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'Cursed Child' breaks theater production records
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has broken the theatrical record as the most expensive non-musical to ever hit Broadway.
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The Palace Theatre is seen in this file photograph ahead of the July 30, 2016 London premiere of the 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)
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em>Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which opened last Sunday at The Lyric Theatre in New York, has broken the theatrical record as the most expensive non-musical to ever hit Broadway, as reported by The Telegraph.
It has an estimated production cost of US$68.5 million, including $35.5 million in capital and another $33 million to clear out and renovate the theater to host the production.
Among many reasons why The Cursed Child is expensive is that the two-act play, which premiered 2016 in London, requires about twice as much time for the cast to rehearse.
The show also uses a lot of technical illusions that required extra training for stagehands to operate the necessary sub-stage mechanics.
Read also: ‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic’ goes online
Its cast and crew is much bigger than average plays and comprises 40 actors, 26 crew, 16 makeup and wardrobe artists and five stage managers.
Several Broadway commentators believe that The Cursed Child is a safe investment and could run for many years. Despite still being shown in previews, the play has already begun to recover costs. In the first week of April alone, it pulled in $2.1 million from the box office, the highest single-week takings for any Broadway play.
Last year, the play won nine Olivier Awards, breaking the record for the most awards won by a single play.
Written by Jack Thorne, The Cursed Child is a spin-off from the original Harry Potter literary series by JK Rowling. It is a mix of friendship, family and drama, where Potter’s son Albus befriends Scorpius, the son of former rival Draco Malfoy. (ely/wng)
