Harry Potter and The Not-So-Cursed Play

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. I decided not to #KeepTheSecrets because the plot of this play has been out in the world for quite some time now. While I understand that the play is performed in and is accessible to only a select few cities around the world, the script was released world-wide and with a lot of hype exactly three years ago today. I assume that you, the reader, are either someone who cares deeply about the HP world and has since then read the script and formed your own opinion about it, or you’re someone who does not, in fact, eat, sleep and breathe the Wizarding World (which is, uh, fine) and hence won’t be too concerned with spoilers anyway.

Ever since July 31st 2016, I have been walking around in righteous indignation. This was the day the script of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was released. You see, the Harry Potter series has always meant a lot to me (that’s a wee bit of understatement), and over the years I have joyfully welcomed each new offering with unbridled delight – each new book and movie has been eagerly awaited and duly squealed over in rapturous joy.

So I was just as excited when I first heard about The Cursed Child – the eighth story, finally! In addition to expanding the universe, this story was released when I was an adult living in NYC, and had the ability to line up outside bookstores at midnight with no judgment whatsoever. For all of the books that came before, I’ve lived in a small town in India where my parents were required to drive me to a bookstore miles away in the middle of the night for the book release (needless to say, we never did that). But in July 2016, I was finally adult enough to truly indulge in my childhood obsession, and I went to my first ever book release party and thoroughly enjoyed it. The HP love was at an all-time high.

However, my excitement plummeted rapidly in the two hours it took me to actually read the Cursed Child script. I wanted to like it, so badly, and yes, if I squinted really hard I could see glimpses of the warmth and fun of the original HP magic, the humor I loved. But that was vastly overpowered by a growing sense of dismay – the story didn’t seem real. It appeared to be a pale imitation of the original books. It just wasn’t what I expected of Rowling’s world, rich and detailed. I tried to make allowances for the fact that it was a script and not a descriptive novel, and hence did not have a lot of room for flowing and wonderful prose – but nothing, nothing could explain away the shoddy plot. It was out-of-character, sloppy writing (a time-turner plot, are you kidding me?!), and apart from the fanfiction trope of heavily relying on the source material, it was just lazy writing with hardly any new material. Instead of furthering the story, it was along the lines of – okay, we’re going to go back in time and mess with the story you know and love. And then mess it up again. And again. And then sort of messily fix it, ta-daa! The few elements that were new were also all kinds of ridiculous – Voldemort and Bellatrix having a kid, the trolley witch secretly being a crazy killer machine, Harry being a terrible father to his Slytherin son, and a half-Indian character named, of all things, Panju Weasley?

So…yes. Like I said, I have been considering The Cursed Child mediocre fanfiction, and have been very disappointed with Rowling (my Queen!) for trying to capitalize on her cash cow – it felt like she was using all the love we have for her creation, and sullying it. At this point, it felt like we the readers, the Potterheads, know the characters and the rules of the Wizarding World so much better than the author herself. I will still pay anything for HP, but please stay true to canon! Do you know how I, and millions of people have grown up reading and re-reading these books, poring over them like some form of sacred text or gospel? We have found comfort and solace in these characters. We have learnt about wars and racism and depression, and the incredible power of love. We have found heartbreak and euphoria, liquid luck and pure nerve and courage. We have lived all these lives and been all these characters, and Hogwarts is our collective safe space. And we are incredibly grateful for the gift of this fantastic world, but please, Rowling, let us all agree to leave its sanctity intact.

Anyway, this March a friend of mine won cheap lottery tickets to The Cursed Child show on Broadway, and asked if I’d like to go. I was pretty conflicted about it, and debated for a week or so until I decided that well, I love HP and I love Broadway, and this might be my last year in NYC – so while I’m here, I might as well grab the opportunity. Thus on the 7th and 8th of March, I walked into the Lyric Theatre on Broadway, because this is a two-part play, performed in roughly 2.5 hour slots each on two adjacent days. I walked in feeling tentative, skeptical, and trying not to get my hopes up. My walls of cynicism and defenses were firmly up. But as the queue moved towards the theatre entrance, with each step the walls slowly, infinitesimally started lowering. The entire audience was dressed up in robes and cloaks. They brandished wands and sported Deathly Hallows beanies. I could taste the excitement in the air. The line inched closer and closer, and I started catching glimpses of the Potter world.

The Lyric theatre at Times Square.

And the moment I stepped in – there it was. Rows and rows of merchandise, of course – but between the feeling of oh, they know that we Potterheads would shell out our Galleons for not just one, but two consecutive performances based on a flawed script – in the middle of that feeling started creeping the warmth of the Potter love.

Instead of a coldly calculated money scheme, it started feeling like a warm indulgence, a welcoming arena, inviting me to revisit the Wizarding World yet again, invited in by fellow Potterheads who get it. Who share my passion. Who are as enamored by magic as I am – see, the Lyric Theatre isn’t just a neutral venue which happens to host the Harry Potter plays. Instead, the entire theatre has been transformed into a thing of magical wonder. Even before the show began, I was flooded with familiar love and nostalgia. The carpeted floor was an ode to Harry. The walls. The ceilings.

And then I entered a little round alcove of Patronus-es, silvery-white and literally born of words, powerful words from the Harry Potter universe itself. A world we love, inviting us back in with a warm embrace. It reminded me of the happy daze I felt while wandering around Hogsmeade at Universal Studios. The producers of the Cursed Child had planned out the theatre experience thoroughly. Very well then, ten points to Gryffindor. Moving on.

The doe Patronus, made out of ‘the bravest man I ever knew’!

We finally wandered over to our seats in the balcony. I pored over the Playbill, as I always do, and they had a couple of helpful pages recapping the story from the seven books so far! Appreciate the effort, but if someone doesn’t know that story yet, well, what are you even doing in this theatre? Anyway, the lights went down, dimming my judgmental expression in the process, and Part I had begun. I perched at the very edge of my seat, and lost myself into a sweeping story which started nineteen years later at King’s Cross station. The actors were very talented, suitcases were rolled along and stacked and danced around with for quite effective set changes, and yes, the plot hadn’t magically morphed into a truer canon version (I was half-hoping the travesty they’d released was actually a joke script, and the actual show would be based on a completely different script. No such luck). Little Scorpius was as precious as ever, and he leaped off the pages into perfection. Albus was all misunderstood teenage angst – very reminiscent of Capslock Harry in Order of the Phoenix! The trio was as lovely as ever, albeit odd to see them as adults with jobs and children. And while the shenanigans continued, what was truly astonishing were the special effects.

At one point during Part I, we watched three characters take Polyjuice Potion, which transforms a person into someone else. This is a very familiar concept to us long-time readers. However, we’ve only watched it play out in our imaginations while reading, and by the Muggle magic of graphics and processing in the movies (I must admit, movie editing is sort of a black box for me, I have no idea how it all happens. It’s pretty magical). Well, this time I watched three people turn into three other people right in front of my eyes! They were on the stage, under the spotlight, doubling over in discomfort after consuming the potion, and voila – they changed into someone else! I was looking so hard to catch the moment when the actors switch – but it was very slick sleight-of-hand, and almost impossible to see how it all happened, except you know, because of a magical potion.

The Time Turner which I had mocked mercilessly – well, every time it was activated, there would be this extraordinary rippling effect of the stage and theatre sort of shivering and fading in and out, and what almost felt like a sonic boom – very realistic, and so much more effective at conveying what had happened. I have no words. In fact, the relevant words to explain this effect in the script are – “and there is a giant whoosh of light. A smash of noise. And time stops. And then it turns over, thinks a bit, and begins spooling backwards, slow at first . . . And then it speeds up” and I don’t think that captures it either!

Towards the end of Part I, the story ends up in an alternate timeline in which Cedric is a Death Eater, Harry’s dead and Voldemort won the war. I remember reading a fairly ridiculous account of Scorpius realizing that Harry’s death means his best friend Albus never existed, he himself is popular instead of scorned (“Scorpion King”), and the world is currently celebrating something called Voldemort Day, complete with banners. It sounded pretty comical in the script, but it was done horrifyingly well in the theatre. As Scorpius pops out of the lake, and starts realizing that something has gone very wrong, the music gets ominous and cold, and the set gets darker and darker, goosebumps erupted on my arms, while a sinister Umbridge is announcing that Harry Potter died many years ago, and there hasn’t been a Potter at Hogwarts since, suddenly eerie-looking Dementors float onto the stage. They close in around Scorpius, spooky and forbidding… and as the entire audience held their collective breath and leaned forward – suddenly a gasp went through the theatre as one of the Dementors slowly floated off the stage and into the audience. Haunted and awe-struck, I stared, while suddenly Voldemort’s banner is unfurled in the background, the familiar snake coming out of the skull, and…. end of Part I.

Beaming at the end of the first show!

I sat back in shock and exhilaration, suddenly wrenched back into the real world. My heart was pounding away, my cheeks were flushed and I was breathing like I’d just run up five sets of staircases. Alright, I’m convinced. You’ve won me over, Rowling! I can see why, with such a thrilling cliffhanger ending to Part I, people come eagerly back the next day to watch ANOTHER show. I’m certainly coming back!

The next day, I was all prepped and ready to come back. I had no reservations for Part II. I was excited and jumpy all day, because I knew that a thrilling, loving world was waiting for me. The actors whose talents and skills I so admired would still be there, waiting for me. It’s a very unique feeling, to only see one half of a show, and then come back home to wait for the second half the next day. Through all my various Broadway experiences, this is not a feeling I have felt, and definitely not at this level. Occasionally, when I’m reading a book and am waiting for the sequel, it can take upto years for the next book to be released. If there is a pause in the middle of a Broadway show or movie, well, that’s usually a 15-20 minute intermission, and then you begin again. In this case it felt like an intermission, but one which spanned an entire night and a whole work day (you can imagine how much I got done that Friday). Anyway, I had no reservations left, and was all in with the excitement. I don’t have a lot of HP wearable gear (a massive gap in my wardrobe, I now realize) but I did walk into Part II wearing my House colors (Ravenclaw all the way, baby!), and topped it off with my tiny Deathly Hallows necklace.

Once again, we headed over to Times Square, and queued up outside Lyric. The crowd seemed even more excited than before, and there was a thrum of anticipation as we fidgeted and bounced up and down on our toes. There was no rush to locate our seats, because everyone knew exactly where to go. This gave me extra time for some photo opportunities.

Here I am in my Ravenclaw blues, with my tiny Deathly Hallows pendant glinting.

Once again, the lights dimmed and the show began. And the magic picked up right where it had left off. The characters, familiar and beloved by now, walked in and won our hearts again. The audience squealed and applauded as a surly Severus Snape turned up in an alternate timeline. We clapped as Ron and Hermione re-united once again. But the absolute best moment was a particular scene where the trio, along with Draco and Ginny, finally suspect that Delphi (the annoying progeny of Voldemort and Bellatrix) might be evil, and they get to her room to search for clues. They end up stumbling upon a prophecy written on the walls, and start reading it out loud. As for me, I was sitting there in my balcony seat, leaning over the edge to squint at the stage and the set to see if I could make out any of the words of the prophecy, when suddenly, the entire theatre LIT UP with words. On the theater walls, the ceiling, above, behind, everywhere – they had the prophecy scribbled over and over, all over the theatre. It was such a gripping, immersive experience – and I love the producers for doing that. Not just for putting up a Harry Potter-based play in a nice theatre, but using the whole space of the theatre to contain this play. To not limit it to the stage and the actors, but bring the audience into the room, into the scene, make them feel a part of the story. It was mesmerizing and magical, and it felt like they did justice to the Pottermania. To the Potter fans. To the audience full of people whose childhood was defined by this boy wizard, and this wonderful world of love and magic. I sighed with happiness, mollified at the whole Cursed Child concept, and walked out of the theater with my love restored and intact.

All was well.

Reason #14 Why I Love New York: Stories on Broadway!

If you have ever met me, you know that I LOVE stories. I have been a bookworm since I can remember. I was reading before my parents realized I could, around the age of 4. And it never went away – I am constantly seeking out more stories all day, every day. My day begins with a book along with my morning coffee. I switch over to real-life stories on podcasts while I’m working in lab (after  five years of research, I’m fully capable of doing most benchwork on autopilot, once I’ve thought out my experiments). I then segue into binge-watching dramatic TV shows (especially ones with more than 5 seasons. Stories that go on and on!) at dinnertime, and then back to reading in bed before I fall asleep.

A lot of my favorite stories are fiction – because I like to lose myself into something bigger and better, something different and more fantastical. Something grand, with a flourish of dramatic emotions and uncontrollable passion.

However, stories based are reality are often equally strange and compelling. While my preferred format for non-fiction stories is hardly ever in the form of books, I do thoroughly enjoy listening to people narrate their tales, in the way of loud impassioned conversations during lunch in the cafeteria or while catching up over coffee. Some people have the most exciting content, because they live pretty exciting lives, and then there are others whose narration is so descriptive that they make the most mundane events sound fascinating. I’m constantly trying to learn both – to live my life in a way that ensures getting the most entertaining material, but also to pick up good narration skills.

As an extension of my love for stories, I also (obviously) enjoy thinking of my own life as a story. To see myself as a protagonist on my own thrilling journey! See, I moved to NYC in my early 20s, reminiscent of many leading ladies of classic romantic comedies. I came here in search of adventure, and starting a new phase of my life, and what a story it has been! There have been plot twists and cliff hangers, passion and intrigue, butterflies and broken hearts, and lessons I am still learning. There have been several protagonists, arch enemies, supporting characters, and many many plot arcs, such as – the stressed and overworked PhD student. The immigrant struggling to find her footing in a whole new culture. The building of a new support system from scratch, and yes, the eternal quest of the romantic sort. Many plot lines, intricately intertwined – and yet, underlying it all has been another story connecting them all, the love story between New York City and me.

I used to think I already had enough stories available to me, in the form of books and conversations and movies and podcasts – however, moving to NYC has completely widened the format of stories that are available to me: wonderful, tragic, soul-crushing, heart-wrenching stories depicted in the form of tragic Italian operas, gorgeously stunning ballet performances depicting lovely stories like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, spur-of-the-moment improvisation shows – but my favorite mode by far has been via Broadway shows.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone – Broadway plays are universally acclaimed, but it has certainly been an eye-opener for how intricate a show could possibly be. The colors, the music, all the gorgeous set changes, the sweeping emotions – it’s all mesmerizing. I’ve watched classics like The Phantom of the Opera. I’ve watched the grittier ones like A Bronx Tale, and Chicago. I’ve watched laugh-out-loud shows like Mamma Mia and Kinky Boots, and dreamier shows like An American in Paris, and Once, the musical (side note: there’s no point in going for a Broadway show that isn’t a musical). By far, my favorite shows have involved Disney or happy ever afters, which again, should come as no surprise whatsoever. Disney defined my childhood, and I am very used to seeing talking animals as plucky sidekicks, genies bursting out of lamps, and people breaking into song at the drop of the hat (I would like to claim Bollywood to be an influence too, but I was one of those rare Indians who weren’t exposed to Bollywood till the ripe age of 20) – it is safe to say that I’m very comfortable with songs for every occasion. Come to think of of it, this might be what led to my propensity to designate a song for every mood (I mean, everyone does that, right? Right?) Broadway shows are a thrilling experience: the special effects! The dazzle! The glittery costumes, the dance numbers, and just the sheer energy on the stage and the audience!

So thank you, New York. Thank you for Broadway. Thank you for the magic. And for the reminder that incredible stories are always just a subway ride away!

Universal Studios: Mischief Managed!

Let me tell you about one of the happiest days of my life: the time I spent the entire day in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

Thrilled to be here!

 

It was a day I got to share with some of my closest friends, which was great, both because they enjoyed it thoroughly themselves, and also because they let me fully revel in my Wizarding World glee without thinking I’ve gone crazy. I’ve dreamed, day-dreamed, and pretty much lived in Harry’s world ever since I read the books all those years ago. A lifetime ago. I have traveled by the Hogwarts Express, been Sorted, flown Firebolts, and rode Hippogriffs a million times in my imagination. Was there ever a pre-Harry Potter Pooja? (Yes, actually, but that’s a whole other story.) Newer exciting fantasy series have come and gone, but nothing has ever managed to replace Hogwarts yet.

After years and years of obsessing so, I was finally here in Hogsmeade village! It was just as I pictured it – row after row of tiny shops with pristine snow-covered roofs. In addition there were wand stalls (here, the wannabe wizard chose the wand), and giant barrels full of Butterbeer.

 

I saw moving Wanted posters of Sirius Black. There were Gringotts ATMs to withdraw Muggle money. How considerate! I saw adults walking around in full wizarding robes, and children running around brandishing functional wands. Yes, the wands are interactive and you can actually perform certain spells in specific locations in Hogsmeade! There were little Pygmy Puffs you could adopt. Owl post that you could mail to yourself or to friends.

Owl post – lots of parcels to be delivered still!

 

The Frog Choir was in full form, with occasional dances and gymnastics by the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang  visitors. There was old Mr. Ollivander, demonstrating how the wand chooses one very lucky wizard. I was really hoping to be picked for the demo, but I suppose the 9-year-old who was picked instead can maybe appreciate the experience just as much?! Oh, and Honeydukes! You could see why it’s a top destination for Hogwarts students. Fudge Flies, Sugar Quills, Peppermint Toads by the dozen – in candy stores like these, everyone is like a toddler on a sugar high!

 

And of course, there were all the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs you could buy, complete with Famous Witches and Wizards Cards. Do you know how big those Frogs actually are? I was stopped at the LAX airport for extra security later on, because they thought the giant frog-shaped figure in my bag looked very suspicious through the X-ray scanner!

 

The Three Broomsticks was incredible. The sheer attention to detail was impressive, from a little sign with three little broomsticks on it, to stern notices from the Ministry about underage wizards not allowed to be served alcohol. We had to stand in queue for lunch for nearly an hour, but it was worth it. I almost cried when I had my first mug of Butterbeer. I was worried it would be too sweet, too overwhelming, and I’d be disappointed. But it was sheer perfection. It reminded me of butterscotch ice cream, but in hot molten form – creamy and delicious.

 

And then of course, we got to wander through Hogwarts castle to get to one of the theme park rides. The ride was quite realistic, as we got to follow Harry on his broomstick above the castle grounds, swooping, soaring, and barely escaping being hit by the Whomping Willow. But before we got on the ride, we had the time of our lives walking through Hogwarts castle. I kept squealing with excitement as we wound through the greenhouses outside, walked underneath the talking portraits, and saw Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room, and the classrooms. It was quite surreal to finally, finally be physically present in the very place my heart has resided for the last 17-odd years.

Look how glorious Hogwarts Castle is!

 

I wish I could explain how I felt. I could use phrases like ‘magical’, ‘incredible’, and ‘dream come true’, but that’s not nearly enough to capture what I felt. Words are not enough. What I can tell you is that I walked around in a happy daze, happy but almost painfully so. My breath was caught in my throat, my face warm, and my heart pounding away, a big ball of emotion lodged just so, waiting to be released in the form of loud squeals, helpless laughter, or a tempest of I-just-can’t-believe-I’m-here tears.

You see, Harry Potter isn’t just a children’s series. It’s a beautiful glorious world, a fantastical one, sure, but also one that teaches us so much about our own reality, with incredibly visual examples. The Dementors, such a chillingly terrifying representation of fear and depression, and how the only way to keep them at bay is by intensely focusing on your most powerful happy memories. And by eating a lot of chocolate, of course.

The Mirror of Erised, showing the deepest, most desperate desires of one’s heart. What would you see? And how would you react to see it laid out so clearly? Would you get obsessed with that image and fade away to nothing, longing for something that can never be? Would you hide it from everyone, like Dumbledore did (at least so far – but The Crimes of Grindelwald isn’t out yet!), and claim all you can see is a pair of socks?

We learnt the lesson that evil can never truly be eradicated, but if we fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, we can delay its return. How love is the strongest power of all, even in a world of Fidelius Charms and Protego spells and Felix Felicis.

The characters, so complex and wonderful – we see loyalty in the form of 14-year-old Ron Weasley standing up on a broken leg and defiantly telling a presumed murderer that he’ll have to kill him before getting to his best friend. We see that heroines need not be classically perfect – that bushy-haired book-toting know-it-alls are incredible friends to have, and can rise up to save the day, over and over. And Harry. Headstrong impulsive Harry whose instincts are almost always right, and who learns the subtle difference between being dragged kicking and screaming into a battle to the death, and walking into the arena with his head held high. Why wouldn’t we love Rowling’s world?!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the best part of being a Potterhead – apart from all the wonderful source material and the movies, and the tweets, and the cursed play I refuse to consider canon, and the newer fantastic movies, and Pottermore, and more, always more – the best part of being a Potterhead is the community. All those diverse Muggles united by a common love. The ships, the fanfics, the head canons, the fervent debates about Snape’s redemption, whether Umbridge was worse than Voldemort, and which Hogwarts house we truly belong to and why – I love the way these books have inspired countless works of creativity, sparked endless friendships, and fostered a sense of community and belonging in the world. Because no matter who we are or where we come from, we know that Hogwarts will always be there to welcome us home.