BWW Blog: Hogwarts - On Broadway!

For some reason, Harry Potter has completely risen from the ashes in popular culture today. Videos, posts, and articles centered on the world acclaimed book/movie series have been surfacing now more than ever. To what do we owe this pleasure? Not sure. Quarantine boredom, perhaps Gen Z? Either way, I am most definitely not complaining. As a result of this, I've been thinking, "what Hogwarts Houses would our favorite Broadway characters be placed in?" Since we don't have an actual Sorting Ceremony to give us the answers, I've taken the liberty to step in and serve as a modern-day Sorting Hat. Welcome to Hogwarts: On Broadway!

Gryffindor

(values courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry)

• Elle Woods (Legally Blonde): Elle gets dumped, accepted into Harvard, and becomes a successful lawyer all in the course of her show. While she journeys through these endeavors, she always treats those around her with the utmost care and importance. Elle loves a challenge, especially when the result of a challenge is beneficial to someone she cares about. See: "Legally Blonde" & "Find My Way / Finale"

• Donna Sheridan (Mamma Mia!): When searching "heart of gold" in the dictionary, Donna Sheridan should be included in the definition given. Donna is courageous, bold, and tends to get in way over her head (as most Gryffindors do, in her defense). She puts those around her first, like Elle, making sure her daughter is granted a happy life under her watch. She is carefree and wild, but prioritizes her responsibilities at the same time. See: "Dancing Queen" & "Slipping Through My Fingers"

• Enjolras (Les Miserables): I think Enjolras could easily be Broadway's very own Harry Potter. He has no tolerance for people who disagree with him or bring him down, and he mostly acts without thinking of possible consequences. He fights for the underdogs and those who can't fight for themselves, as this seems to come with the territory. Enjolras is a natural born leader who others instantly trust. See: "ABC Café / Red & Black" & "Do You Hear The People Sing?"

Hufflepuff

(values hard work, patience, justice, and loyalty)

• Cathy Hiatt (The Last Five Years): Cathy is such a Hufflepuff. She radiates their core values and qualities, being constantly overshadowed by Jamie (who is clearly Slytherin) but still sticks by him through his career and faults at an attempt to make their relationship work. She's almost loyal to a fault, disregarding the many mistakes Jamie has made because she believed he could change. This simply results in her getting her heart broken by him in the end. See: "A Part of That" & "See I'm Smiling"

• Aaron Burr (Hamilton): UGH! I am so sick of "villains" in narratives being automatically stereotyped as Slytherin. I saw this on a poll the other day, where almost every person said Burr would be Slytherin. You're all wrong! He's a true Hufflepuff, through and through. He's incredibly passive, shy to or completely avoids proclaiming his beliefs, and yearns for justice. He simply wants to be included. If not his enemy, he could have been Hamilton's most loyal and faithful sidekick. See: "The Room Where It Happens" & "The World Was Wide Enough"

• Jenna Hunterson (Waitress): Jenna is as patient as they come. She lives in a home with an abusive husband who always berates and nags her, yet Jenna still tries to find patience and strength within herself to put up with her marriage. She has a horrible shadow of guilt that follows her throughout most of the show, from her affair with her Doctor until she finally finds freedom and the peace she searched for all along within her newborn child. See: "She Used To Be Mine" & "Everything Changes"

Ravenclaw

(values intelligence, learning, wisdom and wit)

• Beth/Liz (If/Then): In "If/Then" we see two separate sides to Elizabeth. One route being the career centered, and the other being the love centered. Despite this, Elizabeth is Ravenclaw in all areas of her life. She's a City Planner who values logic above all and does not believe in "fate" or "chance", instead choosing to base her life around fact. See: "What If?" & "Here I Go"

• Nina Rosario (In The Heights): The moment Nina comes into the show, the first time she is even mentioned, she is immediately defined by her smarts and how she was the one who "got out of town". She considers all the possible outcomes of her choices, and feels an extreme amount of pressure to make her parents proud of her. Above all, she is incredibly sensible and smart. See: "Breathe" & "Sunrise"

• Billy Flynn (Chicago): Billy is introduced as an incredibly charming character. He's this way because of his extreme intelligence and great reputation for freeing murderers. He sees something in those accused that intrigues him, making him want to learn more about them in an attempt to raise his experience and wealth level in the process of manipulation. See: "All I Care About" & "Razzle Dazzle"

Slytherin

(values ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness)

• Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton): This man is the definition of Slytherin. He knows what he wants, how to get it, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals (take a break, Alexander!). Not only does he damage himself, but also his family and career as a result of his undying ruthlessness to be the best and truly, never being able stop. See: "Non-Stop" & "Say No to This"

• Maureen Johnson (Rent): As soon as Maureen is introduced, we know who she is and what she's about. She commands a room in both her day-to-day life and at the rallies in which she publicly stands up for what she believes in, demanding for change. Her confidence and determination might get on some people's nerves, but she resourcefully uses these skills instilled in herself to succeed in life and wrap others around her finger in the process (looking at you, Joanne and Mark!). See: "Over the Moon" & "Take Me or Leave Me"

• Glinda The Good (Wicked): I read this one on an article somewhere, and it's stuck with me for months. I love the idea of Glinda being Slytherin and not in the typical "good" house of Gryffindor. Glinda values the same things as her true house- from wanting to be in charge and doing her absolute best to get ahead of her fellow students, she's the perfect candidate for a future Head Girl. See: "Popular" & "Thank Goodness"

While I can't promise all of these characters would survive the detrimental Battle of Hogwarts, they definitely would add some spice to their individual Houses. This being said, I think they'll stay on Broadway for now. They're too busy already giving us their own kind of magic.