“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” ( Broadway’s Lyric Theatre) Reviewed by Frank Meccia

When is too much for a Broadway play? At what point do investors worry? This week I finally
got to return to New York and see some Broadway Shows, Now is the time to go, for the next 6
weeks NYC will be hosting Theatre Week, Hotel Week and Restaurant Week. Has the city
recovered from the pandemic ?I can say no !

But with less crowds, it is easier to get a seat for a
good meal, or a decent price for a theatre ticket, and hotels are back to a reasonable cost.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened on Broadway in 2018, winning 8 Tony Awards to
include Best Play, yes, this is not a musical. Because of Covid, when it reopened in 2021, they
went from 2 parts to just one 4-hour show. Trust me, you will not realize it, the seats are new,
and because they removed 400 seats you have plenty of leg room compared to other theatres.
The theatre is new in terms, it was built in 1998, but it’s a combination of two theatres, the old
Apollo and the Lyric, to create the new one. When you look at the inside architect you realize
they kept the beauty of both. Even thou this theatre was less than 20 years old, they still had to
spend $33 million for renovations and to create a new entrance on the other street. The cost of
this production minus renovations, $98 million dollars, the most ever, and Spiderman the musical
was $75 million and became a flop. But it does have the highest record for weekly ticket sales at
$2.5 MILLION.
I can honestly say, they will not be having a Broadway tour. If they did, it would be so scaled
back you would lose the magic, the feel, the experience of what Harry Potter is. I am not a Harry
Potter fanatic, I have only seen maybe 3 of the movies, and read only one book. But enough that
I was able to know who the majority of the characters were. The play takes place 19 years after
the final story and Harry gets married to Ginny, and Ron and Hermione watch as their children
board the Hogwarts Express. Steve Haggard plays Harry Potter, and here is one of your Chicago
Twists. Steve went to DePaul University, and acted at Steppenwolf, Red Orchid, and Chicago
Shakespeare Theatre. Joel Meyers, who plays Albus Potter, went to Columbia University where
he got his degree in Astrophysics and Theatre. This is a huge cast, so I will not go into details,
but the other Chicago connection is Jax Jackson who plays Yann Fredericks went to DePaul
University and performed at the Goodman Theatre.
What makes this a great show is the astonishing special effects and sets. Things that were only
possible in movies were created for this show. The number of magicians that were needed to perform and
create this show is large. After watching this show, you will understand why it cost almost $100 million and is
worth every penny. Even thou this is not a musical, there is plenty of music to enhance the experience and the
plot of the show, just no singing. Without giving away any spoilers, because I want you to experience it like I
did, get there early, there is so much magic just in the theatre and spend time reading your Showbill, because it
explains every character, and what is happening in each scene. If you download the Harry Potter app, it will
give you more details of what is happening in the show.
So back to my original question, when is a show too much, “NEVER”, if the show is good, with great acting,
with fantastic sets, a plot that keeps you glued to what is around you and on stage, and the experience is
affordable without taking out a second mortgage, then you know you have a hit or a winner. I am sincere when
I say, the experience is well worth it. You can spend a lot more to go skiing out west, or even in the Midwest,
than a weekend in NYC. Right now, NYC is affordable, and to be honest, I felt safe. No matter what the news
media says, I never felt unsafe or worried, even walking down dark streets in SOHO. Manhattan is a constantly
changing city, even when I was last there 5 years ago, they built more new things and new buildings. Even
when I lived there 40 years ago, it’s not the same city. Avoid the high prices of summertime, and go now or
early spring, it is so worth it. But if you go, don’t forget Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. If you are a Harry
Potter geek, there are so many other experiences in NYC for you.

We took in just 3 of them, and still did not
go to everything.

But it’s time to live and believe in Magic again, first go to HarryPotterBroadway.com, then
stop at the Lyric Theatre 214 West 43rd St. Ticket prices start at $49.00.

Here is a hint, don’t get main floor
tickets, get dress circle, you will really enjoy the experience and not have to keep looking up at the magic
around the theater and on the ceiling. (Spoiler alert)
Reviewed By Frank Meccia