‘Potter’ stage show surprises even detractors
LOS ANGELES: The stage version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has surprised even detractors with its skilful use of illusions.
Every bit has been spellbinding as promised.
The eighth story in J.K. Rowling’s blockbuster fantasy saga of wizards struggling to keep peace in a world vulnerable to dark forces has arrived on Broadway destined to repeat its spectacular London success.
Back when it was first announced, plenty of observers rolled their eyes at the idea of a play that would continue J.K. Rowling’s globally popular wizardry saga, a series of books that single-handedly turned entire generations on to the joys of reading imaginative fiction.
But anyone still ready to dismiss Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as a cynical brand extension, or a theme-park ride on stage, clearly hasn’t experienced the thrilling theatricality, the pulse-pounding storytelling vitality and the unexpected emotional richness of this unmissable two-part production.
The ecstatic hype that accompanies the smash London import to Broadway is amply justified, and then some.
Playwright Jack Thorne, director John Tiffany and his indispensable movement collaborator Steven Hoggett achieve the near impossible: They mount a persuasive case that this story we all know from novels and/or movies only now has found its nonpareil medium. The two plays have a combined running time of almost fiveanda-half suspenseful hours. And when you get a load of the illusions pulled off right before your eyes — mostly with oldfashioned sleight- of-hand and crafty lighting; only occasionally with more elaborate technotrickery — it’s not hyperbole to call the show sheer magic.
Some of the genuine awe factor of movies has been lost in the digital age; CGI now makes anything possible. But witnessing elevated stagecraft applied to a time-travelling fantasy story of this nature conjures a sense of wonder and excitement that evokes vintage Saturday-matinee serials. Naturally, the storytelling is more sophisticated here and the acting infinitely superior, but the edge- of-the-seat participation is the same, the shared escapism of a packed theatre gasping in unison, fuelled by the writers’ knowing use of cliffhangers at the end of all but the final act. The first of those is anticipatory — a character voicing a simple conclusion we’ve already reached by ourselves: “This is going to be good.” The next two are terrifying.
The production is the most expensive non-musical ever mounted on Broadway, with a reported capitalisation of US$ 35.5 million.
Formerly a show-killing barn, the theatre has reduced its capacity by more than 250 seats down to 1,622, installing a new vaulted ceiling and boxes.
Is it strictly for Potterheads? Not at all, though anyone going in cold, with no prior knowledge of the stories, will miss much of the clever cross-referencing of characters and events from throughout the series.
A detailed recap starting with the key prophecy that propelled the entire saga and continuing with a breakdown of each of the seven novels is provided in the program and will be helpful to the uninitiated. But there’s also a universal dimension to the human drama here — the challenges of parenting, the conflict between fathers and teenage sons burdened by intimidating legacies, the sustaining force of love and friendship, the eternal grip of the past — that will prove poignant and meaningful even to audiences unversed in the wizarding wars.