Theater News

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child May Take Over Broadway's Renovated Lyric Theatre

The magical play will get a tailor-made Broadway home.

Jamie Parker stars as Harry Potter in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Jamie Parker stars as Harry Potter in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
(© Manuel Harlan)

Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, with J.K. Rowling, have confirmed they are in exclusive talks with the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) to bring the London hit, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, to Broadway's Lyric Theatre in the spring of 2018.

It was announced earlier today that Cirque du Soleil Paramour would be leaving the theater this April as it undergoes a renovations. ATG is planning a multi-million dollar renovation to completely transform, remodel and reconfigure the 1,900 seat theater and turn it into a scaled down, more intimate playhouse, with approximately 1,500 seats.

Friedman and Callender said, "We are thrilled about ATG’s ambitious plans which will provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a unique theater space tailored to the specific needs of the production over the play’s two parts. The remodeled Lyric will include a smaller auditorium redesigned to the specifications of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child team, as well as an adapted proscenium and stage that can house designer Christine Jones’ glorious set without swamping or compromising director John Tiffany’s brilliant staging. The spacious front of house environment will also be transformed to optimize the atmosphere and audience experience."

"But above all," Friedman and Callender continued, "ATG’s plans will provide Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with a bespoke home that will be intimate enough for a drama, yet big enough for us to deliver on our commitment to provide audiences with access to low priced tickets throughout the auditorium."

J.K. Rowling added, "I’m delighted we are one step closer in bringing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Broadway and very excited by the proposed plans."

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is written by Jack Thorne and directed by Tiffany, with movement by Steven Hoggett. The two-part play is now in performances at the West End's Palace Theatre.