attractionsmagazine.com: Harry Potter Theatrical Productions has shortened the length of the American versions of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” The stage play began its U.S. national tour in Chicago, Ill. last month with a version 40 minutes shorter than the Broadway iteration, which itself will shorten come Nov. 12, 2024, as announced on Oct. 22.
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The recent announcement about “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” debuting a shorter version, cutting 40 minutes from its runtime, has sparked a mixture of excitement and curiosity. Originally designed as a two-part spectacle, the play has undergone significant changes over the years, now condensing into a more streamlined experience that clocks in at under three hours. This decision by the original creative team, including director John Tiffany and writer Jack Thorne, seems aimed at enhancing accessibility for a broader audience, a sentiment echoed by reviewers like Chris Jones.While the idea of trimming scenes raises questions about which elements might be sacrificed, I appreciate the effort to maintain the show's magical essence. The production's reliance on impressive practical effects has always stood out, and I hope that the edits preserve the narrative's integrity. This shift also highlights a broader trend in theater—adapting classic works to fit modern audiences’ preferences without losing their core appeal.
This is really interesting to me. The show used to be super long, like 5 or 6 hours and this is going to be the third time that the play is cut down. At the beginning of the show’s run, it was also a two part show, having to be viewed on two separate nights. I have not seen this show and I don't think I will but the effects and spectacle for the show look really, really cool. There are currently two tours of the show and on more tour will be launching on July 8th, 2025, starting it’s broadway tour in Washington DC. I think this time cut was a really good idea, because the play is still super, super long but I wonder how much vital information is being cut from all of these time adjustments. The new show will be around 3 hours with an intermission in between the acts.
I have some far off distant memory of planning to see this show in London but due to covid I didn't get to go. In that memory I remember talking to my parents about the length of the show but not the fact that it was over 5 hours. The level of commitment required to go see a show over 5 hours is insane so the fact that you can still go see it today is mind blowing. It is also incredible how much they have cut for the original show. Cutting over 2 hours of material from the show is almost half of the original run time. This level of storyline thinning is commonly seen in the entertainment industry when turning books into blockbuster movies or TV shows. Commonly people hate this level of thinning due to the cutting of scenes that they might really enjoy. But in the case of a five hour 2 night play I can understand why producers might want to cut the play's run time in half.
I thought the article about the shorter version of The Cursed Child was super interesting. I remember when this show debuted, and it was this whole thing that you went at like 2 p.m. and came back at 8 p.m. for part two because it was that long. I have never seen it and I've always wanted to because I think The Cursed Child book is honestly really great, so maybe this shortened version will finally get me to go see it. I honestly think these changes to the show will help make it a lot more accessible, which is a smart move. I also found it intriguing that the original creative team was involved in this new version, even though J.K. Rowling wasn’t mentioned. (Good she's evil) While it’s unclear which scenes were cut, I’m curious how the faster pace will affect the overall experience. I'm intrigued in general, so I'm excited to see where this goes!
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