvious what's going to happen. Regardless of whether or not everyone decides to show up by the appointed time, the theatre doors open right at noon, admitting the Balladeer - though, given his current costume, he's only identifiable by voice.]
Thanks for coming, my good cast
Happy Halloween from all of us here
Time for tricks now, my good cast
I have brought you your incentive
Here, I bring a little gift
Your darkest secrets!
[He holds up a pile of long crimson envelopes, fanning them out so everyone can see. There's eighteen, each one with a cast member's role written on the front in fancy cursive handwriting. As he continues singing, the Balladeer starts moving around handing each out to their recipient.]
Here's the way that this will work
A few instructions handed down from up above
You have 'til Friday to decide
If these secrets will be kept or revealed
If no one is dead by then
They'll be trumpeted for everyone to hear
And my managers do note, their hand stretches from the Opera
To your homes
As for myself, please do remember...
[He pauses...and then lifts off the mask and attached hat, tucking it under his arm and tugging at the high embroidered collar around his neck. His hair is matted down from the weight of the skull.]
God, okay, that's it. I do not know how anybody does that! It's hot in there...
Um...point being, I haven't read these, but there's an even chance I know about whatever they say anyway. So if you want to talk it out, you know where to find me. Bottling everything up isn't really healthy, you know? Strict confidentiality here, of course, I won't tell anyone else about anything we discuss.
Not right now, though, I've gotta go take all this off. Oh, and Happy Halloween, I guess - they tell me it's Halloween somewhere. I brought you some candy corn.
[He draws a pumpkin-shaped bucket, full of candy corn, out from somewhere within that big fancy cloak and sets it on the nearest end table, then goes into the box office and shuts the door behind himself.]