Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

The contents in this critique do not contain specific details that could spoil the show for those who plan to see it; however, it should compel you to go online and buy yourself a ticket. If not, then I’m not sure what’s wrong with you. You may want to consider consulting your doctor about that. After all, I’m only a writer. I’m not qualified to give medical advice, but you’re clearly crying out for help.

If you have seen the play before, I’d love to discuss your point of view and whether or not you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments section. I also welcome the haters who refuse to see it at all to explain why. Who hurt you?

Now that that’s out of the way, imagine that I am waving my magic wand and every light in the room suddenly goes out. Fear creeps up but soon evaporates when the lights turn back on. An ethereal energy that brings a comforting feeling of familiarity and peace lingers in the air. This is what it felt like to sit in my seat on the balcony.

From the second I stepped my size seven foot inside of Lyric Theatre, Hogwarts came alive. The experience itself leading up to the opening scene was awesome; it was like I had finally received my letter to attend the school. The young child inside of me was immediately drawn into J.K. Rolling’s magical world.

I snuck a picture with my phone right before powering it off to capture my view of the stage. I take theatre etiquette very seriously. I cannot stand when people break my concentration with the sound of their devices. This is directed at the lady who’s phone rang towards the end of the first act.

Look, I did mention this review could be biased. I’ll try my best to be as unbiased as I can, but Harry Potter is one of the greatest series ever written. To watch it live on broadway was a dream come true. I’m still processing the level of genius that I witnessed.

Harry Potter is being played by Steve Haggard. His acting was incredible and believable, considering he has big shoes to fill. I genuinely bought that he was Harry. I did question if he was a good fit for the role in the beginning, but I was sold that he was a perfect match by the end of the play.

Erik Christopher Peterson, the actor playing Scorpius Malfoy, brought forth a relatable personality and anxiousness that captured everyone’s attention during the entire performance.

There were unexpected moments of laughter and heartache that felt so real between the characters.

The assistance of the special effects, set design, and movements made Harry Potter and the Cursed Child a must see. I know it took months of rehearsing, building, and planning, but they made it look so effortless.

The effects intensified the danger and bridged the separation between the actors on stage and the audience. They pulled off people flying and floating objects in a way that was so convincing. A part of me really wanted to believe it was truly magic. The set designer and movement director really did a fabulous job making the show flow smoothly.

Movement Director: The person that helps actors tell the story using their body language, breaths, and movements. It is quite similar to a choreographer.

Plays can easily lose my focus when switching to another scenario, but the transitions were so well done. It should be noted that the scene changes were very fluid. There was not a time that I questioned the believability of the story.

Lastly, Harry’s son, Albus, is my least favorite part about the show. His character is a brat that doesn’t appreciate his father until he needs him to save his ass. He’s definitely a cursed child. I mean no disrespect to the actor that is playing Albus. It’s not his fault that his character’s traits lack likability. Despite disliking Albus, I had a good time, and I would pay to see it again.