Harry Potter’s Sophomore Slump: ‘Cursed Child’ Loses Steam on Broadway

Perhaps if they sold tix to parts 1 and 2 as a combo deal they'd do better?

The play (and the franchise) has lost its footing because: -It's extremely expensive -You need to commit to two costly tickets, instead of one -You need to commit five and a half hours over two days to get the entire story - which is a lot for a family with children -The story itself just isn't that good and is a bit of a turnoff for long time fans of the franchise. Fantastic Beasts lackluster second film probably didn't help the hype because it's another symptom of the larger ill: the story has lost its magic somewhere along the way.

Well, the attitude of the theater management might also have something to do with their problems. - They were offended when I asked if the recycle soda bottles (as required by NYC / NYS law). - They were angry when I asked how a handicapped person could get out of a rest room with inward opening doors. - They couldn't care less when I expressed concern over fire doors that were proped open (in violation of the NYC Building Code). - They were outraged when I questioned their right to take over and control public sidewalks adjacent to the theater. I don't see these as the behavior of Joann Rowling who, I believe, has a genuine concern for people. But it told me quite a bit about the people who are putting on the plays.

Saw it in London earlier this year: IMO it was magnificent and worth every penny (or pound). If you are not already familiar with the books, it would be harder to follow and you'd miss many references, but I am very surprised that any Potter fan would say that it's not very good.

Harry Potter isn't yet at the Star Wars/Disney princess/NFL "wring every penny from fans" level of exploitation, but not from a lack of effort. $40 for a book about a subpar spinoff show? It's a good start, but I'd like to see kids paying $200 to snap together plastic wands, like Disney does with those lightsabers.

I just saw The Cursed Child this past Wednesday and absolutely loved it! Yes, ticket prices have come down (yea!) but the house was sold out. Yes, it is quite a time commitment, but so worth it! It was also nice to think that everyone in the house was a huge Harry Potter fan.

Has anyone considered that sales have slumped because the material is substandard? I understand there are a lot of neat special effects, but The Cursed Child is not Harry Potter canon. The story, which was not written by J.K. Rowling, has characters acting in ways they would never act. I would give examples, but don’t want to spoil it for anyone who is interested in reading or seeing the play. Let’s just say multiple parts of the plot are preposterous. Again, maybe it’s not prices. Maybe people have just figured out that it’s not very good.

I got a chance to see this show with the original cast last January. It was one of the best Broadway performances I've seen and did the matinee/evening marathon viewing. It wasn't that bad with the long intermission and kept the show fresh. While tickets are cheap, its worth seeing. Aside from Hamilton, its one of the best shows I've seen in a while. I can see how ticket prices and such would make this harder for the average tourist to commit the time and money to see it. Its probably harder for any locals, to be honest. However, if cost is a factor, I think a theater change could help. New Word Stages is a great location that can still accommodate 800-seat audiences (vs 1500). Shows like BMG and STOMP have long entertained and survived in off-Broadway land. Maybe this could be a future for Harry Potter? Its not so bad if the stories are still being told well even if moved out of the larger venues.

The ticket prices are too high. The ticket prices are too high. The ticket prices are too high.

I definitely think that lowering ticket prices on this one over all makes it more affordable for families with children who would want to see the show and will keep their attendance high. The problem I have with it, is the script. As a big Potter fan who does theatre, I obtained a copy of the script as soon as it was published since I knew I wasn't going to get to see the show "any time soon." (at the time, it was only playing in London). I wasn't very impressed with the script, but decided to withhold my judgement until I could see the show. (which happened in August 2018 and I didn't reread before seeing it) I now rave about the production and still think the script is a mess, but am more forgiving of it as an entire package. The problem is, I wasn't alone in my read of the script, and many of those people aren't accustomed to reading scripts so some can't see past to the production potential. I have heard many big Potter fans say they won't see the show because they don't like the script. Those are the people they need to win over, the fans who don't love the script. Maybe the new marketing will help since the video I've seen from it looks great without giving too much away. I do hope they are able to sustain, I would like to see it again at some point, but don't get to the city very often, and this production is not one that is conducive to touring. It's worth seeing for the magic they produce on stage.