I finally hit Broadway! I was in New York with Sara at the magnificent Lyric theatre to watch The Cursed Child, the eighth installment to the Harry Potter saga. It was an afternoon of spellbounding theatrics, VIP treatment at the Ambassador Lounge, and extreme happy feels of experiencing the Wizarding World in a new way!
The show has been on a winning streak having bagged "a record-breaking nine Olivier Awards in London, including Best New Play, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in New York won six Tonys, including Best Play." Since this was my once in a lifetime Broadway experience, I am overjoyed that it was best of the best.
I have not read The Cursed Child so my review is from an audience's perspective. The concept was brilliant! Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco's children used the Time Turner to time travel and alter events only to cause major catasrophies! Talk about multiple plot twists!
The show is a unique spectacular because it plays out like a magic show! There are illusions, stunts, acrobats, and disappearance acts that make the audience gasp and applaud! Fierce light, fire, and water effects bring the magic spells and stunts to life. I kept thinking of the time I saw Lance Burton on stage in Las Vegas.
For a first time theatre viewer, the live acting, screen transitions, lights, and background score were magic in themselves. I can understand now why theatre actors love their jobs. I am not familiar with other shows but The Cursed Child has an incredibly versatile stage design. They created the Forbidden Forest, the Black Lake, time travel effects, and so much more so wonderfully!
Ambassador Lounge is Worth It
Priced at $70 per person, the Ambassador Lounge at the Lyric Theatre, New York for the Cursed Child (as at January 2024) offers:
- A themed, speakeasy style, gorgeous lounge and bar with limited seating capacity (around 40 only). Reserve ahead of time to get in.
- 3 private restrooms
- Free coat check (hang your coats and things in a shared rivate closet)
- A free welcome beverage (alcoholic/non-alcoholic) that can also be availaed as an intermission drink too. Grab the frozen Butterbeer in a souvenir cup to be smart, priced around $12 otherwise
- A free cookie
- Free snacks selection: cheeses, meats, fruits and things charcuterie style.
- Drinks and snacks menu for additional offerings available for a fee.
- Some treats on the menu: chocolate frogs, chocolate wands, salted chocolate caramels, gummies, popcorn
- Reserved seats and tables to return to during intermission
- Prior order taking for intermission snacks and drinks so they are ready and waiting for you during the 15 minute intermission that feels like 5.
- There are private nooks in the corridors where I prayed my afternoon prayers before the show and the staff was very courteous about it.
Seats and Tickets
- Plan the date and show time ahead of time. The show is 3 and a half hours long with a 15 minutes intermission. Showtimes are 1pm and 7pm mostly.
- Do not get seats super close to the stage, and not too far either. Orchestra K, L, M, N are all good rows. when booking online, there is a viewing option that shows you a sample of what your visibility will be like from your chosen seat.
Timing Your Visit
- Estimate traffic delays because it is New York.
- Get to the theatre to be able to get in line outside before doors open. Doors open an hour before the show.
- In the 1 hour, expect to check in to the Ambassador Lounge if you have a pass, use the bathroom, experience the photo experiences (enchanted ceiling, portraits, Patronus walls, and house banners), buy snacks and drinks, and shop at the gift shop. If lucky, you will be able to complete all.
- The gift shop opens very briefly during intermission and is closed when the show is over so you do not get to shop after the show. There is an online store to buy all the merchandise and I recommend paying $9.95 shipping and havng items shipped instead of overspending time in the shop.
Intermission
- Halfway through the show is a 15 minute intermission which "feels like 5" as per the staff.
- Bathroom and snacks and drinks lines are HUGE during intermission, unless you have an Ambassador Lounge pass that gets you 3 private bathrooms.
- The gift shop opens very briefly during intermission and cruising and deciding what to get is not ideal.
- Pre-ordered drinks and snacks are ready and waiting to be picked up in the Ambassador Lounge for you.
After the Show
- After the show, the staff urges everyone to leave the house as quickly as possible. Get a quick photo of yourself in front of the empty stage if you can!
- Snacks and conveniences are closed.
- Ambassador Lounge is closed but the coat check is open so everyone can collect coats and things and use the restroom before leaving. It is all done in a rush though.
- They usher you all the way to the outside so do not expect to wait for your ride inside the theatre. You will be on the curb.
Cursed Child Store Online
I missed the opportunity to shop the gift shop because of the rush. Shop online! There's a $9.95 shipping fee but it is not worth it to scan items and make buying decisions at the cost of missing out a bathroom trip or a snack/drink pickup. The online store has all that's there in the small gift shop. If new merchandise shows up, you can buy that too in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment