On our last visit to London, England, Inna and I ran into a theater playing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Part I and II. We tried to purchase tickets but learned that the play was sold out a year in advance!
We decided to see it the next time we visit London. Fortunately, J.K Rowling decided to also run the play in New York City and San Francisco. When I learned about the San Francisco show, I eagerly purchased two tickets for Inna and me. It was quickly getting sold out, but I bought two tickets for Wednesday, November 20th, 2019. Unlike most plays, Harry Potter consists of two parts - a showing from 14:00 to 17:00 and a showing from 19:30 to 22:00. There was a 20-minute intermission in each part.
As expected, the special effects were fantastic, and the show was enjoyable. We sat far away in the Mezzanine and wished we were closer to the action. My pair of binoculars came in very handy in the Curran Theater.
I enjoyed all the special effects, like Transfiguration and underwater swimming. Who could forget the final Dementor scene?
We decided to try the Urban Tavern nearby for dinner between parts I and II. It was not so busy when we walked in, but after we ordered, there was a mad rush, and the tavern was filled with customers.
Here are the plot details from Wikipedia:
Knowing that Cedric's death was the result of him winning the Triwizard Tournament[1] alongside Harry, the boys use the Time-Turner to travel back to the first challenge of the Triwizard Tournament[1] in 1994 and sabotage Cedric during the tournament's first task in the hope of preventing his victory. Instead, they only succeed in creating an alternate reality in which Ron and Hermione[1] never married (thus preventing Rose's existence), and Albus is sorted into Gryffindor. Albus discovers this was because they disguised themselves as Durmstrang students, causing Hermione to become suspicious of Viktor Krum and go to the Yule Ball with Ron instead of Viktor. As a result, Ron never experienced the jealousy fundamental to his relationship with Hermione, fell in love with Padma Patil at the Ball, and eventually married her, having a son named Panju. Hermione, in turn, became a frustrated and mean professor at Hogwarts, teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Around the same time, Harry's fear increases that Voldemort may return as his scar continues to hurt, and he has Voldemort-related nightmares. After speaking with a portrait of Dumbledore and being told by centaur Bane that a "dark cloud" is around Albus, he becomes convinced that Scorpius is a threat to Albus and tries to have the boys kept apart at Hogwarts by forcing a reluctant Minerva McGonagall, now Headmistress of Hogwarts, to keep tabs on Albus using the Marauder's Map, threatening to shut down the school otherwise.
Albus and Scorpius's friendship is destroyed, but the two eventually reconcile after Albus steals Harry's old Invisibility Cloak from James Sirius (Albus' older brother) and after McGonagall refuses to enforce Harry's request. Harry himself is persuaded to relent after a conversation with Draco and Ginny. Meanwhile, Albus and Scorpius make another attempt to use the Time-Turner to change Cedric's fate, this time by humiliating him during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. However, when Scorpius returns to the present day, Albus is not with him. A woman walks up to Scorpius and reveals herself to be Dolores Umbridge. She admits to him that Harry is dead and Lord Voldemort rules the wizarding world. Scorpius follows Umbridge back to Hogwarts as Dementors fly around the auditorium, and a banner with the Dark Mark is revealed.
Scorpius discovers that – as a result of his actions – an embittered Cedric joined the Death Eaters and killed Neville Longbottom during the events of Deathly Hallows, preventing him from killing Nagini and allowing Voldemort to win the Battle of Hogwarts. With Harry now dead, Albus subsequently never existed, while Voldemort was able to ultimately consolidate power and transform the Ministry of Magic into a dictatorial regime. In the new timeline, Scorpius became a famous Head Boy and Quidditch star, helping the staff and students torment Muggle-borns. Dolores Umbridge becomes the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and patrols the school with Dementors and a revived Inquisitorial Squad led by Scorpius. Draco Malfoy occupies Harry's old position as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, using his post to encourage routine attacks on Muggles and bribe the Prime Minister to remain silent on the actions of the Death Eaters.
An influential dark figure called "The Augurey" leads the Ministry of Magic. With help from Ron, Hermione, and Severus Snape, now the final members of a dwindling anti-Voldemort resistance movement, Scorpius can use the Time-Turner to prevent the interference of Albus and his past self and restore the events of the original timeline, the alternate Ron, Hermione, and Snape sacrificing themselves to the Dementors to allow him to do so. Scorpius reunites with Albus, and their parents, Ron and Hermione, eventually find the two boys. Harry scolds Albus for his actions following these events, but the two nevertheless begin to reconcile.
Realizing the danger the Time-Turner poses and deciding their parents will continue to keep it (as Hermione had done in the Ministry of Magic), Scorpius and Albus attempt to destroy it themselves, but they are joined by Delphi Diggory. Scorpius realizes that Delphi was in charge of the Ministry of Magic in the alternate timeline (from her tattoo of the wings of a magical bird, which she says is called an Augurey). She takes them captive, later revealing her intention of restoring the alternate timeline.
After Ron reveals he saw Albus and Scorpius with Delphi while he was in Hogsmeade with Neville Longbottom, Harry and Draco confront Amos, only to discover Delphi is not his niece but had placed Amos under a "confundus" charm. Delphi takes the boys to the final challenge of the Triwizard Tournament, but Albus and Scorpius prevent her from acting, and Delphi uses the Time-Turner again to travel further back in time. She inadvertently takes the boys with her and destroys the Time-Turner, leaving them stranded in time.
Searching Delphi's room, Harry, Draco, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron discover hidden writing on the walls describing a prophecy that will allow Voldemort to return. Draco questions why she would be so obsessed with Voldemort's return, as Ginny finds writing on the ceiling that reveals Delphi is the daughter of Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Abandoned by Delphi in the past, Albus and Scorpius discover they have been taken back to the night before Harry's parents were killed at Godric's Hollow(October 31st, 1981) and assume Delphi is planning to kill Harry before Voldemort attempts to do so (which severely weakens Voldemort). Albus and Scorpius write an invisible message on Harry's baby blanket, knowing in the present (which is now also the night of the anniversary of the death of Harry's parents when he often looks for his blanket as it is the only physical memento he has), the blanket would become stained with love potion and expose the message to Harry.
Meanwhile, Draco reveals that the Time-Turner was a prototype for a perfected model he owned made for his father). Still, they remain unable to rescue the boys due to their uncertainty over which period they have entered. After Harry receives the message from the boys, he and his allies use Draco's Time-Turner to travel back to save them and stop Delphi. While waiting for Delphi, they deduce she intends to convince Voldemort to abandon his doomed attempt to kill Harry, ensuring her father's survival and allowing her to be with him.
Harry disguises himself as Voldemort and uses a transformation to distract Delphi, and after a struggle, the group manages to subdue her. Rather than killing Delphi, it is decided that she will be brought to Azkaban Prison. Lord Voldemort then appears and is oblivious to the presence of Harry and the group. The group allows the murder of Harry's parents to play out again, unwilling to risk the consequences of altering the past.
They all stand with Harry to watch the sad event replay. After returning to the present day, Delphi is sent to Azkaban. Albus and Scorpius have now decided to be more active at Hogwarts, with Scorpius expressing interest in trying out for Quidditch and asking Rose on a date. Harry and Albus visit Cedric's grave, with Harry apologizing for his role in Cedric's death. Albus has also witnessed the death of a fellow student, Craig Bowker Jr. (the only current timeline murderer in the play), who tried to intervene when Delphi held Albus and Scorpius captive on the Quidditch pitch.
It is a fun but extended play with exceptional special effects. I rate it as 10 out of 10. A must-see for Harry Potter enthusiasts.
We decided to see it the next time we visit London. Fortunately, J.K Rowling decided to also run the play in New York City and San Francisco. When I learned about the San Francisco show, I eagerly purchased two tickets for Inna and me. It was quickly getting sold out, but I bought two tickets for Wednesday, November 20th, 2019. Unlike most plays, Harry Potter consists of two parts - a showing from 14:00 to 17:00 and a showing from 19:30 to 22:00. There was a 20-minute intermission in each part.
As expected, the special effects were fantastic, and the show was enjoyable. We sat far away in the Mezzanine and wished we were closer to the action. My pair of binoculars came in very handy in the Curran Theater.
I enjoyed all the special effects, like Transfiguration and underwater swimming. Who could forget the final Dementor scene?
We decided to try the Urban Tavern nearby for dinner between parts I and II. It was not so busy when we walked in, but after we ordered, there was a mad rush, and the tavern was filled with customers.
Here are the plot details from Wikipedia:
Plot
Act 1
In the opening scene, set during the epilogue of Deathly Hallows in 2017, Harry Potter and Ginny Potter send their second son, Albus Severus Potter, on the Hogwarts Express to begin his first year at Hogwarts. Harry is now working in a desk job as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, while Ginny is the editor of the sports section of The Daily Prophet. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger also send their daughter, Rose Granger-Weasley, on the train. Hermione is now Minister of Magic, while Ron manages Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Albus makes an unlikely friendship with Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry's former nemesis Draco Malfoy and Astoria Malfoy (née Greengrass). The school is stunned when Albus is sorted into Slytherin alongside Scorpius in a break with the tradition of Potters being sorted into Gryffindor.
Both boys are bullied by other students over the next few years: Albus due to his perceived failure to live up to his parents and Scorpius due to unproven rumors that he is the son of Lord Voldemort. In addition, Albus and Harry begin to drift apart, owing to Albus's struggles with his father's shadow and Harry's uncertainty on how to deal with his son's issues. Albus also drifts apart from Rose, with whom he was friends before meeting Scorpius and who was sorted into Gryffindor. Before Albus and Scorpius's fourth year, Albus fights with his father after he is given Harry's baby blanket and a love potion from Ron. During the fight, Harry accidentally says that he sometimes wishes Albus was not his son, and Albus spills the potion on the blanket.
Harry obtains a prototype of a more powerful version of the Time-Turner, built by a Slytherin contemporary of Harry's, Theodore Nott, that allows one to travel back several years into the past and change history. Simultaneously, Harry's scar begins to hurt again, causing him to become concerned that Voldemort may somehow be returning. Amos Diggory, who has become old and is cared for by his niece, Delphi Diggory, asks Harry to use the Time-Turner to prevent the death of his son, Cedric Diggory. After overhearing, Harry refuses to help the Diggorys; Albus is inspired to do so and convinces Scorpius to help him. The two escape from the Hogwarts Express and defeat the trolley operator, who is revealed to be a monster placed on the train to prevent students from escaping. The two arrive at St. Oswald's Home for Old Witches and Wizards in Yorkshire, where Amos lives, and team up with Delphi to steal the Time-Turner from Hermione's office in the Ministry of Magic while disguised with Polyjuice Potion.
Act 2
Both boys are bullied by other students over the next few years: Albus due to his perceived failure to live up to his parents and Scorpius due to unproven rumors that he is the son of Lord Voldemort. In addition, Albus and Harry begin to drift apart, owing to Albus's struggles with his father's shadow and Harry's uncertainty on how to deal with his son's issues. Albus also drifts apart from Rose, with whom he was friends before meeting Scorpius and who was sorted into Gryffindor. Before Albus and Scorpius's fourth year, Albus fights with his father after he is given Harry's baby blanket and a love potion from Ron. During the fight, Harry accidentally says that he sometimes wishes Albus was not his son, and Albus spills the potion on the blanket.
Harry obtains a prototype of a more powerful version of the Time-Turner, built by a Slytherin contemporary of Harry's, Theodore Nott, that allows one to travel back several years into the past and change history. Simultaneously, Harry's scar begins to hurt again, causing him to become concerned that Voldemort may somehow be returning. Amos Diggory, who has become old and is cared for by his niece, Delphi Diggory, asks Harry to use the Time-Turner to prevent the death of his son, Cedric Diggory. After overhearing, Harry refuses to help the Diggorys; Albus is inspired to do so and convinces Scorpius to help him. The two escape from the Hogwarts Express and defeat the trolley operator, who is revealed to be a monster placed on the train to prevent students from escaping. The two arrive at St. Oswald's Home for Old Witches and Wizards in Yorkshire, where Amos lives, and team up with Delphi to steal the Time-Turner from Hermione's office in the Ministry of Magic while disguised with Polyjuice Potion.
Act 2
Knowing that Cedric's death was the result of him winning the Triwizard Tournament[1] alongside Harry, the boys use the Time-Turner to travel back to the first challenge of the Triwizard Tournament[1] in 1994 and sabotage Cedric during the tournament's first task in the hope of preventing his victory. Instead, they only succeed in creating an alternate reality in which Ron and Hermione[1] never married (thus preventing Rose's existence), and Albus is sorted into Gryffindor. Albus discovers this was because they disguised themselves as Durmstrang students, causing Hermione to become suspicious of Viktor Krum and go to the Yule Ball with Ron instead of Viktor. As a result, Ron never experienced the jealousy fundamental to his relationship with Hermione, fell in love with Padma Patil at the Ball, and eventually married her, having a son named Panju. Hermione, in turn, became a frustrated and mean professor at Hogwarts, teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Around the same time, Harry's fear increases that Voldemort may return as his scar continues to hurt, and he has Voldemort-related nightmares. After speaking with a portrait of Dumbledore and being told by centaur Bane that a "dark cloud" is around Albus, he becomes convinced that Scorpius is a threat to Albus and tries to have the boys kept apart at Hogwarts by forcing a reluctant Minerva McGonagall, now Headmistress of Hogwarts, to keep tabs on Albus using the Marauder's Map, threatening to shut down the school otherwise.
Albus and Scorpius's friendship is destroyed, but the two eventually reconcile after Albus steals Harry's old Invisibility Cloak from James Sirius (Albus' older brother) and after McGonagall refuses to enforce Harry's request. Harry himself is persuaded to relent after a conversation with Draco and Ginny. Meanwhile, Albus and Scorpius make another attempt to use the Time-Turner to change Cedric's fate, this time by humiliating him during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. However, when Scorpius returns to the present day, Albus is not with him. A woman walks up to Scorpius and reveals herself to be Dolores Umbridge. She admits to him that Harry is dead and Lord Voldemort rules the wizarding world. Scorpius follows Umbridge back to Hogwarts as Dementors fly around the auditorium, and a banner with the Dark Mark is revealed.
Act 3
Scorpius discovers that – as a result of his actions – an embittered Cedric joined the Death Eaters and killed Neville Longbottom during the events of Deathly Hallows, preventing him from killing Nagini and allowing Voldemort to win the Battle of Hogwarts. With Harry now dead, Albus subsequently never existed, while Voldemort was able to ultimately consolidate power and transform the Ministry of Magic into a dictatorial regime. In the new timeline, Scorpius became a famous Head Boy and Quidditch star, helping the staff and students torment Muggle-borns. Dolores Umbridge becomes the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and patrols the school with Dementors and a revived Inquisitorial Squad led by Scorpius. Draco Malfoy occupies Harry's old position as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, using his post to encourage routine attacks on Muggles and bribe the Prime Minister to remain silent on the actions of the Death Eaters.
An influential dark figure called "The Augurey" leads the Ministry of Magic. With help from Ron, Hermione, and Severus Snape, now the final members of a dwindling anti-Voldemort resistance movement, Scorpius can use the Time-Turner to prevent the interference of Albus and his past self and restore the events of the original timeline, the alternate Ron, Hermione, and Snape sacrificing themselves to the Dementors to allow him to do so. Scorpius reunites with Albus, and their parents, Ron and Hermione, eventually find the two boys. Harry scolds Albus for his actions following these events, but the two nevertheless begin to reconcile.
Realizing the danger the Time-Turner poses and deciding their parents will continue to keep it (as Hermione had done in the Ministry of Magic), Scorpius and Albus attempt to destroy it themselves, but they are joined by Delphi Diggory. Scorpius realizes that Delphi was in charge of the Ministry of Magic in the alternate timeline (from her tattoo of the wings of a magical bird, which she says is called an Augurey). She takes them captive, later revealing her intention of restoring the alternate timeline.
After Ron reveals he saw Albus and Scorpius with Delphi while he was in Hogsmeade with Neville Longbottom, Harry and Draco confront Amos, only to discover Delphi is not his niece but had placed Amos under a "confundus" charm. Delphi takes the boys to the final challenge of the Triwizard Tournament, but Albus and Scorpius prevent her from acting, and Delphi uses the Time-Turner again to travel further back in time. She inadvertently takes the boys with her and destroys the Time-Turner, leaving them stranded in time.
Searching Delphi's room, Harry, Draco, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron discover hidden writing on the walls describing a prophecy that will allow Voldemort to return. Draco questions why she would be so obsessed with Voldemort's return, as Ginny finds writing on the ceiling that reveals Delphi is the daughter of Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Act 4
Abandoned by Delphi in the past, Albus and Scorpius discover they have been taken back to the night before Harry's parents were killed at Godric's Hollow(October 31st, 1981) and assume Delphi is planning to kill Harry before Voldemort attempts to do so (which severely weakens Voldemort). Albus and Scorpius write an invisible message on Harry's baby blanket, knowing in the present (which is now also the night of the anniversary of the death of Harry's parents when he often looks for his blanket as it is the only physical memento he has), the blanket would become stained with love potion and expose the message to Harry.
Meanwhile, Draco reveals that the Time-Turner was a prototype for a perfected model he owned made for his father). Still, they remain unable to rescue the boys due to their uncertainty over which period they have entered. After Harry receives the message from the boys, he and his allies use Draco's Time-Turner to travel back to save them and stop Delphi. While waiting for Delphi, they deduce she intends to convince Voldemort to abandon his doomed attempt to kill Harry, ensuring her father's survival and allowing her to be with him.
Harry disguises himself as Voldemort and uses a transformation to distract Delphi, and after a struggle, the group manages to subdue her. Rather than killing Delphi, it is decided that she will be brought to Azkaban Prison. Lord Voldemort then appears and is oblivious to the presence of Harry and the group. The group allows the murder of Harry's parents to play out again, unwilling to risk the consequences of altering the past.
They all stand with Harry to watch the sad event replay. After returning to the present day, Delphi is sent to Azkaban. Albus and Scorpius have now decided to be more active at Hogwarts, with Scorpius expressing interest in trying out for Quidditch and asking Rose on a date. Harry and Albus visit Cedric's grave, with Harry apologizing for his role in Cedric's death. Albus has also witnessed the death of a fellow student, Craig Bowker Jr. (the only current timeline murderer in the play), who tried to intervene when Delphi held Albus and Scorpius captive on the Quidditch pitch.
Overall:
Positives
- Exciting but somewhat convoluted story involving time travel
- Unbelievable special effects
- Excellent acting
- Very long (a total of 5 hours)
Negatives
- Very long (5 hours)
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