‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ brings Hogwarts house pride to Orange County
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Calling all Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Wizards and witches of all ages are summoned to gather Wednesday at Hogwarts House Pride Night at Segertstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa — a special event presented in conjunction with the Orange County premier of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
Fans of the Harry Potter series are encouraged to wear their Hogwarts House colors at this special community event, which gets underway at 5:30 p.m. in the centers’ Julianne and George Argyros Plaza.
The evening will include photo opportunities and interactive experiences, like an exclusive wand dance choreography class led by a member of the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” company. While the wand class is available on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to 50 guests, all attendees in costume will receive a commemorative “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” poster.
Fans may also receive special gift bags with training dowels and a chance to vote on fan art submissions and enter the Triwizard Goblet for magical prizes. Winners of the Harry Potter Fan Art Contest will be announced at the end of the night.
Broadway’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” opens at Segertstrom Center for the Arts on Saturday. The winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Play, the musical is based on an original story by Harry Potter book series author, J.K. Rowling.
The story picks up 19 years after the end of Rowling’s seventh and final book, “Deathly Hallows,” with characters Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco, who are now parents with their own children embarking on their journey at Hogwarts. The magic really begins when Harry’s son, Albus, becomes friends with the son of his fiercest rival, Draco.
The show relies on traditional magic tricks, rather than new tech, according to illusionist Skylar Fox, a magic associate for the show.
“Much of it is done with rapid costume changes, trap doors, hidden wires, clever lighting and guiding the audience’s focus with integrated sound and lighting cues,” Fox said in a news release statement. “There are no video screens. We are delivering on the imagination of the viewers.”
Fox said the audience can look forward to true, old-fashioned sleight-of-hand production techniques.
“We introduced the actors to this new skill set — to become magicians at the level of the top in the field, like David Copperfield. It’s not high tech. We’re doing tricks that have been around for a few hundred years,” Fox said.
For those looking to cast a spell over the entire evening, beginning with dinner before the show, Segerstrom has partnered with Darkroom in Santa Ana especially for this production. A special meal for “Potterheads” is available July 15 to 17 and July 22 to 24, priced at $126.56 per person, with the option of adding a wine pairing for $60 or a non-alcoholic pairing for $40.
The menu starts with an “every flavor” tuna crudo, with popcorn oil, passion fruit and urfa spice, followed by charred eggplant and ricotta agnolotti with shaved tomato. A English roast-inspired Koji short rib entree will be served with local greens, along with Hagrid smashed birthday cake for dessert. For reservations, visit wearedarkroom.com.
Hogwarts House Pride Night is July 15 at 5:30 p.m. in the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. For details, go to scfta.org.
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is on stage July 11 through July 25 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets, which start at $49.01, are available at scfta.org.
