This weekend I went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. Although I do watch a lot of shows, the new Harry Potter play was not on my radar for a number of reasons, but mostly, I’m just not that big of a fan of the series to warrant paying the hefty ticket prices. Sure I enjoyed the movies and have a general understanding of the characters and the overall plot of the series, but I never read the books. However, my sister (a true Potterhead) had an extra pair of tickets and I’m always down for new experiences, so I decided to go! Before you decide to book your tickets, here are a few things you should know before you go:
1. It’s a play, not a musical: Besides a few brief musical interludes and transitions between acts, the entire play was in spoken word. This might be good news for those of you who hate musicals, but if you’re going to Broadway for the first time, you might want to consider a more traditional Broadway show experience. But despite being a big fan of musicals, I didn’t mind the play format at all! I think it suited the show well.
2. The show is in two parts and it’s running time is almost 6 hours long: If you want to see the entire show, make sure to buy tickets for both Parts 1 and 2. If you book Part 1 for a weeknight, you’ll have to come back on another weeknight night to see Part 2. You can also the watch the full thing from start to finish on Saturdays and Sundays only, with a two hour break in between each Part. Since we traveled in from New Jersey, it made sense to do it all in one shot and make a day of it. But if you’re staying in the city, it may make sense to split it up between two days. Six hours is a long time! For us, the show started at 1pm and didn’t end until a little after 9pm!
3. The theatre is right in the heart of Times Square: This is great if you’re taking the subway because you can literally walk out the station and walk a few steps to the main entrance. This is not so convenient if you’re driving into the city, especially if you need to find parking. Traffic in this area can be crazy, and finding parking options that won’t break the bank – even worse! So allow yourself plenty of time to get there and to get yourself situated because you don’t want to risk missing a part of the show!
4. Food and drink options are limited in the theatre: Outside food/drinks are not allowed in the theatre, but keep in mind the options in the theatre are also very limited and very pricey! So if you’re on a budget, plan to eat something beforehand and save your money for all the cool and exclusive Cursed Child merchandise you can buy at the theatre!
5. A basic knowledge of the Harry Potter characters and plot lines will help: As I mentioned before, I’m not a big HP fan, but I was comfortable with the major characters and the general plot of the books/ movies. This is going to be helpful in following the plot of the play, which takes place 20 years into the future and follows the adventures of main characters: Albus (Harry Potter’s son) and Scorpios (Draco Malfoy’s son). If you don’t know the general plotline/ characters of the books/ movies, the play will be much harder to follow.
6. Leave the young kids at home. Although the Harry Potter series was originally intended for young audiences, I believe this particular show is better suited for children ages 10 & up. The length of the show alone is reason enough, but there are a few scenes (I won’t spoil them for you!) that might be a bit too spooky for the little ones!
The show is truly a one-of-a-kind experience! They really brought the magic of the Wizarding World to the stage. The amazing set design, costumes and special effects alone were worth the price of admission. The story – with all its twists and turns – was the icing on the cake. The entire show was well done and I highly recommend it for fans and non-fans alike!