Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD National Tour Premiere

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is three hours of nostalgia-fueled, utterly captivating theater...with heaps of stage magic. The Chicago engagement marks the national tour debut of the eighth installment in J.K. Rowling’s HARRY POTTER series. For the tour, director John Tiffany cut down the material from the show’s original two-part, five-hour theatrical epic (with story devised by Tiffany and Rowling and script written by Jack Thorne). This shortened tour version still offers ample time to deliver CURSED CHILD’S storyline, and most importantly, bring to life many of the series’ iconic characters and magic spells. 

Sure, CURSED CHILD is the ultimate type of theatrical fan service, but it’s so mesmerizing and enjoyable to watch that it makes up for the inherent cheesiness. As a millennial, the HARRY POTTER books were canonical texts from my childhood so I’m definitely this play’s target audience. As far as plot goes, the story isn’t particularly deep. It’s essentially IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: HARRY POTTER edition. But, much like the books themselves, the play underscores the core themes of the triumph of good over evil and the adolescent search for identity and connection with friends and family. 

In CURSED CHILD, Albus Severus Potter, Harry’s middle child, becomes a surrogate for his father. Albus is our new central protagonist. While his father found home at Hogwarts, Albus doesn’t have the same experience. He’s lousy at Quidditch, he has only one friend — the ultra-nerdy and effusive Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco (Benjamin Thys, both refined and surly — as befitting the character) and victim of a deeply unkind rumor that he’s actually Voldemort’s son — and he feels unbearable pressure to live up to his father’s legacy. After a big fight with Harry, Albus decides he’s going to set out on a quest to make a name for himself: He’ll use an illegal Time-Turner to travel back in time and save Cedric Diggory from his untimely death during the Triwizard Tournament. With the help of Scorpius and Delphini Diggory (a sly Julia Nightingale), Amos Diggory’s niece, Albus sets off on a grand, quintessentially HARRY POTTER-style adventure. 

Of course, the use of a Time-Turner device cleverly allows the play to revisit beloved characters. I couldn’t help but be swept up in the contagious audience applause when canonical HARRY POTTER characters showed up. It’s also a real testament to the actors that they’re able to capture the essences of their iconic roles while also infusing originality. John Skelley, Matt Mueller, and Ebony Blake are simply wonderful as the iconic trio of Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger — now Minister for Magic. Skelley beautifully captures Harry’s impulsive nature, which has carried him into adulthood. He’s now an overworked Head of Magical Law Enforcement, prodded by Hermione to organize and actually read through his paperwork instead of just acting on instinct. Skelley really lives in Harry’s inclination to live in the moment and say exactly what he means at all times...even if that usually means he says the wrong thing to Albus. Mueller is terrific as Ron, capturing the character’s beloved silliness and delivering his daffy one-liners expertly. Blake brings a groundedness to Hermione, along with a familiar nod to the “eye rolling” that she often did at the hands of her impulsive friends. 

As the new generation of Hogwarts besties, Emmet Smith and Aidan Close are delightful as Albus and Scorpius. Smith has a real knack for capturing Albus’s teen angst and exasperation, without tipping over too much into moodiness. Close has boundless energy as the nerdy Scorpius, who longs to share his knowledge with the world and his friends. He’s immensely likable, and he nails Scorpius’s many interjections. 

As Ginny Potter (née Weasley), Trish Lindstrom has a welcome calming presence and displays the character’s talent for keeping her husband in check. Chicago audiences might be particularly pleased to see veteran actor Larry Yando playing a trifecta of iconic roles, too: Amos Diggory, Albus Dumbledore, and Severus Snape. While Yando is unsurprisingly fantastic across the board, I was especially taken with his portrayal of Snape. Yando really understands how to demonstrate Snape’s commanding presence and his simultaneous predilection for snark and delivering searing truths. 

It wouldn’t be a HARRY POTTER play without magic...and CURSED CHILD really delivers. The three hours fly by because the show is so packed with stage wonders. Notably, director Tiffany and illusions and magic designer Jamie Harrison have preserved the key magical moments from the original, two-part Broadway production. While the magic elements no longer encompass the entire theater — as they do on Broadway — the action within the proscenium remains plenty magnificent. Among other tricks, I was especially dazzled by the Polyjuice Potion transformations, transfiguration, and, of course, Harry’s iconic invisibility cloak. Harrison’s illusions work beautifully with Christine Jones’s sprawling, gothic set, Katrina Lindsay’s costumes, and Steven Hoggett’s movement patterns. Finn Ross and Ash J. Woodward’s video designs also play a pivotal role in the show’s depiction of the Time-Turner’s powers. Imogen Heap's enchanting score adds atmospheric flair and provides great accompaniment for Hoggett's choreographed transition sequences for the ensemble.

While the script is straightforward, it’s the play’s representation of beloved HARRY POTTER characters, the countless visual delights, and the affecting genuine performances that make it truly magical. CURSED CHILD is a wondrous, heartfelt touring production. 

The Broadway In Chicago engagement of the HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD national tour plays the James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 West Randolph, through February 1, 2025.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

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