“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” Toronto Production Delays Opening to 2021
Written for: The Leaky Cauldron
On April 16, producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Sonia Friedman, Colin Callender, David Mirvish, and Harry Potter Theatrical – made the difficult decision of announcing the delay of the show’s Canadian premiere to 2021. Originally slated to open October 2020 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, producers cited their “commitment to the safety and peace of mind of all its audiences, cast and company, and theatre staff” as top priority amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Abiding by orders and recommendations administered by Public Health Ontario and Toronto Public Health, Cursed Child‘s producers have committed themselves to monitoring COVID-19 as it affects the territories in which each of its productions perform.
Of course, the decision to delay Toronto’s opening comes after the inevitable postponement of Cursed Child‘s six other current productions around the world – London, New York City, San Francisco, Melbourne, and Hamburg. The latter of which would have marked the show’s German premiere and first foreign language production and is now eyeing an October 2020 opening. As of now, there have been no updates or reports on whether Tokyo’s summer 2022 premiere will be affected in any way.
Meanwhile in New York, the Broadway company of Cursed Child has been keeping the magic and morale alive while running lines with their new Year Three cast, who was in the midst of tech just as Broadway shut down on March 12.
We’re more eager to leave quarantining than Sirius was to leave Azkaban, but until that day comes, stay safe and healthy. Rest easy knowing that you can look forward to full coverage from Cursed Child‘s Toronto opening when we get there.
Read the full statement on Cursed Child’s global postponement from the producers below:
‘The producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and our Theatres have a commitment to the safety and peace of mind of all its audiences, cast and company, and theatre staff. In line with the latest advice from governments on the prevention of the spread of Covid-19, the producers have had-to make changes to performance schedules across our different territories, and this will regrettably involve the temporary cancellation of some shows whilst measures are in place.
Local and national health authority advice varies from production to production in different cities and is evolving on a daily basis, but please be assured that the producers are working closely with government and health organizations around the world to ensure we are following the very latest advice.
We fully understand that the changes and cancellations will be disappointing and inconvenient for ticket holders, and also that many will want to change their plans for attending the show, so we are now working on a ticket exchange policy for each territory, in line with the controls placed upon it. If anyone feels concerned or worried about attending any performance, we encourage them to speak to the Box Office in each territory. The very latest information on the performance schedule and ticket exchange policy for the productions currently running is below, and will be regularly updated on the websites and social media channels for each production.
Thanks for your patience while we determine the best course of action in a rapidly developing situation, where the health and safety of audiences and staff must come first.
We look forward to welcoming you back soon, where the magic continues on stage!’
4.17.20
