Broadway's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrated its 5th anniversary on Broadway April 23. To mark the occasion, Oliver Phelps, George Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise, took the stage following the performance to help give away some special prizes to audience members.
The event capped off the Tony-winning play's Five Days of Magic, which launched April 19 with a special presentation from the New York City Mayor's Office. Other festivities included a $5 ticket promotion April 21, opportunities to win special prizes, and special commemorative gifts for audiences April 22.
Written by Jack Thorne from a story devised by J.K. Rowling, Thorne, and production director John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues its run at Broadway's Lyric Theatre. The play premiered in London's West End in 2016, winning nine Olivier Awards including Best New Play; and made the jump to Broadway in 2018, winning six Tony Awards including Best Play. The work was originally designed as two full-length two-act plays, though the Broadway production was streamlined into one two-act play when it reopened following the 2020 shutdown. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has also opened productions in Melbourne, Toronto, and Tokyo.
The current cast is led by Steve Haggard as Harry Potter, Angela Reed as Ginny Potter, Jenny Jules as Hermione Granger, David Abeles as Ron Weasley, Aaron Bartz as Draco Malfoy, Maya Thomas as Rose Granger-Weasley, Erik C. Peterson as Scorpius Malfoy, and Joel Meyers as Albus Potter.
The Fred Ebb Award recognizes excellence in musical theatre songwriting, by a songwriter or songwriting team that has not yet achieved significant commercial success.