Then think about what it takes to manage the ongoing production and distribution of product as well as revenue streams from the original creation as well as prequels, sequels, theme-based merchandise, and screen-to-stage adaptations that can tour and receive international productions based on the original artistic model. All of this requires a huge amount of manpower, computer programming, and attention to detail. So, for starters, think about the scalability and sustainability of an artistic franchise.
If a complicated stage production achieves great box office success, draws loyal audiences, and can be replicated in theatres around the world, its core management team must keep auditioning potential cast and crew members to keep the mother ship functioning smoothly. In the theatre world, a triple-threat performer (not to be confused with an actor/model/waiter) is a person who can act, sing, and dance. A swing is a performer who can cover several tracks assigned to different characters so that, if a cast member gets sick or needs a day off, the swing can step into their role(s) on a moment's notice. As the following video explains, swings who cover multiple roles must have fierce memorization skills and be ready to spring into action on a moment's notice.
Based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel entitled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the original cast of Wicked first appeared onstage in June of 2003 during the show's out-of-town tryout at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. Since then, Wicked has evolved into a cash cow and economic engine. Following its Broadway premiere on October 30, 2003 at the Gershwin Theatre (where it recently passed the 6,700-performance mark), the musical has had several national tours in addition to productions in London and lucrative tours through Asia, Australia, and Europe. Maguire's original book has led to the publication of 2005's Son Of A Witch, 2008's A Lion Among Us, and 2011's Out of Oz. A film adaptation of Wicked is scheduled to be released in December of 2021.
Now, consider a much larger and infinitely more lucrative audience: fans of J.K. Rowling's books about Harry Potter. The award-winning author (who crafted the manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on a manual typewriter) became an international sensation when that book was published in 1997. According to Wikipedia: "In 2017, Rowling was worth an estimated £650 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List and was named the most highly paid author in the world with earnings of £72 million ($95 million) a year by Forbes."
 |
| John Skelley as Harry Potter in a scene from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Photo by: Matthew Murphy) |
In addition to Rowling's books (and cinematic adaptations of each Harry Potter novel), in 2016 a two-part, six-hour stage version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child made its debut in London. With sister productions having debuted in New York (2018) and Melbourne (2019), HPATCC recently settled in for a lengthy run at the Curran in San Francisco. A fifth production (in German) will open in Hamburg in 2020, to be followed by a sixth production in Toronto later that year. Think about the vertical marketing involved and then follow the money.
 |
| Harry Potter (John Skelley) and Albus Dumbledore (Charles Janasz) in a scene from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Photo by: Matthew Murphy) |
In the two video clips below, Rowling, playwright Jack Thorne, and stage director John Tiffany discuss some of the challenges they faced in bringing Harry Potter's magical world to the stage.
Each production will no doubt replicate the choreography and stage movement by Steven Hoggett, set design by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, lighting by Neil Austin, illusions and magic by Jamie Harrison, and sound design by Gareth Fry. In anticipation of a sit-down residency, some theatres have had their carpets and wall decorations replaced with Harry Potter-themed rugs and decor.
One of the show's great financial advantages involves casting. As with 1975's A Chorus Line, many of the characters in HPATCC are portrayed by young actors. Nor is a well-known star necessary to anchor a performance in order to beef up box office sales. As a result, productions of HPATCC will provide plenty of steady employment for actors (much like The Lion King, Cats, Hamilton, and Cirque du Soleil's shows).
 |
| Hermione Granger (Yanna McIntosh) and the ensemble in a scene from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Photo by: Matthew Murphy) |
What sets HPATCC apart from so many other stage spectacles? Many people in the audience have devoured Rowling's books, seen every Harry Potter film, and memorized the characters and circumstances that have already played out prior to where HPATCC begins. Add in hefty doses of stage magic, visual themes, magical realism, backstory mysteries waiting to be solved, and audiences are not just primed to suspend their sense of disbelief, they are wholly committed to wallowing in it. Some theatregoers start cheering when a character appears in a darkened cape with his back to the audience. Laughter courses through the auditorium at inside jokes from Rowling's books.
With every flash of light, whooshing sound, and puff of smoke, state-of-the-art illusions that might seem like standard fare in Las Vegas take on far more dramatic weight. There's a cloak of invisibility a Time-Turner, a hidden pool of water, alternate timelines, books that pop out of their shelves, and a hunky male Centaur. I took great delight in the encounter between Albus, Scorpius, and the crotchety Trolley Witch. The special effects in the scene near the end of Act II (when the Dementors appear out of nowhere) makes the chandelier drop in 1986's The Phantom of the Opera look like mere child's play.
 |
| One of the many illusions in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Photo by: Matthew Murphy) |
Filled with rich family legends, magic, mischief, and betrayal, there is plenty of drama to keep the action going throughout HPATCC. Familiar problems (bullying at school, father-son relationships) collide with an awkward teenager's doubt about the identity of his parents as well as the pressures of growing up in the shadow of a parent's inescapable celebrity. The element of time travel adds new layers of concern as well-intentioned ideas deliver shockingly unfortunate results and it becomes increasingly difficult for various generations of Hogwarts students to decode enigmatic advice, mixed messages, and the fictional equivalent of "fake news."
 |
| Scorpius Malfoy (Jon Steiger) and Albus Potter (Benjamin Papac) in a scene from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Photo by: Meghan Moore) |
Special credit must be given to Steven Hoggett, who has transformed his ensemble into a seemingly possessed group of youths who can move like trained dancers operating under a magical spell while making scenic elements appear and disappear under their swirling capes. Whether animating suitcases or stairs, these actors bring such remarkable fluidity to Rowling's storytelling that the energy level never sags over the course of six hours.
Thanks to the original music and arrangements by Imogen Heap (as well as local music supervision and arrangements by Martin Lowe), HPATCC unfolds on the stage of the Curran very much like a musical without song or, perhaps, a fast-moving drama with balletic pacing. While older and more mystical generations are represented by John Skelley as Harry Potter, Angela Reed as Ginny Potter, David Abeles as Ron Weasley, Yanna McIntosh as Hermione Granger, Lucas Hall as Draco Malfoy, and Shannon Cochran as Professor McGonagall, the bulk of the drama revolves around Benjamin Papac as Albus Potter and Jon Steiger (who gives a most impressive performance) as Scorpius Malfoy.
Smaller roles are taken by Folami Williams as Rose Granger-Weasley, Emily Juliette Murphy as Delphi Diggory, and Logan James Hall as Bane, with Charles Janasz doubling as Amos Diggery and Albus Dumbledore while Andrew Long does triple duty as Lord Voldemort, Uncle Vernon, and Severus Snape.
 |
| The Trolley Witch (Katherine Leask), Albus Potter (Benjamin Papac) and Scorpius Malfoy (Jon Steiger) in a scene from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Photo by: Matthew Murphy) |
One question ticket buyers should consider before making plans to see HPATCC is whether or not they can handle a six-hour marathon. Seated two rows behind me on opening day were two Millennial mothers with their sons. The youngest boy (approximately five years old) squirmed and talked all through the matinee, distracting people seated nearby. Nor was any attempt made to quiet him. By contrast, opera fans who have no trouble sitting through 18 hours of Der Ring des Nibeungen should find six hours in Harry Potter's company to be a fast-paced romp and frolic.
Performances of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continue through July 12 at the Curran Theatre. Here's some footage from the Melbourne production:
No comments:
Post a Comment