A little bit of magic is heading to Orlando soon.
Anyone who has had the opportunity to see “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway in New York City knows how incredible the show is. It’s like seeing real life magic on the stage.
That’s why it’s incredible that Dr. Phillips High School will be the first high school in Florida to perform the Tony-winning play that has been running on Broadway since 2018.
The play takes place 19 years after the events of the original “Harry Potter” series ended, so audiences get to see the characters they grew up with all grown up.
According to Playbill, high schools around the country entered a contest called “Wands at the Ready.” They had to explain what makes their school or community so magical, and schools were picked all over the U.S. to be the first to put on the high school edition of this beloved play.
Students and staff at Dr. Phillips High shared this audition video, where they explained what makes their school so magical. In the video, students talk about the school’s proximity to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, their commitment to the arts, and their goals to make the show an event to remember.
“My students have grown up with Harry Potter from the books and films. The opportunity to allow them to portray them and new characters onstage was something to not pass up on. Our students were excited at the chance to also premiere a work at Dr. Phillips High School,” said Jason Whitehead, Director of Theatre.
The same team that worked on the West End and Broadway versions of the play worked on the version for high schools to perform, and it has a seal of approval from J.K. Rowling herself. Certain things from the original production have been modified so that any high school can put the show on, regardless of budget.
Audiences always note just how incredible the special effects are while you watch it on Broadway. They really make it feel like you’re watching the magic you read about in the books happen before your eyes. It will be so interesting to see how these high schools pull it off, but it sounds like they won’t be having any issues.
“Broadway Licensing Global (rights holders) are planning to release a few resources to help assist with the illusions and effects later this year, that may guide us in our design,” Whitehead said.
All of the plays will be staged later in the fall of this year, so make sure you check back in with Dr. Phillips High School after summer and see what kind of magic they have brewing.