CURSED CHILD Reviews

[LimelightMike]

[LesWickedly]

Today is the day! So excited to read all the reviews. 

[CT2NYC]

I'm very curious to see how the show will play to critics who aren't overly familiar with the book/film series, since the play is so referential. Will they appreciate the absolutely stunning stagecraft and artistry, but say they didn't really get it? We shall see, but, honestly, I've never seen anything like this show. It is spectacular, in every sense of the word.

[Dave13]

Looking at Show Score, fans have rated this play at 93. It will be interesting to see if the critics rate it the same.

As a fan of the Harry Potter books and films, I love it.

As a Broadway fan, I do believe the play has flaws. My biggest criticism is a show should stand on its own. A person having never read the books or watched the films should have the same experience as me. To really enjoy the Cursed Child, you need to have read most of the books or watched the films, especially Goblet of Fire.

[Fosse76]

This isn't a "world premiere." Critics didn't have any problems reviewing the London production (which received raves), so I'm not sure why there'd be any issues with critics reviewing the Broadway production. It's not a secret that this is a sequel of sorts to the original Harry Potter series, so they will have most likely have done some background homework ahead of time.

[CT2NYC]

Fosse76 said: "This isn't a "world premiere." Critics didn't have any problems reviewing the London production (which received raves), so I'm not sure why there'd be any issues with critics reviewing the Broadway production. It's not a secret that this is a sequel of sorts to the original Harry Potter series, so they will have most likely have done some background homework ahead of time. "

This makes sense, but I'm just wondering if there will be a dissenting voice in this batch of reviews, since it won't necessarily be the exact same critics reviewing it.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

I know Paul Wontorek isn’t really much of a Harry Potter fan himself, but he loved The Cursed Child.

[musikman]

As a Broadway fan, I do believe the play has flaws. My biggest criticism is a show should stand on its own. A person having never read the books or watched the films should have the same experience as me. To really enjoy the Cursed Child, you need to haveread most of the books or watched the films,especially Goblet of Fire."

I do agree that the play itself has flaws, but it still didn’t detract from it being one of the best things I’ve seen in years. I predict most of the reviews will state that on some level. 

 

However, I think it’s wrong to suggest that the play should stand alone in this situation. In a sense it can and does stand alone  (like the 7 books do to an extent), but this has been billed as the 8th story to the Harry Potter saga.  Naturally it’s going to rely on characters, plot points, and situations from the book series. I think the show can be enjoyed as a spectacle from someone who is new to the books, but they obviously wouldn’t understand all the innuendos, references, and revelations made throughout the play that give it an extra push.      This is also why I’ve been recommending people who don’t know anything about the books to not see it.   That’s not a fault of the play itself.

 

[RippedMan]

I feel like it's almost similar to Angels in America. You can see Part 1 or Part 2, for that matter, and enjoy it as an evening of storytelling and theater, but your viewing will be enhanced seeing both parts. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Expecting raves for this one. In a spring season mostly full of garbage, Cursed Child has been one of the few rarities. A truly remarkable production.

[raddersons]

The text is not the strongest, but it’s not awful. The stagecraft is absolutely spectacular. No review can deny them that. I can’t imagine a pan from anyone but After Eight.

[haterobics]

Dave13 said: "To really enjoy the Cursed Child, you need to haveread most of the books or watched the films,especially Goblet of Fire."

I think most of the inside stuff is explained enough that anyone will get the gist, and the backstory isn't really the emotional core of the show anyway. I forgot about some people mentioned in it, despite reading the books ages ago, and they don't really make you fill in any of the gaps.

[Notreallysilent 2]

Yeah I agree. They give you the snippets that you need to know from the other stories in the playbills. In line yesteday I heard someone talking on the phone and he didn’t know anything about the show and he was saying how he has never seen something quite like this and that he was fine understanding the story with the summaries in the playbill . While it certainly does help to have read the books or seen the movies, as it’s always funny to understand when the audience reacts to a certain line or something, but I think people can still enjoy the magic and stagecraft.

[uncageg]

Dave13 said: "Looking at Show Score, fans have rated this play at 93. It will be interesting to see if the critics rate it the same.

As a fan of the Harry Potter books and films, I love it.

As a Broadway fan, I do believe the play has flaws. My biggest criticism is a show should stand on its own. A person having never read the books or watched the films should have the same experience as me. To really enjoy the Cursed Child, you need to haveread most of the books or watched the films,especially Goblet of Fire."

 

Thanks for the heads up. Seeing it next month. HBO has all of the movies available and going to re-watch Goblet of Fire today!

 

[CT2NYC]

uncageg said: "Dave13 said: "Looking at Show Score, fans have rated this play at 93. It will be interesting to see if the critics rate it the same.

As a fan of the Harry Potter books and films, I love it.

As a Broadway fan, I do believe the play has flaws. My biggest criticism is a show should stand on its own. A person having never read the books or watched the films should have the same experience as me. To really enjoy the Cursed Child, you need to haveread most of the books or watched the films,especially Goblet of Fire."



Thanks for the heads up. Seeing it next month. HBO has all of the movies available and going to re-watch Goblet of Fire today!

While GOBLET OF FIRE is definitely the first one to rewatch, I'd recommend checking out DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 again, if you have the time. Actually, it couldn't hurt to watch ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, too. Oh, hell, just rewatch them all while you're at it!



 

[TorontoBroadwayFan]

CT2NYC said: "uncageg said: "Dave13 said: "Looking at Show Score, fans have rated this play at 93. It will be interesting to see if the critics rate it the same.

As a fan of the Harry Potter books and films, I love it.

As a Broadway fan, I do believe the play has flaws. My biggest criticism is a show should stand on its own. A person having never read the books or watched the films should have the same experience as me. To really enjoy the Cursed Child, you need to haveread most of the books or watched the films,especially Goblet of Fire."



Thanks for the heads up. Seeing it next month. HBO has all of the movies available and going to re-watch Goblet of Fire today!

While GOBLET OF FIREis definitely the first one to rewatch, I'd recommend checking out DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 again, if you have the time. Actually, it couldn't hurt to watch ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, too. Oh, hell,just rewatch them all while you're at it!



"

I actually did re-watch all of the films and re-read all of the books! And I read the script. I’m super prepared and super excited to see this next week! I shall put the reviewers under the Imperius Curse to be sure the reviews are good, ??

[CT2NYC]

TorontoBroadwayFan said:

I actually did re-watchall of the films and re-read all of the books! And I read the script. I’m super prepared and super excited to see this next week! I shall put the reviewers under theImperius Curse to be sure the reviews are good, ??"

No Imperius Curse will be necessary, most of the reviewers will write raves of their own volition.

[TorontoBroadwayFan]

CT2NYC said: "TorontoBroadwayFan said:

I actually did re-watchall of the films and re-read all of the books! And I read the script. I’m super prepared and super excited to see this next week! I shall put the reviewers under theImperius Curse to be sure the reviews are good, ??"

No Imperius Cursewill be necessary, most of the reviewers will write raves of their own volition."

Well the best we can expect from muggles anyways :)

[Jarethan]

HAs there EVER been a show that seemed quite so 'critic-proof' as this one?  Although, based on the feedback on this board and all the Oliviers, I am assuming this will get good reviews (I have not yet been deigned worthy to purchase tickets -- the only time I made the cut, the tix were $299 for each part, too rich for my blood).  That said, I am not sure the reviews are going to make one bit of difference.

[everythingtaboo]

People seem to like the play, but the script itself seems to be the least favorite thing about it. Will reviews (and Tony voters) overlook that because everything else is great around it?

[GregHut]

I read the script before seeing the play and I personally loved it.  Most of the complaints I've heard have nothing to do with the actual story, which is phenomenal in my opinion. People seem to think they know the characters better than JKR.

[BroadwayConcierge]

The script is really not as bad as some say. Sure, there are a few eye-rolling lines here and there, and Part 2 gets to be slightly derivative in parts, but the text is overall quite strong. I was truly emotionally overwhelmed by the climax of Part 2, and only strong playwriting can make me feel that way. Of course, the production itself is what really delivers, but I'm always a bit irked when people say that the script is so much inferior. It's really not.

[Notreallysilent 2]

GregHut said: "I read the script before seeing the play and I personally loved it. Most of the complaints I've heardhave nothing to do with the actual story, which is phenomenal in my opinion. People seem to think they know the characters better than JKR."

Though I think the story works very well when you see it in person, my biggest issue with the script is that there are a few inconsistencies with the other stories. But your last sentence is very interesting. It is funny that many people think they know the characters better, but I guess that’s the problem when the story comes out a few years after the final book. The whole fan base of HP is so big and it has affected so many people, so they all have their own views on how the characters should be when they are older. In particular, I’ve heard a few people say they don’t like how HP interacts with albus claiming he would never be mean since he had a hard childhood. I absolutely love that HP gets emotional and angry because it feels more like a real person and character to me. So I think just the issue is that people for so many years had their own ideas of how the story should be. I got into HP around the time cursed child was being made, so I never really had my own ideas of how the story should be because I read cursed child right after I watched all the movies, so to me it was just like another story

[imeldasturn]

everythingtaboo said: "People seem to like the play, but the script itself seems to be the least favorite thing about it. Will reviews (and Tony voters) overlook that because everything else is great around it?"

I mean, if they gave the Tony to War Horse...

[CorkySt.Clair]

 

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BroadwayConcierge said: "The script is really not as bad as somesay. Sure, there are a few eye-rolling lines here and there, and Part 2 gets to be slightly derivative in parts, but the text is overall quite strong. I was truly emotionally overwhelmed by the climax of Part 2, and only strong playwriting can make me feel that way. Of course, theproduction itself is what really delivers, but I'm always a bit irked when people say that the script is so much inferior. It's really not."

I’m curious to hear yours (and everyone else’s) opinions on the revelation that 

 

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Delphi is Voldemort’s daughter with Bellatrix. Perhaps unjustifiably, it gave the whole script a very fan-fictiony vibe to me...but I can understand how others could see it differently  

Granted, it had been at least a year since I’ve read CC, so maybe it has more significance than I remember.