Friday, December 02, 2016
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will move into Broadway in 2018 with a unique new look
The Verge: Ever since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened on London’s West End, US fans have wondered when the show would make the jump across the Atlantic. We finally know where it will run, and have a general idea of when.
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I’m excited to hear that The Cursed Child will be making its way over to us here in the United States. I’m sure it will be largely successful, although the article’s comparison to Hamilton is a little weak I’d say. I’m interested to see how they re-imagine it when the production moves over. It’s going to be difficult, because between the movies and what we’ve seen of the London production, I’m sure audiences will have a very specific vision in their heads. Not to mention that the design has to do justice to 15 years of multi-platform cannon and compete with audience member’s childhood imaginings of the wizarding world. I wonder how, as a designer, or just as a production team as a whole, how one deals with so many expectations. Even with JK Rowling’s script, you still have to acknowledge people won’t like your interpretation. It’s going to be an interesting production, and I can’t wait to see it.
I’ll always remember what Cameron Mackintosh said in an interview with a Broadway documentary. He talks about the logistics of opening a large theatrical show and the expenses that go along with it. In particular, he discusses how only a fool would premiere a show on Broadway. What he is pointing out is the sheer cost that goes along with premiering and opening a show in New York City, compared to the West End or similar smaller city. And I think that the subtitle on this article hits the nail on the head. “Harry Potter” is going to give “Hamilton” some competition. One of the main reasons of this is that they will be pulling from very similar demographics. It will be elite liberals who will be able to afford the expensive seats and want to get on board, however there will be a very dedicated young fan base that will enter the lottery and buy tickets for shows in the distant future. I think that if we are to see the next “Hamilton” or “Harry Potter”, they will need to have those two key demographics.
While I understand the not every move or reboot of a show can accommodate such changes in design, I am glad this option is being pursued here. Rather than maintaining a perfect, crystalline image of the first incarnation of the play I am glad to see this movement toward experimentation and adaptation, especially in such a large, and publicly prominent show. It will be interesting to see how this show transplants, and how it affects the already vibrant phalanx of Broadway shows that it will be surrounded by. It will also be interesting to gauge audience draw over time. I am sure this play will be quite successful for a while to come, but once the rabid fan-driven audience sees the show once, what will happen? This does not carry with it the convenience of the movies or the books, which can be revisited at little to no cost. I worry for the true longevity of this play.
I am definitely intrigued about this show. I am an avid fan of the book series, but I am still wary about this show overall. I read the script when it came out and wasn't really a fan. I know that many other fans of the books feel the same way, which could cut down on some of the expected audience.I am hopeful that the actual production of it is better. I am glad that they are also changing the design of the show. As sophomore DP’s have learned throughout this past semester, each iteration of a thing makes it only get better, and sometimes to get to the next iteration, it is best to scrap your original idea. The one thing in this article that I don’t agree with is it’s comparison to Hamilton. I think that Cursed Child might provide some competition in 2018, as Hamilton will have been running for 3 years, but knowing Hamilton, it is already sold out until 2020. Overall, I am excited for Cursed Child to open on Broadway, but a bit skeptical with how successful it will actually be.
Personally, I'm very excited to hear that "The Harry Potter Play" is coming to Broadway. I will be very excited to see it. I honestly thought that I would never see the day that two of my favorite things are mashed up into one, yet here I am, at a mere 22 years old. The thing is though, I wonder how long this show is going to run. Yes, it has the franchise to back it up, and it certainly has the theatrical credentials, but the script isn't as strong as it could have been. It feels rushed and not Rowling's style and I wonder how that will affect audiences. Will it run for years? I mean, Lion King is. But it's not the same format as the other Harry Potter mediums. You can reread the books and rewatch the movies to your hearts content, but you can't rewatch a play (without thousands of dollars). I also agree with Amanda; they have the opportunity to learn from their previous design and revise it for Broadway. Why not take it? I also hope that they keep the role of Hermione played by a black actress, because that was one of the most important pieces of that production, and also one of the best interpretations of Hermione there's been so far.
I'm really interested to see how this production will change when it comes to the United States. I think that it's little early to say that this show will be competition for Hamilton, as British audiences and American audiences are completely different. However, with the release of the new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series interested in the world of Harry Potter has been revitalized. Personally I'm not sure whether or not I'll try to go and get tickets to the play. I was one of the kids who read each of the books at lightning speed and went to the midnight premieres of the last few movies, but I still haven't gotten around to reading the play. It seems to me that Rowling is trying to drag out the life of the series for as long as possible, and I'm worried about what that will do to the reputation of the original books. Perhaps my mind will change about this by the time the play arrives here in 2018, but as of right now I wish that the series would have ended after book seven.
To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what this play is about, but I am definitely familiar with the Harry Potter series. The article makes it seem like the show is getting partially or completely redesigned for its run on Broadway. I wonder if this is because the producers think that the tastes of American citizens are different enough from those of British citizens to negatively affect the reception of the show. Or, maybe they just want to distinguish the two different runs of the show visually. Either way, I hope we can look forward to lots of fun magic on stage. I agree with the author in that Harry Potter will give Hamilton some competition. Hopefully, this means that tickets to both of these shows won't be astronomically priced come 2018. I also agree with Amanda in that this show might not last too long on Broadway. I'm not sure that this show will target older members of the theater-going community, which might mean a shorter run.
Designing anything Harry Potter related would honestly be both a dream and a nightmare for me. As a long-time fan of the books, and a fan of the aesthetic associated with the Harry Potter movies, book jackets, and amusement park designing a Harry Potter play would be a bit of a dream come true for me in that regard. Of course, potentially doing battle with such a passionate fan base over my design choices does not sound like fun.
All that aside, Broadway 2018 already looks like a doozy. With commercial juggernauts popping up left and right, and the $50 million worth of ticket sales from the West End version of this play creating some serious buzz about the potential financial success of this new production, I'm looking forward to this play, but also looking forward to seeing this redesign. While design renderings and concept drawings have yet to show up (this article is devoid of in-depth graphics, much to my chagrin) I will be following this story to observe these design differences, even if it means making the trek to Broadway and droppin a little rent money on a ticket.
This is so exciting! Anyone who knows me knows that I love Harry Potter. And I obviously love theatre. So it's a good mix. I did read the play when it was published over the summer and honestly, I did not think it was very good (entertaining, but not good). However, there is a distinct difference between reading a play and seeing it onstage. From what I hear, the production in London is absolutely fantastic. I am interested to hear more about what kind of aesthetic changes the play will make when it moves to Broadway. Is it becoming more "American"? It seems with much of JKR's work there is someone ready to "translate" it into American culture, as though we can't handle anything different from what we usually see. It is possible though that the scenic designer (since she is still on the Broadway production) is simply playing with a different interpretation of the script based on how it has developed in London, which I would be very interested in. Either way, I will be excited to see it when it arrives.
I’m sure that hundreds of thousands of people are extremely thrilled that the new theatrical addition to the magical world of witchcraft and wizardry- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child- will be coming to the United States on Broadway none-the-less. I am a little skeptical of the quality and crowd that will be coming to see the show. I have the utmost respect for J.K. Rowling and the work that she produces. The same thing happened when it was announced that Disney was coming to Broadway in the 1990’s. People thought that an evening at the theatre would just turn into a tourist trap rather than something people could enjoy in passing. Though times square is nothing short of a tourist trap, I think that bringing this production here is going to make that crowd even bigger. Don’t get me wrong, I am a vivid fan of the Harry Potter series- both the books and movies. I waited at bookstores for the releases of the novels all night. I just home the constant additions don’t cheapen the series.
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