Cursed Child (San Francisco) Performance Thread- Page 2

[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 2:24am

Sally Durant Plummer said: "I asked a friend who has been many times and he said they give out front row sometimes fro the Friday Forty. I think it depends on the performance, but I would assume they'd give you the best available? The show hasn't been sold out. Is this your first time seeing the show?

I've written a few posts about the SF production in the 1 Part thread if you're interested. I LOVE the main cast so I think you're in for a real treat if you haven't seen it yet. Also, you'll be seeing one of Angela Reed's (Ginny) final performances with this company. She moves to the Broadway company next month. I think he final performance is the 24th."

 

Thanks for your reply!  The stage looks very high at the Curran, so I hope that we can get best available seats and not the front row, but we shall see.  This will be my husband's first time seeing the show.  I saw the two parts on Broadway when it first opened, but I haven't seen the revised show yet.

I'll have to search for the 1 Part thread to read more about it, thanks!

 

[yyys]

Posted: 4/16/22 at 6:26am

I won in February during my visit and they gave me ORCH row D, 11 & 13.  We only missed some parts that happened on the left side of the stage.

NYfanfromCA said: "Resurrecting this old pre-pandemic thread because I just won the Friday Forty for next weekend, and was wondering if anyone has won the lottery and can comment on where their seats were located? I bought them in a hurry because I never really thought I would ever win, and then I realized that I hadn't done any research on the seating. My sister sat in the balcony recently and said that she needed binoculars. Hoping I didn't just waste $80 on two seats that I won't want to sit in because I was so excited to win something!"

 

[LushyBear]

Posted: 4/24/22 at 10:13pm

I saw the show yesterday and had a good time. I didn't feel like any cuts were obvious, and I didn't remember anything that was cut, so I guess that worked out. This show is beautiful to look at. Costumes and sets are great. I can't deal with the story. It's too dumb and convenient.

 

 

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[NYfanfromCA]

Posted: 4/24/22 at 10:56pm

We picked up our Friday Forty tickets at 11:45 yesterday for the 1:00 PM matinee.  Seats were nicely centered, AA 105-106, but the stage is very, very high, and I knew we would miss some things happening in the back, as well as we would be having trouble craning our necks, so I asked if we could possibly change seats, so we were given orchestra M, which was perfect.  Some empty seats around us, so we had a great view.  So happy to have won the seats and so happy we were able to change them!

I saw the two parts in NYC, and prefer the pace and depth of those parts, but the one show worked out well since it's quite a trek for us to get to the city. 

[bear88]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 1:58pm

The San Francisco production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will close Sept. 11. This raises a whole host of questions about the Curran’s future. This was certainly not the goal of the producers or of the Curran’s management when the show opened here. It will have played 393 performances when it closes up shop - which the producers say makes it the longest-running play in San Francisco history.

I don’t know if the producers plan to move the play to another city or if they are recognizing the limitations of its appeal. At a certain point, the box office doesn’t lie. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 1:59pm

I really wonder how Rowling's antics are affecting the success of this play.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 2:20pm

I thought that would be the case, especially when it was coming back from the pandemic, but it still is making well over a million dollars a week on Broadway. Maybe San Francisco was just the wrong city for a lengthy run for this one or they are just planning on touring it now?

I wish we had the box office statistics for tours and other long runs like this. Anyone able to gauge how well the Toronto production is doing?

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 2:20pm

I wonder if ATG will continue managing the Curran. If I recall, they were installed as part of the lawsuit between Carole Shorenstein Hayes and the Nederlanders. Since then, ATG bought the other two houses from Nederlander (Orpheum and Golden Gate) and Carole has never been a great manager, so it would make sense for them to continue.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 2:51pm

I do hope this moves to LA. With the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the WB Studio Tour, this would make a great addition. However, I can't imagine what theater this would best fit in for a long run. The Dolby and Pantages are both too big for this IMO. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 3:01pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Anyone able to gauge how well the Toronto production is doing?"

Toronto's production started performances on May 31st. So, it's only been playing for 2 months. Performances have been sold out and tickets are currently on sale through the end of the year, which will change. Mirvish (Toronto Producers) seem to like extending runs in small bits, instead of huge chunks.

However, Toronto has been interesting for sit-down productions especially in the last while. Dear Evan Hansen folded after 4 months, Come From Away stayed strong through its multi-year run, although COVID messed that up, and is supposedly coming back in 2024. I would think that if they could get 1.5/2 years, that would be great. Like the old Toronto production of Phantom, the show isn't coming anywhere near so you've got a larger pool of people who might be able to come to Toronto from across the border for the show as well. 

The renovation cost to alter the theatre for the show, and then reverse it is a huge undertaking in itself. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 3:49pm

Yeah I can't see any good theaters for Harry Potter in LA. The Ahmanson would be the bet fit size wise, but is way too modern of a look and would cost so much $ to renovate it. So I don't see it having a life in LA unless it's just a short stint.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 4:18pm

Sad news but best of luck to the actors. I hope Steiger and Papac are kept on the shortlist for Broadway. Papac in particular is revelatory!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 4:25pm

TotallyEffed said: "I really wonder how Rowling's antics are affecting the success of this play."

 

 In New York? Not at all. Probably not in London either. But maybe in San Francisco – trans awareness is obviously quite prevalent there, given the city’s rich queer history. And unlike NYC, the audience is likely to be more local rather than tourist-driven. So I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it had some effect.

But it seems more likely that the audience simply tapped out. The Bay Area has plenty of theatre-goers, but maybe not enough to consistently sustain sit-downs. Off-hand I can only think of Phantom and Wicked, but in any case it’s definitely not common. 

So, I think that’s the more likely explanation, especially because, by and the large, the long-term effects of Rowling’s controversy have been minimal-to-nonexistent. The general public seems perfectly content to continue throwing their money at her. 

As for the Curran’s future, I don’t see why they can’t go back to the programming they were doing pre-Potter – from what I saw/heard about, this programming was a valuable addition to the theatre scene. In fact, if I still lived in SF, that would definitely be my preference over a HP sitdown (even if I wasn’t boycotting Rowling’s projects, I’d still rather have the variety). 

 

[bear88]

Posted: 7/28/22 at 5:39pm

I doubt Rowling's trans position helped in San Francisco, but I don't think that mattered all that much. (People do drive in from elsewhere.) I think the real problem is that the audience just isn't there for an extended sit-down of a long play that requires audience members to be familiar with the books or movies.

I saw the play in March with my older daughter, who is almost 26 now, and I spent years reading the books to her when she was a child, so she has a fondness for the material that younger people won't necessarily share. The last film came out 11 years ago! (The final book in the series was published in 2007.)  

I paid $59 plus fees on TodayTix after losing the lottery to get seats in the seventh row. A quick glance at the Curran site shows plenty of empty seats on Saturday night. That just isn't sustainable.

I liked the pre-Harry Potter Curran's offerings, which ranged from Fun Home to Bright Star to the pre-Broadway tryout of Head Over Heels to The Jungle. I could always pick up cheap seats, except when Dear Evan Hansen toured. That's great for me, the theatergoer. It's not necessarily so great for Carole Shorenstein Hays and the company managing the Curran. Moreover, having Harry Potter close in September leaves the theater - my favorite of the large San Francisco houses - with a whole season to fill and not much to fill it with.

My impression is that the San Francisco touring houses are struggling. I saw Hadestown during its recent stop, on a Sunday, and there were plenty of empty seats. My Fair Lady didn't do much better, especially considering its stature as a classic musical. Whoever's bright idea it was to not require masks once San Francisco stopped its mandate it may be making a mistake, at least in San Francisco. Smaller theaters in SF and the Berkeley Rep still require masks, and they seem to be doing better - even if the Berkeley Rep is using TodayTix for plays with a frequency it didn't before the pandemic.

As for the cast, Jon Steiger as Scorpius Malfoy was definitely a standout. He stole the show, at least as much as that's possible in a play with so many impressive special effects along with those weird movement/dance interludes and a clunky, hyperactive story.

[Kitsune]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 12:12am

I had tickets to the SF production that would have been a few weeks after the shutdown in 2020. By the time things re-opened, JK Rowling had doubled down on her stances so much that I had no interest in seeing the show (despite its reputation as an impressive piece of theater).

Bear88, I thought the Hadestown tour was well attended when I went, but I guess it always depends on the night. The Prom, on the other hand, felt pretty empty.

I've missed the Curran's previous programming. The other San Francisco touring houses are huge and more intimate shows feel lost in them. (And no matter what is playing at the Golden Gate, the accoustics are always bad).

I will second (third?) the recommendation for Follies at SF Playhouse. We also saw Dreaming in Cuban at Central Works in Berkeley, which I recommend and I believe has one more weekend.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 12:15am

This is not good, considering they wanted SF to be a "flagship" of sorts for the West Coast. They could prob fill 6-12 months in Chicago and LA (ideally in that order, give the W Coast a break). Was the SF physical production built to move, or is it identical to Broadway?

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 12:40am

This isn’t a show that can tour. I think even opening on the West Coast was the wrong move. The entire Broadway theater was fitted to this specific show. So it makes it such an immersive fun experience. Same for the show in London. And I am sure they did the same for SF. But I think having fewer running productions out there makes seeing the ones you see that more memorable.

I don’t see it doing 6 months here or there unless they figure out a way to minimize the production value which would lessen the show. 
 

But I do think it’s ran it’s life in SF. SF is great but I’m not sure it’s a huge tourist destination for theater. So maybe this is what they had expected or planned. 

[bear88]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:01am

Kitsune said: "I had tickets to the SF production that would have been a few weeks after the shutdown in 2020. By the time things re-opened, JK Rowling had doubled down on her stances so much that I had no interest in seeing the show (despite its reputation as an impressive piece of theater).

Bear88, I thought the Hadestown tour was well attended when I went, but I guess it always depends on the night. The Prom, on the other hand, felt pretty empty.

I've missed the Curran's previous programming. The other San Francisco touring houses are huge and more intimate shows feel lost in them. (And no matter what is playing at the Golden Gate, the accoustics are always bad).

I will second (third?) the recommendation for Follies at SF Playhouse. We also saw Dreaming in Cuban at Central Works in Berkeley, which I recommend and I believe has one more weekend."

I am sure it probably depends. I saw Hadestown on Father’s Day, which may have hurt attendance a little. It wasn’t empty. I just thought it would do better. The Band’s Visit drew a pretty good crowd during the winter on a weekend evening. (Masks were still required then, not sure if that mattered.) The sound wasn’t good at the Golden Gate, though.

I’m seeing Follies this weekend, hopefully. (There have been Covid outbreaks among the large cast.) 

I, too, have missed the Curran’s previous programming, and the more intimate scale of the theater. Shows aren’t swallowed up. The sound is fine. The management group brought in to run Harry Potter will still be running things, the Chron reported today. So I’m not sure we will necessarily get the more adventurous lineup of shows we’d prefer.

Rowling definitely didn’t help the play in San Francisco, which seemed to have been envisioned at its West Coast destination. You’re an example of that. A lot happened between 2019 and now. The bloom is off the Harry Potter rose, for a variety of reasons. Today’s teenagers aren’t going to care about a spin on old Harry Potter books and movies. And there’s only so times you can be impressed by the special effects and overlook that it’s more of an experience than an actual play. 

One relieved person: my wife. She never liked the books (thought the writing was insufferable), had no interest in the films and no desire to see the play.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:17pm

I don't know where it could play in Los Angeles. I don't think the Dolby or Ahmanson would want to renovate their theatres for the sake of an immersive experience like this, and none of the theatres in Downtown LA have the backstage or loading space. The Pantages would make sense in scale, but I don't think they have the space for certain effects, and the architecture is so historic that I don't see them changing it for the production. Chicago might make sense, unless it would take away from NYC too much. (Plenty of shows have had Chicago sit-downs, but Cursed Child is SO tourist-heavy, I'm not sure if it's worth it.)

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 1:38pm

I always hoped if it came to Chicago they would take over the studebaker in the fine arts building on Michigan avenue. It recently just finished a multi million dollar renovation 

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 9:21pm

San Francisco is a dirty, scary sh*thole. Patrons are not coming back because the city is a mess, and it's dangerous. Especially around the Golden Gate and Orpheum....you practically have to pack heat to feel safe there nowadays. The Prom...empty. Band's Visit....empty. Oklahoma....not selling...empty. Not to mention the others mentioned above. 

Patrons don't want to deal with the homeless, the filth, and the drama of seeing a show in the city. I saw Harry Potter in SF in May and the theater was half empty....and this was a Saturday matinee. The Curran is in a better location, but HP has limited appeal. 

Updated On: 7/29/22 at 09:21 PM

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 10:56pm

Uhhh… I live three blocks away from the Curran and I love every minute of it. Reminds me a lot of living in Manhattan and Brooklyn. San Francisco is one of the greatest places to live in the world. 

Updated On: 7/30/22 at 10:56 PM

[bear88]

Posted: 7/29/22 at 11:16pm

Those critiques aren’t new and applied before the pandemic, when good seats were tough to find at popular shows. Attendance is soft at the big touring houses, but it’s also down at San Francisco Giants games. One big problem for SF entertainment (not counting the NBA champion Warriors) is that fewer people work in San Francisco.

I am one of them. My job went remote in the late summer of 2019, before COVID-19. That changed theatergoing for me. I used to buy tickets on my way to work or stop by at lunch and my wife would meet me. Now it’s a special trip and I am less likely to catch weeknight shows on a whim because the timing is difficult. I am not the only person who falls in that category. It poses a challenge for a lot of entertainment venues, I believe. COVID-19 concerns haven’t helped either. I am not a fan of the SF touring houses’ policy of not requiring masks, and some people may still be avoiding theaters.

Updated On: 7/31/22 at 11:16 PM

[Stellasteve]

Posted: 8/25/22 at 4:04am

bear88 said: "Those critiques aren’t new and applied before the pandemic, when good seats were tough to find at popular shows. Attendance is soft at the big touring houses, but it’s also down at San Francisco Giants games. One big problem for SF entertainment (not counting the NBA champion Warriors) is that fewer people work in San Francisco.

That's definitely true, Bear, and I think another factor affecting the Potter sit-down specifically is the decreased conference activity and probably reduced tourism.  A parent has a conference in San Francisco and brings the family along, and going to see HP makes a fun activity.  But just as many people aren't going to the office, business travel is still limited at many companies.  Regarding tourism, I was able to book a last minute hotel room at the Westin St. Francis for $150 for a Saturday night when I took my daughter to Hadestown; the same weekend my wife had to pay $250 for a Doubletree in Torrance.  There are tourists around, but it feels less crowded in the city this summer for sure.

 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 4:13pm

Well, last night was a special night.

The closing performance of this production was filled with such love outpouring from the audience: the opening montage received multiple swells of applause and you could see the appreciation on each of the actor's faces as they entered. The entrance of John Skelley and Benjamin Papac received almost deafening applause, and Ben in particular seemed touched by the show of affection. The actors were professional as always, powering through swells of applause and cheering throughout the show, trying to preserve their best performances through it all.

But at several moments, the actors slowed down to savor the moment. Different lines landed differently and the emotional scenes were raw and unrestrained. It was a final performance in all the best ways: actors were saying goodbye to each other in their final scenes, tears welled throughout, and applause routinely broke out. If the pacing was slightly off as the actors felt the emotional weight of different moments, it was a trade off that served this show, last night.

I've written too much about this show on here before, so I'll just reiterate my favorite moments.

- The Harry/Albus argument still hit like a ton of bricks. Papac's Albus, usually so guarded and restrained, was unvarnished. You could truly see each word hit him and change his physical presence. "No luck or love for me" was a restrained cry.

- The library scene was on fire. Jon Steiger and Papac were openly crying throughout most of it. And the tenderness and need for each other was apparent. Their twin monologues were more openly emotional and the romantic underpinnings were essentially played as text.

- Brittany Zeinstra flung the word "love" out like a dagger after torturing Scorpius, laughing as Albus watched helplessly to twist the knife.The audience understood.

- The double whammy of the final two scenes brought down the house. As Albus and Scorpius spoke of a "new version of us", Rose entered and gestured to the two, who quickly sprung away from each other. "This," she says, pointing at the two boys with a wink, "is only going to be weird if you two let it be weird." The hug afterwards was restrained, yet Papac's expression as he watches Scorpius walk away says everything.

- Papac was openly sobbing throughout the entire final scene, but was actively trying not to. That made it all the more affecting. The scene was finally a coming out scene in full, with Papac's quivering voice telling his father "Scorpius is the most important person in my life and he might always be the most important." Skelley's acceptance of his son and the final embrace between the two ended one of the most touching renditions of the scene I had ever seen.

Abbi Hawk was a lovely change as Ginny, and there was an alternate on as Hermione who was ferociously great. Kita Grayson played Myrtle and Polly with Aplomb.

A very special show for me this year that came out of the blue. I am so blessed to have been able to see it many times. I wish more people got to experience of Papac and Streiger's performances. Assuming the Broadway performance is still going strong, I hope they might potentially be making a leap to that production. Papac, in particular, brings so much nuance and depth to a difficult role. He gave a titanic performance at every performance I saw, finally rooting Albus firmly as the protagonist of the story. Magical stuff.

Skelley gave a brief speech at the end of show, thanking the audiences for sharing with experience. Many in the cast were teary, taking in the ecstatic applause from a nearly sold-out house. With a cast full of many young actors, it was touching seeing them experience a long run at this caliber and I'm excited to see what happens for them next.

Sad this show is gone, but excited to see what will play the Curran next. I'm hoping it will be as magical as this production was.

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 04:13 PM