Hello, this is Mizuki from the At Broadway team.
We were invited to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, so I’m sharing this report together with my colleague Fujiki. Because the production was presented in two parts at the time, our review is split into two pages.
I’m a longtime fan, while Fujiki isn’t as deep into the series and didn’t remember every detail of the eight films. Even so, by the end of Part One we were both exhilarated. We have seen many shows, but this one truly felt world-class, and we could not wait for Part Two the next day.
It is hard to capture just how extraordinary it is, but here is our careful report.
Starting with the 2021 season, the Broadway production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” switched to a one-part format. This review covers the earlier two-part version.
Table of Contents
About Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
This play continues from the end of the original saga, opening with Harry, Ron, and Hermione sending their children off to Hogwarts at the station. It might sound like a piece made only for fans, yet in its first run in the United Kingdom it received top recognition, including the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, and was celebrated as a powerful work of theater in its own right.
More than a year after its Broadway debut in April 2018, discounted tickets finally became available. Having seen it, I can recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone visiting New York.
For a synopsis, highlights, and character guide, please see our detailed show page.
Fueling up at Shake Shack before the show
Shake Shack is a staple in local guidebooks, and it is almost always listed on the burger pages.
Now playing at the Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre
Because of the high ceiling and installed rigging, past productions like Spider-Man and Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour featured performers flying over the audience.
Address: 213 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036
For the seating chart and venue specifics, see our dedicated theater page.
Look up above the Lyric
At the 43rd Street entrance, a giant pair of wings spreads across the facade. It is a great photo spot, but there is another detail not to miss: a sculpture on the rooftop. Inside a round, nest-like frame sits a small figure with knees drawn up.
Is this the “cursed child” of the title, or someone else entirely? Actually, whose child is that cursed child in the first place…?
Anyhow, the design heightens the excitement before you even step inside. If you are attending, be sure to snap a photo with the monument as your backdrop.
Inside the theater, transformed for Harry Potter
One reason to see Cursed Child in New York is the Lyric Theatre itself.
For this production, the venue underwent a major renovation, so the exterior, lobby, and stage have been fully reimagined for the wizarding world.
We later learned the renovation cost was about $35 million. While Broadway houses are often updated between shows, the usual figure is closer to one tenth of that, which shows how much care and investment went into the details. Here is what stood out.
State-of-the-art security gates
You do not need to remove belts or shoes, but empty your pockets. Keys, phones, coins, and wallets should go into your bag beforehand to keep the line moving.
A central lobby that feels like a Hogwarts common room
The design is unified from pillars to lighting. Look up and you will see an artwork that blends a moon motif with a compass, which was tweaked for this production.
This is where guests first gather and it is one of the most substantially renovated spaces. The warm palette and slightly old-world details give it the feeling of a Hogwarts common room.
From here you will find merchandise areas, restrooms, the coat check, and routes to the seating levels. Although the house is large, staff members will gladly direct you to your section.
| Basement: | Restrooms |
|---|---|
| First floor: | Auditorium, central lobby, two bar counters, coat check, two merchandise areas |
| Second floor: | Auditorium, bar counter, merchandise area |
| Third floor: | Auditorium |
For fans: a wall of patronus silhouettes
They depict the Patronus charms of characters from the stories, including a stag for Harry and an otter for Hermione. Without revealing much, the Patronus spell appears onstage as well.
Bar counters on multiple levels
The theater has two bar counters on the first floor and one on the second.
We noticed popcorn like you would see at a cinema and charming vintage-style bottled sodas. Plenty of people paired them together.
*Click images to enlarge
Pick up Broadway-exclusive Harry Potter merchandise
Under the sign marked GIFT SHOP, we found what has to be one of Broadway’s largest merchandise corridors. The passage from the 42nd Street doors to the central lobby is about twenty meters, and both sides are filled end to end with items.
The wands are impressively crafted, with real heft and texture, so the $65 price felt reasonable. There are also plush owls and feather pens.
My personal favorites were the house-patterned scarves and knit caps, perfect for cheering as students do during Quidditch matches.
*Click images to enlarge
A look at the auditorium
About twenty minutes before curtain, the doors to the seating areas opened. Passing through two entrances, we were met by a space far larger than expected.
The seats and carpeting look new and pristine, which gives the impression of a modern cinema rather than an old playhouse. The ceiling is extraordinarily high. Above the third level there is even more open space, which explains the aerial effects the theater can support.
Without giving too much away again, the production uses many special effects. Since the broad stage picture matters, seats that are not too close to the front can actually be an advantage.
Our seats for Part One
How to read “ORCHO K 5”
Row K (the 11th row from the front), seat 5 (third in from the aisle)
Being three seats from the aisle, the angle was comfortable and the view was clear. The only challenge was that a very tall guest sat in front of Fujiki, so a slight head tilt was needed, which is simply luck of the draw.
As a continuation of the films, the play begins where the last scene leaves off, and the set evokes the famous Platform 9. The clock at center stage becomes important to the story, so keep an eye on it.
Important: stage-door greetings happen after Part Two only
At many shows, audiences line up for the stage door after the performance. For Cursed Child, the cast greet fans only after Part Two. If you wait after Part One, it won’t pay off at all.
Because the production is designed to play both parts in sequence, the cast conserve energy by skipping stage-door time after Part One. Our experience at the stage door is covered in the “Part Two” report linked at the bottom of the page.
Impressions after seeing part one
Beyond the transformed theater itself, the next reason to see Cursed Child in New York is the astonishing quality of the stagecraft. It truly feels like a world-leading production.
One eye-catching effect after another
That cinematic sensation where the image seems to warp and pull you in actually happens live. More than once we found ourselves taking a double or triple look. The massive control decks at the rear of the orchestra make perfect sense.
Polyjuice Potion also appears. The transformation happens so quickly before your eyes that it feels like true sorcery, just as in the films.
A reminder of J. K. Rowling’s extraordinary planning
I had not read a synopsis of this episode in advance, so the frequent returns to the past let me enjoy how earlier events intertwine with this new chapter. It made me appreciate how much groundwork the author laid from the very beginning.
Like the web of payoffs in the record-breaking superhero finale “Avengers: Endgame,” relationships and objects from across the series converge here. By the end of Part One, I felt genuine awe and could not wait for Part Two.
Overcoming the language barrier
In the conversation with our staff Fujiki on the way home after Part One, I realized something important.
Because this is a play rather than a musical, it relies heavily on spoken English. Without songs to carry emotion or clarify plot, language can feel like a hurdle especially for non-English speakers.
Even so, Fujiki and I agreed that, whether or not you know the original works, it is an experience we strongly encourage you to have.
Our separate “Part Two” report continues the story, covers the stage door, and shares discount tips. Once you finish this page, be sure to read the Part Two write-up as well.
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