‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ returning to Broadway as one single show
Magic will soon return to The Great White Way, as “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is set to return to Broadway as one single show, rather than its previous two-part iteration.
The announcement, which was shared on social media, revealed that performances would begin at the Lyric Theatre on Nov. 16, 2021. Tickets will go on sale to the general public starting July 12. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show’s return to North America — which also includes runs in San Francisco and Toronto, Canada — will be the new one-part show; productions returning to Melbourne, Australia, London’s West End and Hamburg, Germany will be the original two-part version.
Those who are familiar with the show will remember that its original format was a two-part experience with a total running time of about 5 hours and 15 minutes. As you can imagine, cutting a Broadway play in half essentially means that cuts to the content are guaranteed — and fans were quick to ask about this on social media. The official Twitter for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” responded with the following statement:
Our creative team has worked diligently to keep the story and key magic moments intact. All of the same plot points are there, and the same first-class stagecraft and illusions. Even at a shorter run time, the play will feel just as magical as before.
— Harry Potter and the Cursed Child NYC (@CursedChildNYC) June 28, 2021
“Given the challenges of remounting and running a two-part show in the U.S. on the scale of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ and the commercial challenges faced by the theatre and tourism industries emerging from the global shutdowns, we are excited to be able to move forward with a new version of the play that allows audiences to enjoy the complete ‘Cursed Child’ adventure in one sitting eight times a week,” said producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender in a statement.
The play is based on an original story by Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. Directed by Tiffany and written by Thorne, the play serves as an onstage sequel to the original book series.
“We are incredibly excited to be returning to the U.S. with this reimagined ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” said Tiffany and Thorne in a statement. “We’ve been working hard on this new version throughout lockdown and it’s been a joyous process of rediscovery. It has given us a unique opportunity to look at the play with fresh eyes and we have been inspired by the entire creative team every step of the way.”
To learn more about the play’s return to Broadway, visit HarryPotterThePlay.com.
What do you think of this Cursed Child news? Are you disappointed that parts of the show will be cut to fit within the new single-show format, or are you happy with the change? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
