Summary from Goodreads:
The
“Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting.
She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her
obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual
production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle
and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their
calling card.
Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her
character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball
star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who
is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.
Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and
off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true
phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and
phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life
the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero
and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows
she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only
when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally
be revealed.
Demon (Dark Musicals #2)
by Laura DeLuca
Summary from Goodreads:
When
Justyn and Rebecca set off to attend the New York School of Performing Arts,
they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in
high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against
accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a
stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn.
It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that
Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her
life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist
terrorizing the campus.
Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the
story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.
Hyde (Dark Musicals #3)
by Laura DeLuca
Summary from Goodreads:
Rebecca
Hope has looked death in the face twice and lived to tell her tale.
She and the love of her life, Justyn Patko, land a summer internship at a local
dinner theater, performing the musical Hyde. While they are excited about their
first paid acting gig, they soon find themselves surrounded by more experienced
cast mates, jealous of their success. As if the tension isn’t bad enough, they
soon discover that the business might be a front for something much more
sinister.
When Justyn is accused of a crime that she knows he would never commit, Rebecca
must decide if she wants to follow her head or her heart. While trying to prove
his innocence, she makes a shocking discovery of her own.
Everyone has something to conceal in the grand finale of the Dark Musicals
Trilogy. Rebecca has to look beyond the façade to discover the true Hyde or
face her final curtain call.
Phantom Excerpt:
The orchestra tuned for its virtuoso, and Justyn stood ready. But no one else was ready for the magical performance he began. Beside her, Carmen was rambling on about something mundane. Rebecca elbowed her to silence so she could listen to the perfectly thrilling tenor. As she listened to the song unfold, the world around her started to slip away. Gone was the high school auditorium. Gone were the rowdy teenagers. The Gothic stranger on the stage had become the embodiment of Erik, and Rebecca watched him in all his dark glory, belting out his tormented love through the words of his song. And she was as breathless with wonder as Christine herself must have been when the masked stranger serenaded her in the candlelit labyrinth of the opera house. In that moment, Justyn wasn’t just portraying the phantom. Justyn was the phantom.
“Let the music touch your soul.
Let the darkness make you whole.
Do not fear what is unknown.
Your true path has now been shown.
Listen to the words I sing.
Embrace the peace that night will bring.”
As he continued to sing in his deep but somehow angelic voice, Rebecca found that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. With every line, her heart began to beat faster. She truly felt the arms of night wrapping her in a warm embrace. She could almost feel the hands of the phantom glide along her body as the words poured forth. The music caressed her. It possessed her—mind, body and soul. Each word left her longing, yearning for more.
She was gawking so obviously, it was hardly surprising when Justyn felt her eyes on him and steadily met her gaze. She realized her mouth was hanging open in stunned awe, and she quickly snapped it shut. His lips moved into just a small hint of a smile. He never took his eyes off her while he sang the final verse, making her cheeks flush to the point that she felt almost feverish. But it wasn’t embarrassment but excitement, arousal even, which was sending her mind spinning in so many directions.
When the song was over, and Rebecca had recovered just a hint of her composure, she couldn’t help but burst into a healthy round of applause. A few scattered people joined in, including Debbie and Carmen after she nudged them in the ribs. But only Miss King seemed to truly appreciate the brilliance of his talent as much as Rebecca did.
“That was amazing, Justyn!” the teacher gushed.
“Lord Justyn,” he corrected as he stepped down from the stage.
A few others complimented him as well, but he took in all in stride. In fact, his serious expression never faltered as he stepped down from the stage. He seemed almost bored, like it was all he could do to hold back a yawn, despite the smiles and words of encouragement.
But not everyone in the crowd was pleased as Justyn glided down the aisle, so ethereal in his dark garments that he still resonated the spirit of the Opera Ghost. Miss King might have been excited about the newest male addition to her cast after being limited for many years, but Tom and his group of boisterous companions glared at him as he passed them by. Jay sneered and tossed a balled up piece of paper in Justyn’s direction, but the Goth was quick, and caught it in his hand without missing a beat.
“I think you dropped something,” he said.
His speaking voice was no less melodic than his singing voice, but something about his tone made Rebecca shiver. He tossed the paper back at Jay, who was nowhere near as coordinated as Justyn. He practically fell off his seat in his efforts to catch it.
“Hey vampire,” Tom called when Justyn went to walk away. “Are you sure you can handle the competition?”
Justyn smiled, a cool, sarcastic half-smile, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you?”
Miss King didn’t notice the short confrontation, and Justyn vanished from the auditorium as quickly and mysteriously as he had appeared. Only Rebecca had noticed the very real tension between the two boys. She wondered if it was a bad omen for them to start off the production with hard feelings and envy. That could only lead to trouble. The kind of trouble that could end with someone getting hurt. The kind of trouble that Rebecca would do whatever it took to avoid.
About the Author
Laura "Luna" DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and three children. She has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Old high school friends would tell you she was always scratching in her notebook instead of paying attention in class and the children she used to babysit for always loved to hear her scary stories at bedtime. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
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This play has always fascinated me. I've seen the movie version and an old silent movie version of this. Both were great. I would love to see it performed on Broadway one day though.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know if this is "meaningful", but I remember an episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" that had to do with Phantom of the Opera. That was always one of my favorites. I was fascinated by that too.
Also, I think that it is very cool that Laura practices and studies Wicca. I've been interested in it myself and I have studied it a little over the years.
I have the book "The Phantom of the Opera" too. I still need to read it though...
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