| Harry Potter run time in Chicago -- My Response (Very Long) | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 06:55 am EDT 09/18/24 | |
| In reply to: Harry Potter run time in Chicago - dlittle 07:27 pm EDT 09/17/24 | |
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| I saw the complete 2-part Harry Potter on Broadway twice in 2018 and once in 2019. My recollection is that the running time varied from 5-1/2 to 5-3/4 hours (including 2 intermissions = 5 to 5-1/4 hours of the play). According to the published text, it consisted of 4 acts and 70 scenes. I saw the revised 1-part Harry Potter on Broadway in Feb., 2022. I believe the running time for that performance was more like 3-1/2 to 4 hours (including 1 intermission = 3-1/4 to 3-3/4 hours of the play). There were 2 acts. My partner and I won the lottery for last Thursday's performance (9/12) of the Chicago tour. The show started precisely at 7:30 PM and finished (with brief bows) at exactly 10:28 PM so the running time was 2 hours, 58 minutes (including 1 intermission and bows = 2 hours, 40 minutes of the play). According to my calculation, the touring production is something like 2 hrs, 20 min. to 2 hrs, 40 min. shorter than the original 2-part version. As best as I can recall, here are some of the cuts. The 1-part Broadway version reduced the cast size by about 1/3 and eliminated 3 flashback scenes regarding Harry's childhood so the roles of the Dursleys and Hagrid were eliminated. The two scenes with Cedric at the Triwizard Tournament were significantly reduced and then explained to the audience by Scorpius and Albus. Several short scenes were eliminated and replaced by new lines of dialogue explaining what had happened. Regarding the tour, more short scenes have been cut and replaced with new lines of dialogue with explanations. At the end of act one, a very critical scene with Amos Diggery, Harry, and Draco has been cut and then (again) explained to the audience with some new lines of dialogue. Just IMO, the basic storyline and plot twists are not affected by the cuts in both the 1-part Broadway and touring productions. However, the cuts do contain a ton of important character development which give the story its depth and emotion. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, and the two boys evolve significantly by the end of the story and the new versions really short change the audience in that respect. I still enjoyed the touring production I saw last week, but I'm glad I only paid $40 to see it. I strongly disagree with John Tiffany's assessment. BTW, I re-read Jack Thorne's complete published text after seeing last week's show. |
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