NJ School is 1st in the United States to Stage ‘Harry Potter’ Broadway Sensation

Originally published by The Star Ledger

The epic Broadway hit “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” has been transformed into a high school production, and Hoboken High School has been chosen to mount its North American premiere.

Being selected to do so was not unlike receiving a magical letter in Harry Potter.

“I always thought it would be so fun to be a pilot and get to be able to have a say and help mold and shape what the production is like,” said Danielle Miller, supervisor of Fine and Performing Arts for Hoboken Public Schools. “These pilots are helping them figure out what works and doesn’t work on stage so they can create the best final version that then can actually be licensed for everybody. It’s kind of cool because we’ll be the first people to figure out how to do some of the magic.”

Miller, who grew up in Washington Township (Warren County), is an alumna of Montclair State University and the force behind the district’s robust theater program. She works with students from kindergarten through high school and is an adjunct at Montclair State University.

Hoboken’s premiere is scheduled for May and will be directed by Derek Kinnear, a high school teacher in the theater department. Some 300 students auditioned, and one-third of those will have stage time.

Anyone who saw the original production on Broadway, which garnered six Tony Awards and left audiences thrilled, might wonder how this lengthy, two-part spectacular could translate to a school stage.

After all, the initial Broadway version ran roughly six hours. Theatergoers often saw one segment, broke for dinner, and returned that evening for the second installment.

Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, and written by Thorne, the play was condensed when Broadway went dark during the pandemic. The current version at The Lyric Theatre runs three-and-a-half hours.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child High School Edition” is estimated to run just over two hours. Set 19 years after the last book, the plot has Harry’s son Albus — named after the grand wizard Dumbledore — befriend Scorpius, son of Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy, at Hogwarts.

While Hoboken is the first school in North America to stage it, a school in London was also chosen by Broadway Licensing Global. The group picked Hoboken for a few reasons.

“One is the proximity to our headquarters in New York is very helpful for us,” says Jeffery Keilholtz, senior vice president of marketing at the licensing company. “And we wanted something more of a traditional experience for a traditional school. Hoboken has a vibrant arts community, and we knew there would be grassroots support for the kids in the school to put on the production.”

The company was “quite selective,” Keilholtz adds. “No schools actually applied. We reached out.”

While Miller’s students work on the play, Broadway licensing reps can attend rehearsals or advise when questions arise.

“We have been tasked with figuring out all magic/ special effects on our own,” Miller says. “In a sense, that is the fun part of this project. Perhaps a reason we were chosen is because we think outside the box.”

The school is working with Broadway Media to create original projection ideas and ZFX Flying Effects for a few special features, Miller adds.

Ultimately, Keilholtz and Miller express the same hope for this play – and theater in general.

“The hope is to spark the love of live theater in every student,” he says. “Our massive transformative purpose is to make everyone a theater person. If we can increase sensitivities, and increase their imagination and empathy just a bit, maybe we are doing something right in the world.”