About the Story
Opera Cats is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, replacing the main cast with cats. This story is a passion project, something written for fun and nothing more. The Phantom of the Opera is my favorite story, and I’ve always enjoyed imagining scenarios with characters as different animals.
The Shelley Opera House does not exist. Rather, I pieced together different styles and looks from actual opera buildings (such as the Detroit Opera House, the Ohio Theatre, the Opera House on High Street, Connaught Theatre, and other unnamed or unspecified buildings).
The choice for cats was a simple one; cats are extremely versatile. It wouldn’t seem odd for an opera singer to own a cat, or for alley cats to sneak into a building or climb to the roof to partake in cat shenanigans. The variety of breeds also lends itself to interesting character designs, something I’m extremely passionate about in my stories. Some of the cat breeds might not have existed in the 1920s or may not have been introduced to the United States in the 1920s, but for the sake of creativity, I’ve taken…well, creative liberties. I had certain images of what the cats looked like and scoured the internet for images of the breeds I envisioned, and chose the cats that embodied my characters the best.
I hope you enjoy my take on The Phantom of the Opera. It is my wish that Opera Cats will be a welcome addition to any Phantom story collection. In my opinion, we can always use more Phantom stories of any kind, in whatever medium they come in! Thank you for taking the time to read my preface and thank you for joining Roxanne on her journey in the mysterious Shelley Opera House. Happy reading!
About the Author
Hello! My name is Katelyn D., and I’m the author of Opera Cats. The Phantom of the Opera is one of my top favorite stories, and I am excited to share my adaptation with you! I still remember when I saw the book at Half Price Books; I knew nothing of the story other than it took place in an opera house. My mom always wanted to see the play, and my aunt had seen it, so I thought, “Heck. I’ll check it out.”
I absolutely loved it.
After reading the book, I was curious to watch a film adaptation. I scoured the internet for a free version (all the while hoping whatever movie was available wouldn’t ruin the story for me). It didn’t take long to find the 1990 adaptation, and I immediately loved it as much as I did the book.
Since then I’ve made it my endeavor to watch as many film adaptations as possible, and collect as many books I can find (I’m a sucker for owning different books of the same story).
It took me several years to convince myself to write my own version of my favorite book. I wanted to do the story justice and write something enjoyable for others to read, and I believe I have done that.
My twin sister’s amazing artwork breathes life into the story, and I hope you enjoy her creation as well.
For those interested, my favorite film adaptations are the 1943 Phantom of the Opera, the 1989 The Phantom of the Opera, the 1990 The Phantom of the Opera, and the 1974 Phantom of the Paradise.
Katelyn D.'s other sites:
About the Artist
What could be better than combining three things I love--cats, Phantom of the Opera, and art--and working with my sister to bring her story to life? Very little. My sister and I used to create stories all the time together while growing up, and like it was back then, it's still one of my favorite things to do with her.
I've always had a love for cats (and was a Warrior Cats fan growing up), so all that time spent drawing Warrior Cats wound up proving beneficial after all!
Katelyn was the one who got me hooked on Phantom of the Opera, and I've loved and enjoyed the story ever since.
I'm honored to be the one to get to spend time with her characters and breathe life into them, and I hope I've given her story the justice it deserves.
TheGroovyFeline's other sites: