Christine Daaé

Christine Daaé
The Phantom of the Opera character
Christine Daaé (Mary Philbin) in the 1925 film The Phantom of the Opera, alongside The Phantom (Lon Chaney).
Created by	Gaston Leroux
Portrayed by	See "Actresses"
Information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Singer
Family	Madame Valérius (adoptive mother) Gustave Daaé (father)
Significant other(s)	Viscount Raoul de Chagny Erik, The Phantom of the Opera
Nationality	Swedish

Christine Daaé is the main female character in Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera (1911), the young singer with whom the main character Erik, the Phantom of the Opera falls in love.

Character history

Christine Daaé is born just outside the Swedish town of Uppsala. Her mother dies when Christine is six years old, and she is brought up by her father, traveling to fairs where he plays the violin and she sings. They are discovered at one of these fairs by Professor Valérius, who takes them to Gothenburg and then to Paris, providing for Christine's education.

Christine is extremely close to her father, who tells her Scandinavian fairy-tales; a tale of the "Angel of Music" is her favorite. Christine's father dies, leaving her disconsolate, despite the loving care of her "adopted" mother Mme. Valérius, bedridden wife of the late Professor. Christine enters the Paris Conservatory and trains for four years to become a professional singer to please her father and Mamma Valérius, but has lost all passion for singing.

When Christine arrives at the Opera Garnier, she is described as "sounding like a rusty hinge", but one person finds the beauty hidden in her tone. When Erik begins to tutor her, he tells her that he is the Angel of Music of whom her father had spoken (Erik tells her this because he has fallen in love with her). She believes him, and he inspires her soul back into her voice. Christine debuts at a gala at the opera, after the singer Carlotta falls ill and she is asked to take her place. Christine's singing is described as "seraphic".

Christine becomes torn between her loyalty for her mentor Erik, and her love for her childhood friend Viscount Raoul de Chagny.

In the Lofficier translation of the novel, it is stated that Christine is 15 years old. However, this is a mistranslation of a passage which says her heart was "as pure as that of a 15 year old". The evidence of Christine's childhood friendship with Raoul, and her studies at the Paris Conservatory, put her age at 20.

Father's name

Christine has a father who loved her very much. In the Sarah Brightman music video version of "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", his name is revealed to be "Charles". In the 2004 movie, his name is "Gustave", in the novel Christine refers to him as "Daddy Daaé". ......

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera

Christine Daaé in the show/2004 film adaption is also young, 16 to be exact. She is mature beyond her age, however, and becomes the object of obsession, passion, and love for the mysterious Phantom of the Opera. She is chosen to replace the company's spoiled prima donna and sing a lead role, with great success that prompts her childhood sweetheart Raoul to notice her at last. He begins wooing her at this point, at the same time when Phantom begins to reveal his love for Christine.

Throughout the whole show, it is revealed Christine is in love with both men but in different ways. She shares a sweet, comfortable bond with Raoul, but she feels a deep, passionate desire for the Phantom. She is torn between them, but in the end, and to the Phantom's heartbreak, she chooses Raoul. However, her display of compassion for the Phantom moves him to free them both and allow them to flee before an angry mob storms his lair.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Love Never Dies

Ten years later, Christine is in her late twenties to mid-thirties, a devoted mother and considerable wife in a miserable marriage, thinking of how Raoul has abused her and suggested to have abused Gustave, her ten-year-old son, and wasted his fortune on gambling and drink. However, once she meets the Phantom again, when she finds how he has been pining for her, his love never fading, the same as her, it is revealed they consummated their love in a night of passion before she wed Raoul, and Gustave is the fruit of that union. Again, she is forced to choose between Raoul and Phantom. This time, swayed by her revelation that her love for him is deeper than she can deny any longer, she chooses Phantom, pained this time for Raoul. However, she is ready to begin her new life with Phantom by her side and their son with them, when she is accidentally shot and killed by a distraught Meg Giry, to the Phantom's horror and agony, who, obeying her final request, kisses her one last time before she dies. Her body is then handed to Raoul, who cradles her as the show ends.

Basis

Several researchers claim the character Christine Daaé was based upon the real-life Swedish-born opera star Christina Nilsson, also known as Kristina Nilsson or Christine Nilsson.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} This claim is unverified by any official source, but it is supported by several biographical similarities between Nilsson and Daaé. The most obvious is that Nilsson, like Daaé, was born in Sweden and trained in Paris.

Actresses

• The first actress to portray Christine Daaé was Aud Egede-Nissen in the 1916 German silent version by Ernst Matray, Das Gespenst im Opernhaus or Das Phantom der Oper, also starring Nils Olaf Chrisander.
• Mary Philbin played Christine in the 1925 American silent version by Rupert Julian, The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney, Sr.
• Susanna Foster played Christine DuBois in the 1943 Technicolor version, Phantom of the Opera, starring Claude Rains.
• Heather Sears played Christine Charles in the 1962 version of The Phantom of the Opera.
• Jessica Harper took the role in the 1974 rock-musical version, Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise.
• Jane Seymour played Christine in the 1983 TV movie version.
• Christina Collier played her in Ken Hill's camp-classical musical version in 1984.
• Sarah Brightman debuted the role in the 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
• Glory Crampton played her in Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit's 1990 musical Phantom.
• Jill Schoelen played Christine Day in Dwight H. Little's 1989 film version.
• Rebecca Caine debuted the role in the Canadian production (1989) and featured on the Canadian Cast album.
• Teri E. Polo took the role in the 1990 television miniseries version.
• Emmy Rossum played her in the 2004 film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
• Sierra Boggess first played Christine in the 2006 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular and recently portrayed her in Lloyd Webber's sequel Love Never Dies.
• Gina Beck previously played the role in London.
• Jennifer Hope Wills played Christine on Broadway and on a Canadian tour of the musical.
• Annika Johansson played Christine in The Really Useful Group on tour in 2010.^[6]

References

1. ^ Jussi Björling Museum: Four Great Nordic Singers
2. ^ NYSL Library Notes: Status: In Cataloging (1 October 2008)
3. ^ Linton, Elizabeth Lynn. The Rebel of the Family p. 362, ISBN 1551112930
4. ^ Hollingsworth, Amy Gifts of Passage: What the Dying Tell Us with the Gifts They Leave Behind p. 38, ISBN 0849919207
5. ^ Eriksson, Lill. Förtrollad av Fantomen för snart 100:e gången (Swedish) Eventnews.se
6. ^ Ellen Robertson, Face to Face interview with Annika Johansson on KACV-TV Amarillo Channel 8 (PBS), 11 May 2010 (accessed 1 June 2010).

External links

• Leroux, Gaston; Wolf, Leonard (editor) (2004). The Phantom of the Opera. I Books. ISBN 0743498364. 
• The Phantom of the Opera free e-book, Project Gutenberg
• "Phantom of the Opera FAQ". How old are the Phantom and Christine?. http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/xoopsfaq/index.php?cat_id=2#q12. Retrieved 2 October 2009. 
• "Phantom Appreciation Society". a history of. http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/icontent/index.php?page=14. Retrieved 13 March 2005. ^{[dead link]}