Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

“CRITIC'S PICK "It remains diamond-sharp in its staging and dazzling in its visual imagination, as magical as any spell or potion...Yet there are excisions, most of them so surgical you would never notice, though I did slightly miss the beloved Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid...This new version remains ravishingly entertaining, but is also, like the movie adaptations, a more obvious attempt to cash in on Pottermania.”

“Five hours of performance pass in a wizardly wink of an eye...Everything that happens onstage seems as improbably fluid as, well, time itself. It helps that what happens includes some of the most eye-boggling illusions you’ll ever witness...The new gold standard for fantasy franchise entertainment on Broadway...This slyly manipulative production knows exactly how, and how hard, to push the tenderest spots of most people’s emotional makeups.”

“The theater has brought its own brand of wizardry to the material. Visually and aurally, the show presents a panorama of dazzling effects that draw audible gasps from the audience...The story is a brand-new one, but there are plenty of familiar pleasures...But for all its inventive stagecraft devices, the show has a plot that really works as an extension of the Potter saga...We love seeing theater that shows us the true magic of great storytelling.”

“Anyone still ready to dismiss 'The Cursed Child' as a cynical brand extension...clearly hasn't experienced the thrilling theatricality, the pulse-pounding storytelling vitality, and the unexpected emotional richness of this unmissable two-part production...It's not hyperbole to call the show sheer magic...Witnessing elevated stagecraft applied to a time-traveling fantasy story of this nature conjures a sense of wonder and excitement that evokes vintage Saturday-matinee serials.”

“5/5 stars...Despite its shrinking, 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' has kept most of its charm. The spectacular set pieces of John Tiffany’s production remain...The plotting sometimes feels more rushed than before. But the changes have the salutary effect of focusing the story on its most interesting new creations: the resentful Albus Potter (James Romney) and the unpopular Scorpius Malfoy (Brady Dalton Richards), whose bond has been reconceived in a significant way.”

“A triumph of theatrical magic...Combines grand storytelling with stagecraft on a scale heretofore unimagined...It is often suspenseful and sometimes downright frightening. Yet amid the cinematic tumult and dazzle of the densely action-packed plot, Thorne and Tiffany carve out quiet scenes of intimacy and tenderness. Great care has gone into creating each moment of this state-of-the-art adventure. It leaves its audience awestruck, spellbound, and deeply satisfied.”

“Jam-packed with breakneck plot twists, charming performances, mind-bending spectacle, and, perhaps more surprisingly, moments of theatrical whimsy that feel, amidst the high-tech sorcery, delightfully simple...It effectively weaves serious themes with bouncy adventure narrative, it’s heartfelt and sometimes a touch hokey...You’re pretty much willing to forgive its shortcomings as it sweeps you along in a rush of rip-roaring, good-natured imagination.”

“The special effects are sensational, especially if you like theatrical 'black magic'...Plays like a musical—most of the show is underscored and all of the putative song cues are self-evident—and might have been slightly more fun had it been one...To those who have never read a Potter novel or seen a Potter film, 'The Cursed Child' will make no sense at all. Everyone else should find the plot trite, though there’s always something cool to see onstage, which helps a bit.”

“This elaborate two-part, 5½ -hour stage sequel to J.K Rowling’s canonical series is like a witchy worship service for the countless consumers of every magical segue and subplot of the seven books and eight 'Harry Potter' movies...A dynamic pair of evenings replete with ahhhh-inspiring tricks and illusions...The rambling narrative is so filled with barely elucidated references to creatures and past events from the novels that you really do need, in a sense, to have been there.”

“A marvel, a shape-shifting play that effortlessly incorporates music and choreographed movement, classic storytelling and fresh perspectives...This tale of whatever happened to The Boy Who Lived feels bracingly, piercingly new...Melding intricate, spellbinding storytelling with stagecraft that brings classic illusions into line with the demands of audiences used to all sorts of convincing special effects...The play adeptly weaves together storylines and the familiar Potter characters.”

“A theatrical marvel...A technical achievement that redefines the possibilities of theatre. Strong performances and touching themes make it a worthy play, but magical showstoppers transfigure it into something else entirely...Of the many remarkable aspects...one of the strongest is the show’s disarming ability to evoke a previously untapped level of emotionality for fans...It’s an experience as singular, extraordinary, and unforgettable as seeing a boy with a lightning-shaped scar.”

“Thoroughly rewarding and accomplished, both in conception and execution...The play is a thrilling maze of adventures, yes, but it is also a moving and sophisticated exploration of the turbulent tides of adolescence...Even Potter-phobes could be seduced by both the tale itself and the production’s technical brilliance...Tiffany...ushers us through the story’s convolutions with an almost awe-inspiring fluidity. The production’s five-hour-plus expanse flashes by in what seems like half the time.”

“There are more magic wands than you can shake a stick at in the wildly theatrical and thrilling Broadway spectacle...Eye-popping enchantment regularly flies off the stage...How'd-they-do-that marveling begins instantly as students go from street clothes to capes in a twirl...As with any story, it's all in the telling. What's so wondrous is how low-tech stagecraft brings such high-definition delight as the action unfolds...The show gleams like a bolt of lightning.”

“Broadway’s never seen anything quite like it...'Cursed Child' is very much a play, and a captivating one at that...It best succeeds as a drama about a father and son trying so hard to communicate but not hearing each other...The clunky dialogue could have used some transfiguration, because Tennessee Williams, this isn’t...But nobody turns to 'Harry Potter' for Oscar Wildean wit. If you’re after escape, laughter, and a good cry, 'Cursed Child' delivers. It also boasts some strong performers.”

“It is, at once, a feast of epic theatricality in celebration of the imagination; an immersive coda to the most powerful literary brand of a generation; and a must-see, totally enveloping, thoroughly thrilling chance to experience the global power of shared storytelling at its most robust...Tiffany, Hoggett, and Jones carved out a theatrical playing space for the storytelling, something that interacts with what you have in your head and does not compete with the images of the movies.”

“While neophytes may not understand a lot of the references, there's a good amount of entertainment in the special effects, including eye-tricking costume changes, a funky time-travel effect and flying objects passing over the audience. From row P of the orchestra section of the cavernous Lyric Theatre, one might feel a bit disconnected from the characters and plot...but admittedly, that might just be the result of my unfamiliarity with the play's backstory.”

“Some of the actors stumble over their lines as they race through the first half-hour. The sailing is much smoother after that, as the performers are allowed to settle into their characters and inhabit the magical world Tiffany has created with his team of designers...The leaner, meaner version onstage at the Lyric is actually a better play that has lost nothing in terms of production value.”

“Every bit as rewarding as the original version. My lack of surprise derives from the theatrical expertise, on every level, evinced by the creators of the two-part version...Potterheads may notice where subplots have been trimmed or eliminated, but the many-tentacled narrative remains virtually the same...And the production retains virtually all of the original’s bedazzlements, from wand battles to levitating Dementors, to quicksilver character transformations.”

“It's a smart idea, playing directly to the Gen Y-ers, who grew up reading and loving the Potter books...It's hard even for Potterheads, who cheer loudly whenever a familiar name or place is mentioned, to follow what's going on. But plot is just a Maguffin for Rowling who has always been far more interested in the atmospheric setting of the world she created and the emotional connections between the people who populate it. Thorne and Tiffany remain true to that spirit.”

““An all-encompassing experience...An unforgettable theatrical journey...Thanks to Tiffany’s keen eye and a stellar creative team...’Harry Potter’ is able to maintain focus as well as a captivating emotional integrity throughout...Not a cry, rumble or cell phone was heard...instead, replaced by gasps at theatrical magic, and a roaring sound of applause at evening’s end...The triple-threat integration of stagecraft, technology, and good ole’ acting chops legitimize ‘Harry Potter’s’ Broadway arrival.””

“The physical staging...is seamless, and the emotional performances are deeply specific to each character. The cast brings these familiar characters to life in a way that does not shun what we know of them in the zeitgeist, but rather brings something new...Structurally it is a strange balance of short cinematic scenes brimming over with tepid, often predictable dialogue and the absolutely beautiful movement-heavy transition sequences. A textually weak play.”

“J.K. Rowling’s writing is masterful. Even though this play was written by Jack Thorne, it has her finger prints all over it...These are not the fancy schmancy special effect, but they are spectacular. They are simplicity itself, made of puppetry magic and lighting that tells us exactly where to look...The ensemble’s choreographed movements, clean, simple and unrelenting, give the entire production a physical urgency...Bravo, Brava, Bravastrodamus!”

“This play and production is theatrical genius with layers upon layers of cape-tastic excitement and wand-elishous magic that just keep out-doing itself, raising the bar from one moment to the next...The true beauty of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' is that everyone can enjoy and take great pleasure in Moaning Myrtle, and this story. As meticulously directed by co-creator Tiffany, no one is left behind; everyone is invited to this wondrous party as this production flies up high.”

“Those who have only the barest familiarity (or none) with the Potter books will be at a disadvantage, so it's best to go with someone who knows them…Although there are serious moments of human interest in the dramatic interactions among the play's friends and family member characters, audiences…are likely to be entranced mostly by the spectacle…While the…cast speaks the wordy dialogue precisely, the driving pace and need to reach ears in the large house…forces much of it to be shouted.”