Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, one of the best Broadway shows you need to see, has made a dramatic comeback to Broadway after an absence of 18 months. The previously two-part epic is now a single show, albeit a lengthy one, as if it had cast a Shrinking Charm on itself: With a complicated time-travel plot involving the sons of Harry Potter and his childhood enemy Draco Malfoy, this nearly three and a half hour stage production of stage magic is set 20 years after the conclusion of J.K. Rowling's seven-part book series.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has retained the majority of its charm despite getting smaller. The magnificent set pieces from John Tiffany's production are still present—the underwater swimming scene, the staircase ballet, and the stunning flying wraiths—but about a third of the original text has been cut. While some of the changes are minor surgical adjustments, others are more significant. The cuts primarily affect the older characters (Harry's flashback nightmares, for instance, are entirely gone); the conflicts between the fathers and sons have less nuance, and the plotting occasionally feels more hurried than before.
The story is now centered on the most intriguing new characters, including the resentful Albus Potter (James Romney) and the unpopular Scorpius Malfoy (Brady Dalton Richards), whose relationship has been significantly rethought. In the revised version, it's a more or less explicit romance; in the original play, it was merely a hint that their relationship might go beyond friendship. What was previously hidden has come to light, and the show is now more brilliant as a result.
- Ratings: 5.0/5
- Website: https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/
- Theater: Lyric Theater
- Ticket Price: $148-$383
