After Christine rips off the Phantom's mask, he goes ballistic, but then literally crawls back, and she feels sorry for him and gives him his mask back. They usually have a tender moment of silence before the Phantom snaps back to the present and grabs her hand, saying, "Come, we must return! Those two fools who run my theatre will be missing you!" They have to get back because the Phantom has those plans to insert her in Il Muto. There isn't a jump in time, the show just switches to the Manager's office where they are lamenting that both sopranos have disappeared/left. Carlotta re-appears during that scene, and then Madame Giry and Meg enter and announce that Christine has returned, and she's resting. Then there is the debate on who will sing Il Muto, and they decide to have Carlotta sing it, hence "Prima Donna."
To answer your questions, they do wonder where Christine went, but they all received notes from the Phantom explaining that he has her. Of course they are all perplexed and worried, that's all dealt with in the "Notes" song in the Manager's office described above. Christine didn't give an excuse for disappearing, the Phantom explained it in a note. |
