Harry Potter and the Cursed Child broke a Broadway record in preview sales with over $2 million gross last week – becoming the top-grossing play in Broadway history.
The play has been highly anticipated since author J.K. Rowling announced the release of the story nine years after the last book in the Harry Potter series was printed in 2007. The show, written by Jack Thorne, was split into eight parts – four shows for both the first and second part of the play. Although the Lyric Theatre only offered 300 seats for a mere $40 or less a piece, it still managed to break the previous $1.6 million record from All The Way in 2014.
Cursed Child takes place 19 years after the events in The Deathly Hallows, following the main character Harry Potter and his younger son, Albus Severus Potter. Harry, now a Ministry of Magic employee, is about to send his son off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of the beloved characters from the series make appearances as well, such as Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, and their collective children.
Returning actors include those from the first run on West End, including Sam Clemmett, Jamie Parker, Anthony Boyle, Noma Dumezweni, and Paul Thornley. Last year, the show received a record-breaking eleven nominations and nine awards at the Olivier Awards in London, including Best Play, Best Actor, and Best Director.
Cursed Child will officially begin its U.S. run on April 22 and is expected to sell very well, claiming a spot on Broadway’s top-selling shows alongside Wicked, Hamilton, and Frozen. This year may just be the record-breaking year for theater in general, as many shows debut and are in the works.
