On July 31, 2016, Harry’s birthday, the script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released, exciting Harry Potter fans worldwide. Cursed Child release parties drew fans to bookstores to receive their copies at midnight, the first possible opportunity to get their hands on the new addition to official Harry Potter cannon. I enjoyed being back in the Harry Potter universe, but the book itself was nothing special; I thought the writing wasn’t up to J.K. Rowling’s standard, the plot was nothing special, and Albus was a disappointing main character.

However, as a dedicated Harry Potter fan, I was still extremely excited to hear that the show would be opening on Broadway. I saw both parts of the play in one day: a Sunday matinee followed by a Sunday evening performance. With a total running time exceeding five hours (though divided into 4 acts), the show took up the majority of my day and felt slightly long – I found myself getting restless for the last 15-20 minutes of each act.

The theater itself is exciting, transformed to look like something out of the Wizarding World. The red carpet adorned with “H”s, the dark green wallpaper patterned in gold, the dark wood and the sconces make you feel like you are truly visiting Hogwarts. The concession stands sell jelly beans, reminiscent of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. The shop sells apparel among other paraphernalia for Cursed Child and for each of the four Hogwarts houses.

Despite my skepticism, the play itself surpassed my expectations. Some plays are special because of the plot, acting, or music, but this show was entirely made by the sets, atmosphere, and special effects. Quick costume changes (such as those caused by polyjuice potion) were accomplished flawlessly on the stage, people flew, objects floated, and spells flew during duels. At times, I was drawn so far into the world of Harry Potter that I forgot to wonder how any of this could be possible and just assumed that it was magic.

Additionally, seeing and hearing scenes and characters from the book appear onstage would excite any true Potter fan. The death of Lily and James was heart wrenching. Voldemort, the dementors, and Professor Umbridge were exciting to watch after only reading about them in the past.

Some of the actors didn’t live up to my expectations for a show of this caliber. Poppy Miller playing Ginny came across as boring and dowdy, very unlike book-Ginny, even an older version of her. Noma Dumezweni, playing Hermione, was similarly disappointing to me. In the play, Hermione came across as muted and serious, losing the passionately bookish aspect of her character that is found in the books.

On the other hand, Scorpius and Draco, played by Anthony Boyle and Alex Price, respectively, were extremely complex and interesting characters onstage. The relationships between Harry and Draco as well as Albus and Scorpius were fleshed out well. Moaning Myrtle, played by Lauren Nicole Cipoletti, was hilarious to watch.

Ultimately, even though the plot of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child isn’t my favorite, watching it onstage with the special effects was still a magical experience.

To buy tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, click here