▁ch and el ier ▁ar oused ▁controvers y , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁critic ised ▁for ▁ob struct ing ▁views ▁of ▁the ▁stage ▁by ▁pat rons ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁level ▁boxes ▁and ▁views ▁of ▁the ▁ce iling ▁painted ▁by ▁Eug ène ▁Len ep ve u . ▁G arn ier ▁had ▁anticip ated ▁these ▁dis adv antages ▁but ▁provided ▁a ▁l ively ▁defence ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁book ▁Le ▁Thé âtre : ▁" What ▁else ▁could ▁fill ▁the ▁theatre ▁with ▁such ▁joy ous ▁life ? ▁Who ▁else ▁could ▁offer ▁the ▁variety ▁of ▁forms ▁that ▁we ▁have ▁in ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁the ▁fl ames , ▁in ▁these ▁groups ▁and ▁t iers ▁of ▁points ▁of ▁light , ▁these ▁wild ▁h ues ▁of ▁gold ▁fle ck ed ▁with ▁bright ▁sp ots , ▁and ▁these ▁cry st all ine ▁highlight s ?" ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁May ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ch and el ier ' s ▁counter we ights ▁broke ▁free ▁and ▁burst ▁through ▁the ▁ce iling ▁into ▁the ▁aud itor ium , ▁killing ▁a ▁con cier ge . ▁This ▁incident ▁inspired ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁famous ▁scenes ▁in ▁Gast on ▁L er oux ' s ▁classic ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁g oth ic ▁novel ▁The ▁Ph antom ▁of ▁the ▁Opera . ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁the ▁ch and el ier ▁was ▁raised ▁up ▁through ▁the ▁ce iling ▁into ▁the ▁cup ola ▁over ▁the ▁aud itor ium ▁for ▁clean ing , ▁but ▁now ▁it ▁is ▁lower ed . ▁The