REVIEW: The Magic Lives on in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Broadway as it Summons you to a Spell-bindingly Immersive Journey

CONTENT: Carrie Er

Forget all earthly troubles as you lose yourself in the wondrous wizarding world of the Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. The much-anticipated extension of the fantasy universe in the critically acclaimed film franchise continues to deliver an impeccable performance to its legions of fans from across the world.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany, the spellbinding musical is poised to take you aboard the Hogwarts Express for a temptetuous adventure. One can expect an immersive production that comes replete with twists and turns set against the backdrop of spectacular stages filled with grandiose and a dash of magic, quite literally.

Unravel the Reimagined and Immersive Wizarding World of Hogwarts
Potterheads would be hard-pressed to miss this play with a captivating and coming-of-age story of Harry’s precocious son. 19 years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world, all sights have now landed on Albus Severus Potter, Harry’s son as they watched their children board the Hogwarts Express.

(L-R) James Romney as Albus Potter and Brady Dalton Richards as Scorpius Malfoy.
Photo by Matthew Murphy.

While a brand new generation has now matriculated into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the stakes would nonetheless be higher. Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Granger-Weasley would certainly have big shoes to fill in, given their parents’ reputation within the wizarding world. Even so, it did not stop them from having fun and forging lasting, life-changing friendship that was similarly witnessed between their parents.

(L-R) Lauren Nicole Cipoletti as Delphi, Brady Dalton Richards as Scorpius Malfoy and James Romney as Albus Potter. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Although the entire play lasted for three hours and a half (punctuated with an intermission), the tempo was perfect with a myriad of song and dance arrangements keeping the musical light-hearted in between emotionally charged moments. Not forgetting some comedic scenes, we found ourselves tickled pink by the brotherly chemistry and unorthodox dynamics between Albus and Scorpius (much to Harry’s dismay given his history with Draco Malfoy).

Coming-of-age Story Centered on Albus Severus Potter
As the time in Hogwarts passed, Albus Potter found himself at a crossroads: to continue living in his father’s shadows or prove himself. Albus’ increasingly pent-up frustration of not being recognised for himself; but rather for his dad being the ‘Chosen One’, finally got to him.

Even at a young age, he felt immense pressure to live up to outsiders’ expectations given his father’s illustrious history. This was further exacerbated when communication between him and Harry broke down as Albus became more outcasted in school.

Brady Dalton Richards as Scorpius Malfoy with the Dementors. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Ultimately, it led him down a path where he unwittingly embroiled himself alongside Scorpius in a dark battle. As the plot thickened, we were kept at the edge of our seats, fretting over the wizarding world as its future hung in the balance.

Despite the odds stacked against him, he managed to stop the dark forces and Dementors in time, before time-travel altered the sequence of events dramatically and for good. While Albus Potter encountered a close brush with death, the near-death experience eventually brought him closer to his father and helped mend the strained relationship.

(L-R) David Abeles as Ron Weasley, Jenny Jules as Hermione Granger and Nadia Brown as Rose Granger-Weasley. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

The Triumph of Good over Evil in the Wizarding World
Much like the previous films in the Harry Potter franchise, the musical stayed true to the running theme of the triumph of good over evil. The epilogue was also poignant for it reminded us that even in the magical world, there was no spell or easy way out to attain goodness, whether is it in one’s nature or character; and in one’s familial relations.

In essence, the transition of a Harry Potter production from film to musical was seamless. Might we dare say, it was even better than watching our favourite childhood movie on a screen. It was truly where the magical adventure came alive with the mind-blowing special effects and a stellar act put up by the cast through-and-through.

Presented by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is an immersive play accompanied with the magic-invoking and mystical score by Imogen Heap, a Grammy-Award winner; and of course not forgetting, the hallmark ‘magical’ effects.

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