'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' brings magic to the stage

It starts with a hat. A rather ordinary brown bowler hat ... floating nonchalantly in the middle of a stage.

Desperately, theatergoers’ eyes dart and squint searching for signs of a hidden string, perhaps a stick, or even a gust of wind, some sign of logistical sense of how it can possibly be hovering in the middle of nothingness. But there are no traces of earthly gravitational forces at work. Suddenly it’s on a man’s head, leading the audience to suspend disbelief, immersing themselves in a world where smoke blows out of ears, cloaks appear out of nowhere, and humans can, of course, fly. 

One thing’s certain within minutes of the show starting: Stage magic is real.

Welcome one and all, Muggles and wizards alike, to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the official sequel to the best-selling book series of all time, revisiting the beloved characters of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world 19 years after the seventh book and eighth movie.

While the title may imply required reading or movie binging before stepping into the theater, the opposite is true. This is a rip-roaring adventure zipping through time, space, and reality, but it’s firmly rooted in human emotions and family complexities that everyone can relate to without any prior knowledge of these character’s pasts. It all just happens to be sprinkled with spellbinding charm. 

‘Cursed Child’ is the best of every theater genre

When choosing a theater production to see, the first question is typically: what genre? Musicals tend to have the visual song-and-dance spectacles, while plays often have compelling storylines and performances. Dramas may pull at the heartstrings, but more lighthearted fare may induce those much-needed laughs.

The first big secret about Cursed Child: It’s all of them wrapped into one. Sure on paper, the script is a play that was published as a book in 2016. But there’s a musicality infused throughout the entire show that’s so much more than just a soundtrack.

In fact, British electro-pop star Imogen Heap’s music underscores the entire play, with sonically intricate cues that both fall into sync and create dissonance with the storyline in an undulating dramatic tone of its own. At times, the score falls into the background, subconsciously driving the emotions, while other times it bursts into the foreground, taking the lead, even using the Marxophone instrument with little hammers to enhance the tones with a magical ring. 

What that translates into visually is a musicality throughout the show. It’s showcased in the actors’ lyrical movements, from the way they move so beautifully about the stage to the mini dance numbers, almost feeling like a ballet at times. Not only does it encompass the show’s ethereal universe, but it engages a sense of wonderment that celebrates the art of live theater.

It’s enhanced with a dramatic storyline about the struggle between good and evil, spurred on by the tense relationship between Harry and his son Albus Potter. While the original series cast Harry as a hero, we come to realize that having grown up as an outcast orphan, the very Muggle role of being a father doesn't come as easily to him, since he didn't grow up with parents—and Albus feels the sting.

Despite those intense emotions, there’s also a levity folded into the script. There are moments of chuckles sprinkled throughout, from Ron Weasley's amusement over his own reality of being married to the Hermione Granger, as well as from Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius, whose very character brings a much-needed delight to the stage.

Together Cursed Child stirs up the allure of a musical, the passion of a play and the heart-wrenching stakes of a drama, all rolled up in one.

The stage production is the first of its kind

Along with that is a level of stage antics never seen before. There are embedded enhancements that will have the eyes batting up, down, and all around the theater. There are underwater sequences that come with a splash, dark evil spirits that unleash in a total spectacle, and even secret messages that can only be seen in just the right lighting. 

The wow moments defy all sense of logic, with a bewildering, mind-boggling joy that has audiences constantly asking, “How did they do that?” This is so much more than a magic show, it’s a masterclass in illusions, making human beings transform into one another, or even completely disappear, right before the audience’s eyes. 

One of the most stand-out moments is a duel between Harry and Draco Malfoy (sound familiar, Potterheads?). Not only do the lifelong frenemies lunge at one another with their wands at full force, but slow-motion movements seem to come to life right on stage as the actors flip, twirl, and contort themselves in ways that defy physics.

It’s more than a show, it’s an experience 

After making its debut on London’s West End in 2016, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child conjured itself onto Broadway, making its U.S. debut in 2018 at New York City’s Lyric Theatre. The venue has roots dating back to 1903, and underwent a $33 million renovation before welcoming in Cursed Child audiences—and the impressiveness is in the details. Case in point: the red carpeting has an “H” emblazoned throughout the theater.

That’s only the beginning. With the use of the Muggle phone device as a wand, magic gets animated. Point it at the Enchanted Ceiling and candlesticks float into the air. Take aim at the Patronus murals, and they blaze into action ... all with the click of a QR code. 

The national tour is also transfiguring itself onto two other historic theaters in American cultural hubs. Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre, which first opened in 1926, currently doubles as Hogwarts through February 1, 2025. Then the production hops on a broomstick to Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre, another iconic theater from 1930, where the show will run from February 15 to June 22, 2025.

Anywhere Cursed Child sets up as a homebase becomes more than just a venue. Stepping into the theater is like the moment young Harry Potter first stepped into Hogwarts’ Great Hall, experiencing true magic for the first time. Right there in the lobby is the Ministry of Magic’s red British phone booth, from which Muggles can actually dial into. Also enchanting: a display of banners from Hogwarts houses—Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin—so audiences can pose in front of the one they’ve been sorted into and show off their school spirit. 

In fact, the audience is so much part of the show that cosplay is welcome, with the ultimate come-as-you-are atmosphere. Couples may dress up for a night on the town, families may don their comfort wear for a night of bonding, and Potterheads may come in their house colors, whether it’s wizarding world T-shirts and accessories, a house scarf, or even head-to-toe Hogwarts cloaks. 

The on-site shop offers gear for all four Hogwarts houses, but also has a surprise of its own. No spoilers, but pay special attention to its merchandise on display as you enter the theater, and then take a look again during intermission. Also look up in the lobby for a change of atmosphere ... our lips are zipped.

Why ‘Cursed Child’ is the ultimate theatrical gem

As a Hufflepuff-Gryffindor hybrid who has been working in the Muggle world of entertainment for more than 20 years, I’ve covered numerous Harry Potter red carpet movie premieres and interviewed the wizarding world stars through the decades of the film releases. While all those starry moments celebrated the cinematic glory of the record-breaking film series, there are limitations to even the more spectacular scenes on a flat screen.

A Potter fan myself, I virtually queued up for Cursed Child tickets back in 2016, ultimately seeing it in New York City and then even flying across the pond to London to experience it on the West End. (I even packed my Hufflepuff scarf with me to the UK!) At the theater, there’s simply an extra dimension—literally!—that the films and books can’t provide. Barriers are broken and the magic envelopes you, immersing yourself in a dynamic grandeur.

The show also continues to grow. Though originally in two parts based on the 336-page book of the script, I’ve since seen the play twice more (I can’t help myself!) in its singular version, and it’s sharper and more refined. Elements of the storyline I didn’t even realize on my initial viewings have taken a forefront, making Cursed Child even more relevant and relatable today.

On top of being a Harry Potter enthusiast, I’ve long been a theatergoer, catching well into the hundreds of shows around the world from San Francisco and London to Stockholm and Vienna. Even still, I’m constantly floored every time I see Cursed Child. I know what to expect, yet I still can’t comprehend how it’s done. In particular, during its time travel scenes, the entire stage undulates like wavy rubber—a sensation that had me doubting the laws of gravity at first. Now I’m always studying every corner of the stage for a hint of how it’s done and still can’t come up with an explanation. 

With actors appearing out of bookcases and fireplaces, bending and floating in ways that don’t seem humanly possible, and even appearing out of thin air, there’s only one simple take away: Cursed Child is a theatrical spectacle that has to be seen to be believed.

Ready to go? Get your tickets to this magical show in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.