**** Highly Recommended Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is phenomenal! Really, I’m not exaggerating. Harry Potter is wizardly and action-packed. The special effects are awesome, in fact, mindboggling. It’s a true continuation to J.K. Rowlings’ original series, AND it’s not a musical. It’s a tad long at nearly three hours, but you’ll never notice while you’re watching! I loved this show! 4 BIG Spotlights
There was a family sitting behind me, with a boy who looked to be about 8, wearing a Hogwarts robe. He told me he REALLY liked the play. His father said that was high praise coming from him! My friend Crista was impressed because they got Mourning Myrtle (Mackenzie Lesser-Roy) – the ghost in the fountain in the 2nd floor women’s bathroom – exactly right.
It’s nineteen years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world and things have been fairly normal – for wizards – that is. Harry Potter (John Skelley), now the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic, is married to Ginny (Trish Lindstrom), sports page editor of the Daily Prophet and they have a son, Albus (Emmet Smith). Ron Weasley (Matt Mueller), who runs Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley with his brother George, married Hermione Granger (Ebony Blake), now the Minister for Magic. They have a daughter, Rose Granger-Weasley (Naiya Vanessa McCalla).
The railway station is bustling, especially around track 9 ½, with families sending their offspring to Hogwarts. On the train, Albus sits with Scorpius Malfoy (Aidan Close), son of Harry Potter’s rival Draco Malfoy (Benjamin Thys). Once at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat (Kaleb Alexander) – which is very cleverly done – sends Rose to Gryffindor while the boys are sorted to Slytherin.
Albus and Scorpius become best friends, in spite of their fathers. They are both bullied at Hogwarts – because Albus isn’t living up to his parents’ example, and Scorpius is rumored to be the son of Voldemort.
Meanwhile Harry goes to visit Amos Diggery (Larry Yando) who demands that Harry use the Time-Turner to stop his son Cedric’s death. When Harry refuses, Diggery’s niece, Delphi (Julia Nightingale), pushes the angry old man’s wheelchair away. Albus happened to overhear them and persuades Scorpius to help him bring Cedric back.
With Delphi Diggery’s help they get into the Ministry of Magic, steal the Time-Turner and go back to the Triwizard Tournament which caused Cedric’s death. By the way, there’s a huge clock at the top of the set. Whenever they go back in time, the hands on that clock go backward and the set seems to shimmer. Because they failed, Hermione and Ron didn’t fall in love and – you guessed it – Rose doesn’t exist and Albus is in Gryffindor.
Meanwhile, Harry’s having dreams about Voldemort (athan Hosner). After he’s warned about a dark cloud over Albus, he tries to separate the boys at Hogwarts. When he gives Albus his baby blanket – his most beloved possession because it’s the only thing he has that belonged to his dead mother – Albus throws it back and they have a huge fight and say unforgiveable things. Meanwhile, Dumbledore (Larry Yando), who appears in a mirror in Harry’s office, often offers a cryptic comment about the future.
Additional characters: Polly Clapman (Julianna Auston); Yann Fredericks (David Fine); Madam Hooch (Alexis Gordon); Cedric Diggery/James Potter Jr./James Potter Sr. (Caleb Hafen); Voice of Phone Box/Voice of Bookcase (Chris Jarman); Professor Mazoni (Torston Johnson); Professor McGonigall/Professor Unbridge (Katherine Leask); Mourning Myrtle/Lily Potter, Sr. (Mackenzie Lesser-Roy); Young Hermione (Naiya Vanessa McCalla); Viktor Krum (Zach Norton); Teacher (Travis Patton); Trolley Witch (Maren Searle); Craig Bowker, Jr. (Timmy Thompson); Voice of Ludo Bagman (Paul Thornley); Station Master (René Thornton, Jr.); and Severus Snape (Larry Yando).
Also appearing: Markcus Blair,, Casey Butler, Erin Chupinsky, Reese Sebastian Diaz, Simon Gagnon, Lauryn Hayes, Markelle Leigh, Evan Maltby, Ayla Stackhouse, Jennifer Thiessen and Kristin Yancy.
Once again a Broadway national tour launches in Chicago. This time it’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child based on a new story by Rowlings, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, with the play written by Jack Thorne. The play, which has sold more than 10 million tickets worldwide, premiered in London in 2016, on Broadway in 2017. It won nine Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Play and six Tony Awards including Best Play.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child runs through February 1st at Broadway in Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 West Randolph Street, Chicago. Best parking option SpotHero found is the Government Center Garage, $20.
Running time is 2 hours, 50 minutes, with an intermission. Performances are Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, Wednesdays at 1:00 & 7:00 pm; Thursdays at 7:00 pm; Fridays at 7:00 pm; Saturdays at 1:00 & 7:00 pm; Sundays at 1:00 pm. There will be no performance on November 28th, Thanksgiving; December 25th, Christmas; or January 1st, New Year’s Day. There will not be a 7:00 pm performance on December 24th or 30th. There will be an additional 1:00 pm matinee on Friday, November 29th, December 26th and January 2nd.
Tickets range from $49.00 to $193.00. There are a limited number of $40 lottery seats available for each performance. FYI www.BroadwayInChicago.com