I am thrilled to have been able to chat with Erin A. Craig, author of the recently released book, Our Strange Duet. It is inspired by The Phantom of the Opera musical by Andew Lloyd Webber and takes a closer look into Christine’s mind and life within the Opera Populaire.
Hi, Erin! What was it like to start the process of retelling such a prolific story like The Phantom of the Opera?
Oh gosh, from start to finish, this project has been a complete joy! I was so excited to learn that LW Entertainment was commissioning a series of books to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical. It was the show that first sparked my love of live theatre and ultimately made me become a stage manager. After being selected to write the young adult novel, I went straight to work, easily slipping into the world of the Opéra Populaire. Honestly, it felt a lot like a homecoming. The show had been so formative for me that returning to it just felt good!
When merging your own author voice with a story that is already out there, what are some things that you take into consideration before or while you’re writing?
During retellings, I’m always mindful of the source material. There are certain key moments that make each story uniquely its own. For Our Strange Duet, I went through the musical, scene by scene, and flagged any parts that would be difficult to achieve with the constraints that were in place. Because the book is told exclusively through Christine Daaé’s perspective, any moment that she’s not onstage, she’d have no first-hand knowledge of. Those were the parts I knew I could infuse my own voice into the story and offer readers something that they hadn’t seen before. I really loved writing the six month gap that happens between Act I and Act II. What was happening after the chandelier crashes and before the Populaire’s masked New Year’s Eve party? It was thrilling to find out!
Reading your stories, I always feel that I come out changed. In what way has writing Our Strange Duet changed you?
After I had my daughter, I put my career as a production stage manager on hiatus and became a stay at home mom. I got into writing and when House of Salt and Sorrows took off the way it did, I became a full time author. It felt as if my life had split into two acts—theatre, then writing. Being selected to bring Christine Daaé’s story into the world brought those two pieces back together in a way that feels so wonderfully full circle.
I’ve been following all of the promoting for Our Strange Duet and I am both so happy and so ENVIOUS of all of the awesome things that you’ve been doing! What has been your most memorable experience so far?
On the night of launch day, Underlined threw a massive celebration at Masquerade—the immersive Phantom of the Opera experience taking place nightly at the building which was formerly Lee’s Art Studio. We took over an entire audience group and were able to see the show, then continue the festivities down in the Phantom’s domain Readers were able to explore the rooms, have their books signed, and enjoy snacks and themed mocktails. During the show, our Christine was played by Kaley Ann Voorhees, who had been my conversation partner the night before. There was a really lovely moment when we made eye contact and it felt like the merging of the Christines. I’ll never forget it!
I’m such a big fan of your books, I can’t get away from this interview without asking: What are you working on next?!
I’ve got a couple secrets up my sleeve, but readers of psychological thriller/chillers will be very happy next fall and I’m also hard at work on the third book in the Sisters of the Salt series—we’ll be getting Lenore’s story next!
