Hubbry Logo
Meg GiryMeg GiryMain
Open search
Meg Giry
Community hub
Meg Giry
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Meg Giry
Meg Giry
Meg Giry
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Meg Giry is one of the fictional characters from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the story, she is Madame Giry's daughter.

Description

[edit]

In the novel she is described as having “eyes black as sloes, hair black as ink, a swarthy complexion and a poor little skin stretched over poor little bones". She is also, in the novel, portrayed as a young girl who adores having her own way and attention. Due to her mother's role as the keeper of Box Five, Meg occasionally acts as a source of information about the ghost to the other ballet girls. She is described by the author in the prologue as "the most charming star of our admirable corps de ballet."

Madame Giry is compelled to work for the Phantom because he left her a letter that told her that Meg (should she deserve it) would become Empress. Early in the novel, it is explained in the Prologue that Meg Giry, after the story's events, had indeed become the Baroness de Castelot-Barbezac.

In the Andrew Lloyd Webber adaptation, she is Christine's good friend and her personality is much sweeter, caring and innocent showing genuine concern for Christine's claim of an Angel of Music (really the Phantom) coaching her. Meg is more curvaceous and has blonde hair and blue eyes.

In contrast to the musical version, in the novel, it is never mentioned that she is friends with Christine Daaé, and the only reference she makes about Christine is when confronted with the news that Christine was singing in the opening Gala, she tells Count Phillipe de Chagny that it was impossible for her to have a "divine voice" let alone become a success, that "six months ago she sang like a crock/rusty hinge".

In Susan Kay's novel Phantom, she is mentioned briefly through Erik’s point of view; as she is telling Christine of the Opera Ghost he listens to her story.

"Never you mind how I know. I just do, that’s all. We know a lot about the Opera Ghost, Ma and I, but it isn’t safe to talk about it here. And you’d better believe me for your own good- he doesn’t like people who don’t know how to show a proper respect, and when he’s angry terrible things happen."

"What sort of things?" I heard real alarm enter the other voice now.

"Awful things!" said Meg cheerfully, "truly awful. The floor in our dressing room starts to run with blood..."

Up in box five I blinked in surprised amusement. That was a new one! Little Giry should be writing Gothic novels, not prancing around the stage dressed as a water nymph!

"...disembodied hands come out of the wall and crawl across the stage," continued Meg with glee, "and people just disappear and are never seen again. Like Joseph Buquet."

Musical

[edit]

In the musical Meg Giry is the one who suggests to the theatre managers to put Christine in the leading role of the opera Hannibal once leading lady Carlotta Giudicelli is spooked by the Phantom's threats. Her mother, Madame Giry agrees and supports the decision. Normally she and Christine would be part of the ballet ensemble led by Madame Giry. At the end of Christine's performance, Christine confides in Meg in the musical number "Angel of Music" that she has been coached by a mysterious tutor who is calling her to him. Meg dismisses her claims, but after Christine's disappearance, comes to believe in the Phantom's powers, in part due to her mother's experiences with the Phantom as a young man.

At the end of the musical, Meg finds the Phantom's mask that he had used to cover his disfigured face resting on his chair in his abandoned underground lair, and holds it.

Love Never Dies

[edit]

Meg has a larger role in the sequel musical, Love Never Dies, where she craves the Phantom's recognition of her talent and is in love with him, but he ignores her entirely and continues to obsess over Christine. She now has a difficult relationship with her mother, who forced Meg into prostitution so they could support their establishment. She becomes jealous of her best friend Christine after working so hard for the Phantom's recognition and failing. After being disregarded by The Phantom and feeling unappreciated by her mother, she kidnaps Christine's child, Gustav, and threatens to kill him. A grieving, suicidal Meg goes on to rant about being used and cast aside then brings the gun to her head before accidentally shooting Christine and fleeing the scene.

Actresses

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Meg Giry

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Meg Giry is a fictional character originating from Gaston Leroux's 1910 The Phantom of the Opera, where she appears as the daughter of , a box-keeper at the , and serves as a minor member of the Opera's ballet corps. In the novel, she is depicted as a young woman with black hair and eyes, a thin figure, and a somewhat self-centered personality, assisting her mother in errands related to the Opera Ghost (Erik). She shares stories among the ballerinas about the Ghost's invisibility and warns others, like , to respect him, reflecting her family's loyalty to the mysterious figure. By the story's epilogue, Meg has married into , becoming the Baroness de Castelot-Barbezav, fulfilling a partial promise from Erik that she would rise to prominence, though not as an empress as once prophesied. Meg Giry gains greater prominence in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, where she is reimagined as Christine Daaé's closest friend and a key supporting character in the ballet ensemble. As a corps de ballet dancer, Christine confides in Meg about her secret vocal mentor and Meg provides emotional support throughout the narrative, often appearing in ensemble numbers like "Hannibal" and "Masquerade." Her character is portrayed as sweet, lighthearted, and loyal, offering a contrast to the darker tones of the story's central conflicts involving the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul. In the musical's finale, Meg enters the Phantom's lair as the final character on stage, discovering his discarded mask. This expanded role has made her an iconic figure in stage and film adaptations, including the 2004 movie directed by Joel Schumacher, where she embodies youthful innocence amid the Opera's gothic intrigue.

Literary origins

In Gaston Leroux's novel

Meg Giry, also referred to as "little Meg" or Marguerite Giry, is introduced in Chapter I of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera as a young member of the at the Paris Opera House, set against the backdrop of 1881 Paris. She appears among a group of ballet girls gossiping about the recent death of stagehand , whom they believe was hanged by the Opera Ghost. Described as a "little dried plum" with "eyes as black as sloes, hair as black as ink, a swarthy complexion, and a poor little skin stretched over poor little bones," Meg embodies the vulnerable, superstitious underclass of the opera's ensemble dancers. As the daughter of , the opera's box-keeper, Meg's role extends beyond dancing to serving as an intermediary for the Phantom through her family. In Chapter VII, Madame Giry is reinstated as the box-keeper for Box Five at the Phantom's explicit demand, a position from which she delivers his letters to the opera managers, highlighting the Giry family's unwitting entanglement in the ghost's schemes. When the managers attempt to replace Madame Giry with a , the latter's subsequent death during the chandelier's fall in the same chapter underscores the Phantom's protective influence over her. Meg's specific actions contribute to the novel's atmosphere of dread and mystery. In her introductory scene, she heroically restrains the prima ballerina Sorelli while exclaiming about the ghost's ugliness and warning that Buquet "would do better to hold his tongue," echoing her mother's belief that discussing the ghost invites peril. Later, in Chapter XVI, the Phantom fulfills a promise by promoting her to lead a row in the , which her mother interprets as a portent of Meg's future greatness, even prophesying she will become an empress by 1885. In the , Meg provides statements to the narrator, affirming the ghost's existence and aiding the documentation of events. By the story's , Meg has married into , becoming the Baroness de Castelot-Barbezav. Though a minor figure, Meg represents the corps de ballet's collective fear and the opera house's hierarchical vulnerabilities, her loyalty tied more to the Phantom through her family than to any central protagonists.

Character traits and role

Meg Giry is depicted in Gaston Leroux's novel as a young characterized by her fearfulness and , often reacting with alarm to tales of the Opera , as seen when she cries out in terror during discussions among the . Her curiosity and talkative nature emerge in her eagerness to share details about the and Box Five, despite initial hesitation, portraying her as lively yet somewhat naive in the face of the opera house's mysteries. These traits position her as a foil to , whose ethereal and musically gifted persona contrasts with Meg's more earthly, gossipy demeanor among the ballet ensemble. Symbolically, Meg embodies the grounded, everyday world of the "little rats" of the , representing the collective innocence and fear that permeates the working-class staff amid the Phantom's intrusions. As a member of the corps, she highlights themes of vulnerability and shared within the opera's lower echelons, serving as a conduit for rumors that underscore the tension between the mundane routines of labor and the inexplicable horrors lurking beneath. Her presence evokes the precarious innocence of young dancers navigating an environment rife with unseen threats, amplifying the novel's gothic atmosphere through the lens of ordinary fear. In terms of relationships, Meg is the devoted daughter of , the box-keeper whose protective instincts and communications with the Phantom indirectly shape Meg's prospects, such as her promotion to lead a row of dancers based on the Phantom's influence. She is an acquaintance of , sharing occasional gossip within the ballet circle, though without deeper personal involvement in Christine's central conflicts. Her ties to the Phantom remain secondary, filtered through her mother's loyalty, emphasizing Meg's role as an extension of familial allegiance rather than an independent actor. Interpretations of Meg's minor role often highlight its reflection of 19th-century class dynamics at the , where ballet girls like her, drawn from working-class and petty bourgeois backgrounds, toiled in low-status ensemble positions amid exploitation and social marginalization. This portrayal underscores the as a microcosm of Parisian society, with Meg symbolizing the ambitions and limitations of the laboring in contrast to the performers and patrons.

Stage adaptations

In The Phantom of the Opera musical

In Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, Meg Giry is portrayed as the daughter of , the ballet mistress who once rescued the Phantom from the streets and sheltered him in the opera house's underground lair, establishing a familial tie to the central antagonist. As a in the at the House, Meg serves as Christine Daaé's closest confidante, offering youthful energy through banter and gossip that provides and exposition on the opera's rumors. Meg participates actively in several ensemble numbers that advance the plot, dancing as one of the slave girls during the rehearsal and performance of "Hannibal" in Act 1, where she notices Christine's distraction amid the Phantom's sabotage. She joins the ballet corps for "Think of Me," supporting Christine's debut, and appears prominently in "The Mirror" scene, urging Christine to reveal her Angel of Music secret, which heightens the intrigue. During the title song "The Phantom of the Opera," Meg delivers the chilling line "He's here: the Phantom of the Opera," announcing his arrival and escalating the terror as he abducts Christine onstage. Throughout the narrative, Meg witnesses pivotal events, such as the chandelier's fall during "Il Muto," where her alarmed reaction amplifies the chaos, and demonstrates loyalty by defending Christine's talent to the managers when Carlotta withdraws. In the finale, she joins the mob's chase into the Phantom's lair, ultimately discovering and holding up his discarded mask after his disappearance, symbolizing the resolution of the opera house's haunting. Compared to her minor, peripheral appearances in Leroux's original 1910 —where she is merely a background girl mentioned briefly in early chapters without direct interaction with main characters—Meg's role in the musical gains greater agency and visibility, using her banter to build tension and humanize the backstage world.

In Love Never Dies

In Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2010 musical sequel Love Never Dies, set ten years after the events of The Phantom of the Opera in 1907 at Phantasma, an amusement arcade on Coney Island in New York, Meg Giry has evolved from a young ballerina into a burlesque performer under the strict management of her mother, Madame Giry. Having assisted the Phantom's escape from Paris alongside her mother, Meg now contends with profound self-image struggles and harbors unrequited romantic feelings for the Phantom, who remains oblivious to her devotion amid his obsession with Christine Daaé. This transformation underscores her exploitation within the Phantasma enterprise, where her talents are commodified to sustain the Phantom's vision. Meg features prominently in ensemble numbers early on, including "Only for You," before performing the risqué "Bathing Beauty" in Act 2, which highlights her vulnerability through revealing costumes and choreography and establishes her as Phantasma's star attraction. As Christine arrives for a promised performance—unaware it was orchestrated by the Phantom—Meg's latent jealousy toward her former friend boils over, fueled by years of perceived abandonment and overshadowed affection. This tension peaks in key confrontations, where Meg reveals the sacrifices she has made, including implied personal exploitation to fund Phantasma. She also features in the tense reprise of "Devil Take the Hindmost," amplifying the competitive stakes between the Phantom and Raoul while implicating her in the escalating drama. In the revised production's climactic finale, Meg's despair reaches a after the Phantom rejects her confession of love; distraught, she attempts with a on the , but during the struggle as the Phantom intervenes to stop her, she accidentally shoots Christine, who dies in the Phantom's arms. The original London production differed, with Meg intentionally shooting Christine out of . Through her arc, the musical delves into themes of maternal exploitation, emotional abandonment, and deteriorating , portraying Meg as a tragic figure whose has exacted a heavy toll. Critics have praised Meg's darker, more psychologically layered depiction as an expansion on her minor role in the original musical, adding depth to the narrative by exploring the long-term consequences of the Paris events. This portrayal has sparked fan discussions on its continuity with Gaston Leroux's novel, where Meg's fate is left ambiguous, with some appreciating how it humanizes her suffering while others debate the sequel's deviations from established canon.

Portrayals

Notable stage actresses

Janet Devenish originated the role of Meg Giry in the West End premiere of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 9, 1986, portraying the young ballerina with a sense of wide-eyed curiosity and innocence that highlighted her close friendship with during the production's early performances. Elisa Heinsohn assumed the role in the original Broadway production at the Majestic Theatre on January 26, 1988, delivering precise and energetic performances in the ensemble dance sequences that underscored Meg's position in the . In the long-running Broadway production during the 1990s, Dodie Pettit brought notable emotional depth to Meg's interactions with Christine, particularly in scenes exploring their bond amid the opera house's intrigues, drawing from her experience as an understudy who frequently performed the role. Heather McFadden, who played Meg across multiple stints totaling approximately nine years from the late 1990s through 2012, emphasized vocal clarity and strength in ballet-centric numbers like "The Dance of the Country Girls," enhancing the character's musical presence. Internationally, Jee Hyun Noh portrayed Meg in the World Tour production starting in 2001, adapting the role with for diverse audiences and influencing subtle adjustments in and line delivery to reflect local performance styles. Casting for Meg Giry consistently prioritizes actresses who are accomplished dancers with a light range, a trend that has progressively emphasized the character's physical agility and ensemble integration over time. The role's demands require versatility in dances such as those in "Hannibal" and "Il Muto," where performers must balance technical precision with character-driven expressiveness.

Film and other media appearances

In the 1925 silent film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Rupert Julian, the role of Meg Giry is represented by the character of a young prima ballerina, played by Carla Laemmle in an uncredited capacity. This early portrayal aligns with the novel's depiction of Meg as a member of the ballet corps, though the film condenses supporting roles and does not explicitly name her as Meg Giry in the credits. The 1989 horror film The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Dwight H. Little and starring Robert Englund as the Phantom, features Meg as Christine Daaé's friend and colleague in a dual-timeline narrative spanning modern New York and 19th-century London. Molly Shannon portrays Meg in the contemporary New York sequences, where she works as a librarian and supports Christine's discovery of a mysterious score, while Emma Rawson plays the 1880s London version of Meg, a singer at the Royal Opera House who aids Christine amid the Phantom's terror. This adaptation expands Meg's role beyond the ballet dancer archetype, emphasizing her as a managerial ally to Christine in both eras. In Joel Schumacher's 2004 adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage production, Meg Giry is portrayed by . As Madame Giry's daughter and a dancer, Meg serves as Christine's confidante, introducing her to the legend of the Opera Ghost in the opening scenes and participating in key moments like the dressing room discovery of the Phantom's presence. Ellison's performance highlights Meg's youthful curiosity and loyalty, culminating in her leading the mob to the Phantom's lair at the film's end, where she retrieves his mask. The 2012 filmed concert version of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel musical set ten years after the original events, features Sharon Millerchip as Meg Giry. In this production, recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall, Meg has evolved into a performer at the Phantom's Phantasma in , struggling with her mother's controlling ambitions and her own unfulfilled dreams. Millerchip's portrayal underscores Meg's tragic arc, portraying her descent into desperation and a climactic act of violence driven by jealousy over Christine's spotlight. Other media appearances of Meg Giry include minor roles in various television adaptations and releases, though these often omit or marginalize her character compared to the ballet-focused portrayals in the major films. For instance, the 1990 NBC miniseries with as the Phantom does not feature a distinct Meg Giry role, folding her functions into ensemble members.

References

  1. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-phantom-of-the-opera/characters/baroness-de-castelot-barbezav-little-meg-giry
  2. https://www.gradesaver.com/the-phantom-of-the-opera/study-guide/character-list
  3. https://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/news/the-ultimate-phantom-character-guide
  4. https://stageagent.com/characters/506/the-phantom-of-the-opera/meg-giry
  5. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/175/175-h/175-h.htm#chap01
  6. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/175/175-h/175-h.htm#chap07
  7. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/175/175-h/175-h.htm#chap16
  8. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/175/175-h/175-h.htm#epilogue
  9. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/175/175-h/175-h.htm
  10. https://doi.org/10.1093/fs/knac180
  11. https://copioni.corrierespettacolo.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/LLOYD%20WEBBER%20Andrew__The%20phantom%20of%20the%20opera__inglese__null__Musical__0.pdf
  12. https://www.andrewlloydwebber.com/show/love-never-dies
  13. https://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/124466410/phantom-sequel-argues-that-love-never-dies
  14. https://alwshowlicensing.com/show/love-never-dies/musical-numbers/
  15. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/mar/10/love-never-dies-review
  16. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/EXCLUSIVE-Changes-To-LOVE-NEVER-DIES-More-To-Follow-20100606
  17. https://www.theatermania.com/london-theater/news/love-never-dies_25536.html/
  18. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Theatre/LoveNeverDies
  19. https://ovrtur.com/recording/178946211
  20. https://phantompedia.fandom.com/wiki/Meg_Giry
  21. https://operafantomet.tumblr.com/post/102108516312/have-there-been-any-actress-that-have-played-both
  22. https://operafantomet.tumblr.com/post/671892293550211072/do-you-know-who-is-the-longest-running-meg-giry-in
  23. https://www.tumblr.com/operafantomet/626264090793410560/jee-hyun-noh-as-meg-giry-in-poto-world-tour-she
  24. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/11345
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098090/fullcredits/
  26. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/characters/nm0255204/
  27. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2243393/characters/nm0589553/
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100361/fullcredits/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.