Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Broadway)
Open run 3h 20m
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Broadway)
87

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

87%
(2231 Reviews)
Positive
94%
Mixed
4%
Negative
2%
Members say
Enchanting, Great staging, Entertaining, Clever, Absorbing

Harry Potter is all grown up in this Tony-winner that brings the magic of the books alive on stage.

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Member Reviews (2,231)

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901 Reviews | 259 Followers
90
Ambitious, Riveting, Entertaining, Great acting, Great staging

See it if you like a good kid-based story with enough plot for adults and loaded with theatrics of fire, wind, water and smoke. Great sound and lights

Don't see it if you prefer good drama or a musical. This is quite action packed and almost 3 hours 30 minutes long.

725 Reviews | 110 Followers
85
Great staging, Great acting, Entertaining, Clever, Absorbing

See it if you are a Harry Potter fan. This is a sequel to all the previous books. Very complicated plot. Great staging and good acting.

Don't see it if you like a simple plot or hate Harry Potter. I never saw any of the movies or read the books but I really enjoyed this show. Read more

508 Reviews | 729 Followers
90
Ambitious, Great staging, Entertaining, Enchanting, Clever

See it if you enjoy seeing the limits of stagecraft being pushed. The technical achievements of this show are amazing--like a high-profile magic show.

Don't see it if you can't sit still for 3.5 hours. I saw the truncated, one-show version and it was still very long with only one intermission. Read more

423 Reviews | 257 Followers
90
Impressive, Great acting, Ambitious, Entertaining, Great staging

See it if Into fantasy & wizardry & want to experience a truly wonderous production.The staging was mind blowing, acting excellent, story ingenious.

Don't see it if unwilling to try something you don't think you might enjoy. I hadn't read any of the books or seen the movies, but the reviews & word of... Read more

426 Reviews | 99 Followers
86
Great casting, Intelligent, Entertaining, Great lighting, Great staging

See it if Even if you saw the 2 parts. I found this easier to follow and easier to stay interested. My friend fell asleep. Im not a Harry Potter

Don't see it if The first time I saw it the tricks became "old". I preferred the original cast. Interesting they kept the same "blind casting". Read more

431 Reviews | 61 Followers
90
Riveting, Entertaining, Incredible special effects, Enchanting, Great staging

See it if You are a fan of Harry Potter or you love special effects. Good story, well acted but the effects are unbelievable.

Don't see it if You don’t like Harry Potter or shows that run over 3 hours.

WH
426 Reviews | 76 Followers
65
Underwhelming storytelling-- yawn, Lobbies and hallways are transformed and disneyfied, Theatre filled with chatting kids and candy wrappers, For potterheads only, Magic and stagecraft is cool

See it if You are Crazy for Harry Potter. Want an amusement park-like experience.

Don't see it if Want a legitimate storytelling experience in a theatre. Are bothered by constant chatter (mainly very enthusiastic kids) and candy wrappers.

367 Reviews | 92 Followers
95
Great cast, Amazing staging, lights, sound, Intensely entertaining, Not for young children, Ambitious, clever

See it if You're a Potter fan—or not; the story holds up on its own. Amazing seamless stagecraft & production values that need seeing, not description

Don't see it if You have young children; leave them home. An adult show with much plot and much dialogue that moves quickly, even at almost 3 hours. Read more

Critic Reviews (71)

The New York Times
December 7th, 2021

CRITIC'S PICK "It remains diamond-sharp in its staging and dazzling in its visual imagination, as magical as any spell or potion...Yet there are excisions, most of them so surgical you would never notice, though I did slightly miss the beloved Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid...This new version remains ravishingly entertaining, but is also, like the movie adaptations, a more obvious attempt to cash in on Pottermania."
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Time Out New York
December 7th, 2021

"5/5 stars...Despite its shrinking, 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' has kept most of its charm. The spectacular set pieces of John Tiffany’s production remain...The plotting sometimes feels more rushed than before. But the changes have the salutary effect of focusing the story on its most interesting new creations: the resentful Albus Potter (James Romney) and the unpopular Scorpius Malfoy (Brady Dalton Richards), whose bond has been reconceived in a significant way."
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Theatermania
December 7th, 2021

"Some of the actors stumble over their lines as they race through the first half-hour. The sailing is much smoother after that, as the performers are allowed to settle into their characters and inhabit the magical world Tiffany has created with his team of designers...The leaner, meaner version onstage at the Lyric is actually a better play that has lost nothing in terms of production value."
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Broadway News
December 7th, 2021

"Every bit as rewarding as the original version. My lack of surprise derives from the theatrical expertise, on every level, evinced by the creators of the two-part version...Potterheads may notice where subplots have been trimmed or eliminated, but the many-tentacled narrative remains virtually the same...And the production retains virtually all of the original’s bedazzlements, from wand battles to levitating Dementors, to quicksilver character transformations."
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The New York Times
April 22nd, 2018
For a previous production

"Five hours of performance pass in a wizardly wink of an eye...Everything that happens onstage seems as improbably fluid as, well, time itself. It helps that what happens includes some of the most eye-boggling illusions you’ll ever witness...The new gold standard for fantasy franchise entertainment on Broadway...This slyly manipulative production knows exactly how, and how hard, to push the tenderest spots of most people’s emotional makeups."
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Time Out New York
April 22nd, 2018
For a previous production

"A triumph of theatrical magic...Combines grand storytelling with stagecraft on a scale heretofore unimagined...It is often suspenseful and sometimes downright frightening. Yet amid the cinematic tumult and dazzle of the densely action-packed plot, Thorne and Tiffany carve out quiet scenes of intimacy and tenderness. Great care has gone into creating each moment of this state-of-the-art adventure. It leaves its audience awestruck, spellbound, and deeply satisfied."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
April 22nd, 2018
For a previous production

"Jam-packed with breakneck plot twists, charming performances, mind-bending spectacle, and, perhaps more surprisingly, moments of theatrical whimsy that feel, amidst the high-tech sorcery, delightfully simple...It effectively weaves serious themes with bouncy adventure narrative, it’s heartfelt and sometimes a touch hokey...You’re pretty much willing to forgive its shortcomings as it sweeps you along in a rush of rip-roaring, good-natured imagination."
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The Hollywood Reporter
April 22nd, 2018
For a previous production

"Anyone still ready to dismiss 'The Cursed Child' as a cynical brand extension...clearly hasn't experienced the thrilling theatricality, the pulse-pounding storytelling vitality, and the unexpected emotional richness of this unmissable two-part production...It's not hyperbole to call the show sheer magic...Witnessing elevated stagecraft applied to a time-traveling fantasy story of this nature conjures a sense of wonder and excitement that evokes vintage Saturday-matinee serials."
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From the Show-Score Blog