CHORUS   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 . . .      Eye of gold . . .   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 . . .?      ALL   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   ANDRE, FIRMIN, MEG, GIRY, PIANGI and CARLOTTA    come to the fore, glasses in hand)      GIRY   What a night      MEG   What a crowd!      ANDRE   Makes you glad!      FIRMIN   Makes you proud!   All the creme   de la creme!      CARLOTTA   Watching us watching them!      MEG/GlRY   And all our fears   are in the past!      ANDRE   Six months...      PIANGI   Of relief!      CARLOTTA   Of delight!      ANDRE/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!      ANDRE   Here's a toast:   to a prosperous year!      FIRMIN   To the new chandelier!      PIANGI/CARLOTTA   And may its   splendour never fade!      FIRMIN   Six months!      GIRY   What a joy!      MEG   What a change!      FIRMIN/ANDRE   What a blessed release!      ANDRE   And what a masquerade!