Theater Round-Up: ‘Cursed Child’ Conjures Record Sales in Australia, Imogen Heap Talks Soundtrack and More!
Aug 09, 2018
BigNews, Broadway, Fandom, Fans, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, HP Cast, Interviews, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, McCrory, Music, News, Noma Dumezweni, Potter News, Round-Up, Steven Hoggett, Theater, Theater Round-Up, West End
This week in theater news, we review Harry Potter and the Cursed Child news worldwide. From Melbourne, Australia to London and Broadway, we cover the latest on record-breaking ticket sales, photo ops with alums Helen McCrory and Noma Dumezweni, a stunning victory for the Fizzing Whizbees and a new mini trailer.
Imogen Heap, creator of the Cursed Child soundtrack, and movement director Steven Hoggett also sat down for interviews discussing their work. Read on for more details!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child News Around the World
According to the Daily Mail, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has already made history in the Australian theater world with record breaking ticket sales. Though things got off to a shaky start Monday when Ticketmaster was temporarily overwhelmed by the demand, lucky fans still managed to purchase 200,000 pre-sale tickets in a manner of hours, totaling over $25 million in sales.
Some fans were understandably frustrated by the glitches in the process, as well as the tickets getting snatched up so quickly, but, following precedent set in London and New York, a new batch will no doubt be released very soon!
Meanwhile, Leaky reported on the upcoming autism-friendly productions to be held at the West End’s Palace Theatre in London. Through partnership with the National Autistic Society, the performances will be specially geared to meet the needs of theater-goers with autism and other learning disabilities, from altering the sound and special effects of the production to creating a more relaxed environment in the theater itself. Tickets are on sale now, and director John Tiffany and writer Jack Thorne discussed the special opportunity below.
#CursedChild director John Tiffany & writer Jack Thorne talk about the upcoming special performances of Parts One & Two on August 23 & 24 adapted for autistic patrons and their families (in association with @Autism). Tickets are available now. https://t.co/QYIGtFAF9Bpic.twitter.com/eosgMJ9puQ
— Cursed Child Play (@HPPlayLDN) August 6, 2018
As they prepare for the Aug. 23 and 24 shows, regular performances continue like clockwork, and last week the London production even had a special guest in the audience! Helen McCrory, who played Narcissa Malfoy in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter series, took a photo with James Howard (Draco Malfoy) and Jonathan Case (Scorpius Malfoy) after the show for a delightful Malfoy family reunion.
Across the pond in New York, fans were posing for a different kind of photo op, though no less exciting. Two Potter fans got engaged outside the Lyric Theater and snagged a congratulatory group picture with the Olivier-winning original cast member Noma Dumezweni. (Scroll through to catch the happy trio!)
It Happened Ladies and Gentlemen, We are incredibly happy to announce that after four years we are finally ENGAGED! It couldn’t have happened more perfectly tonight. In @newyork, in front of the @lyricbroadway after seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and we had the absolute pleasure of being congratulated by The Cursed Child’s own Hermione Granger herself, @missdumezweni The past couple of nights have been absolutely amazing. I can’t explain the emotions I have running through me. Thank you Noma for your kind words and taking the time to congratulate and give us an encouraging talk, our incredible friends that have been with us every step of the way, and a big thank you to @snappedus for taking these incredible photos. This night means everything to me. ?? #nyc #newyork #newyorkcity #proposal #engaged #engagement #harrypotter #hp #potterhead #pottermore #cursedchild #broadway #timessquare #engagementphotos #magic #love #newtscamander #cosplay #cosplayer #loves #costume #fiance #newyorker A post shared by Nick Cooper (@infinite_mischief_cosplays) on
The Broadway cast were celebrating on the ball field as well after a blowout win during week three of the Broadway Show League playoffs. Alex Price, New York’s Draco Malfoy, worked some magic as MVP and led the Fizzing Whizbees to a dominant 24-4 win! Next up, the wizarding ballplayers will face Kinky Boots in a tough rematch–let’s hope they can keep the streak alive!
MVP @AlexPriceActor led the Fizzing Whizzbees to an epic 24-4 victory this afternoon against USA 829/Local 4! Many firsts in this game, including home runs and double plays!
Join us in two weeks for a rematch against @KinkyBootsBway!#CursedChildNYC#BroadwayShowLeaguepic.twitter.com/Sc2dE9yu0r
— Lyric Theatre (@lyricbroadway) August 2, 2018
Finally, to remind fans of the on-stage magic conjured within the theater, the phenomenon that started it all, Cursed Child NYC put out a mesmerizing mini promotional trailer. Watch at your own risk–it will no doubt cast an unforgettable spell, in which case, see link to ticket information provided!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Live on Broadway. Find all ticket information here https://t.co/3NIB8YkAbmpic.twitter.com/0zP3xfheam
— Cursed Child NYC (@HPPlayNYC) August 7, 2018
Imogen Heap Talks Cursed Child Soundtrack
Imogen Heap, the Grammy award-winning musician and innovator, and recent MPG Inspiration Award recipient, recently spoke to PSN Europe about her eclectic and impressive career, which has culminated in a soundtrack for the Harry Potter and Cursed Child soundtrack which has enchanted audiences for two years now.
Explaining how she first got involved in the project, Heap said:
“A few years ago I got a call from my friend Steven Hoggett, who said he was working on a production where they were really into my music and he was temping loads of my stuff. He asked if I was happy for him to carry on and I said, Yeah, what is it? He just said, It’s about a boy with a scar… So eventually I went into a meeting with them and they were testing out some material and played some music of mine. They were trying to get the look of the Dementors and were using a piece of music I’d written and it really fitted. There was this clear magic between these two worlds. Then they asked if I would make the music for the play. It took a long time to hit me just how a big a deal it was, but from then on I went into production and rehearsals, and Stephen, who knows my music really well, was picking things out, knowing which songs would work in each part. We started getting together all the stems from the past 15 years, which is quite a big job. We set up everything in Ableton so I could work really quickly. It really tested me because I’d never worked that fast or under that much pressure. Sometimes we had nothing, so I’d have to make something from scratch and make it in five minutes. But it was so much fun.”
The process of creating the soundtrack was clearly unique, but that’s what the producers were looking for, something original, something unlike any other production, something–magical. And though Heap was, admittedly, not very familiar with the source material, that didn’t inhibit her ability to provide just that. She explained:
“I had seen a couple of the films, but I hadn’t read any of the books…The good thing was that they didn’t want me to make a soundtrack like any of the films. This was a whole other beast. It’s not like the films, it’s not like the books – it’s a play. That was part of the reason they got me involved; I hadn’t done anything like it before and they wanted something truly original. Obviously we’d been watching it on and off for months, but when the audience came in for the first time that was really exciting. You’re one step removed, you can’t change anything. I was really amazed at what we did in such a short space of time. It was really fascinating to see the process of theatre and how everyone is at the top of their game – the lighting guys were amazing, the projection guys were incredible, and I was in awe of the sound designer, Gareth Fry.”
Read her full interview with PSN Europe here.
Steven Hoggett on Workshop We Are Here
Steven Hoggett is best known to Potter fans as the inventive movement director for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Now Hoggett has teamed with famed producer, songwriter and musician Niles Rodgers in a new production exploring the world of disco.
Hoggett directed the workshop production We Are Here, set as disco took over the 1970s music scene in New York City, and aimed to introduce audiences to more than a few memorable tracks and groovy beats. There was a story to be told as well. He elaborated:
“The minute you start to look at disco beyond the immediate sheen of it, it’s really fascinating…It’s an incredible part of New York history and the early ’70s. And then Nile, really if you just start to list everything he did in those years, but also the minute you step outside that you look at all his production credits and writing credits, yeah you just start to really track this beautiful journey through music.
“I always liked the idea of music having that kind of, just different streams of influence just flying over each other and everywhere else. It’s nice to really show what Nile did and thought and said – and what he produced and how he produced it, and how he stayed true but was developing, pioneering at the same time. So, that’s been a real joy.”
According to CBS News, the brief run ended Aug. 4, but hopefully Hoggett will continue to implement his unique take on movement and stagecraft in theater for some time to come!
