Harry Potter & The Cursed Child: Corny But Fun

Went to SF this past weekend to sit in Orchestra seats that cost over $550 per person in this 6-hour, 2-part play, which I thought would be a musical until a few days I showed up.

I have to say, the price tag is too high for a corny homage with a light mystery plot led by 2 cute co-starring twinks, shrouded in impressive stage magic.

The show started out superficial, catching up on the Potter world, but in very dad-joke fashion. The sophistication, moodiness, and aesthetic from the last 2 Harry Potter movies are no where to be seen. Instead, we are back to the first 3 movies, following young Albus Potter and nerdy Scorpius Malfoy.

You have to know the general plot and elements of the original movies to understand and appreciate the play.

The cuts for intermission and breaks admittedly are tantalizing, packing good cliffhangers. But there enough plot holes and misalignments with the original lore (ie. in the original, time-turning doesnt seem to alter the past as they lived through the same timeline).

Even with the cheesiness, it’s a fun play. But it’s not worth orchestra seats or the hefty price tag. Biggest value I got was (1) seeing cool stage magic, (2) being able to say I watched it, and (3) seeing twink galore Jon Steiger in tight pants and a sleeveless shirt (good motivation for me to push harder in my training).