ANDRE:
Your public needs you!
FIRMIN:
We need you, too!
CARLOTTA:
Would you not rather have your precious little ingenue?
ANDRE/FIRMIN:
C
Signora, no! The world wants you!
Prima donna, first lady of the stage!
Am G
Your devotees are on their knees to im-plore you!
ANDRE:
Dm G F Em Am
Can you bow out when they're shouting your name?
FIRMIN:
F C/E Bb7 G
Think of how they all a-dore you!
BOTH:
C
Prima donna, enchant us once again!
ANDRE:
Think of your muse
FIRMIN:
C7 F
And of the queues round the theatre!
BOTH WITH PIANGI:
Dm G F Em7 Am
Can you de-ny us the tri-umph in store?
Dm G7 C7
Sing, prima donna, once more!
RAOUL:
C7 F
Chris-tine spoke of an angel...
CARLOTTA:
F
Prima donna, your so-ong shall live again
(ANDRE/FIRMIN:
F
Think of your public!)
CARLOTTA:
F Dm C
You took a snub but there's a public who needs you!
[GIRY:
Dm C
We have heard the voice of the angel]
(ANDRE/FIRMIN:
C Gm
Those who hear your voice liken you to an angel!)
CARLOTTA:
Gm C Am7 Dm
Think of their cry of un-dying sup-port!
(ANDRE:
Bb
We get our opera
FIRMIN:
F/A
She gets her limelight!)
CARLOTTA:
Bb F/A Eb7 C7
Follow where the lime-light leads you!
(ANDRE/FIRMIN:
C7 F
Leading ladies are a trial!)
CARLOTTA:
F
Prima donna, your song shall never die!
(PIANGI:
F
When she sings we see heaven)
CARLOTTA:
F7 Bb
You'll sing a-gain, and to unending o-vation!
(RAOUL:
F7 Bb
Orders! Warnings! Lunatic demands!)
[ANDRE/FIRMIN:
F7 Bb Gm7
Tears... Oaths... Lunatic demands are regular oc-currences!]
CARLOTTA:
Gm C Bb Am Dm
Think how you'll shine in that final en-core!
Gm C7 Fm
Sing, prima donna, once more!
RAOUL:
Gm
Surely, for her sake...
(ANDRE/FIRMIN:
Gm C7
Surely there'll be further scenes - worse than this!)
[RAOUL:
Fm Bb
...I must see these demands are rejected!]
ANDRE/FIRMIN:
Bb
Who'd believe a diva happy to relieve a chorus girl,
F
Who's gone and slept with her pat-ron?
Bb
Raoul and his soubrette, entwined in love's duet!
F7
Al-though he may demur, he must have been with her!
(CARLOTTA
Bb
O, fortunata!
F7
Non ancor
Cm
Abbandonata!)
ANDRE/FIRMIN:
Cm F7
You'd never get away with all this in a play,
Dm7 Gm
But if it's loudly sung and in a foreign tongue,
Eb Bb/D Ab F
It's just the sort of story audiences adore, in fact, a perfect opera!
GIRY/MEG:
Bb
For (But) if his curse is on this opera...
COMPANY:
Bb
Prima donna, the world is at your feet!
Bb7 Eb
A nation waits, and how it hates to be cheated!
(song slows down)
Cm F Eb Dm Cm
Light up that stage with that age-old rap-port!
(Strum rapidly and VERY loudly)
F NC
Sing, prima donna...
(COMPANY takes a HUGE gulp of air, watch out for Carlotta's very high D notes.)
Bb Edim B Edim NC
ONCE MORE!
(Curtain closes)
Bb Bb/D Bb/F...
Intro to another song.