I was there. I won the Hogwarts House Homecoming lottery, so my daughter and I were able to attend the Gryffindor party at Bartlett Hall. Although the instructions had said "light appetizers," there was quite a decent spread: margherita pizza, calamari, Impossible sliders, kale salad, etc. Not sure if ATG or Carole threw the parties, but it was much nicer than I expected. Then at 7pm we were led over to the theater chanting "Go Gryffindor." Not sure why we were all led there at the same time because then there was a bottleneck to get through security and into the theater only to wait in the hot, crowded lobbies until the auditorium opened at 7:30. Damn, was it hot in there! We were seated in the Mezzanine, and it was stifling. I usually try to dress up a bit for the theater, but I am tempted to go in shorts and a T-shirt tomorrow.
The carpets have all been changed to a Gryffindor scarlet with "H" emblazoned in a pattern throughout. Wall paper within the auditorium has also been added with "H" across it. The ushers are all wearing Gryffindor patches on their uniforms, and in speaking with one at intermission she said rehearsals began Thursday last week and they have all gotten to watch the show. I didn't make it to the basement bathrooms, but all Carole's post-renovation art/decor has apparently been hidden according to the usher.
The crowd was in high spirits. This was a group who loves Harry. I have been a fan for close to 20 years, but these people were die-hards. We met a couple who flew in from Perth, Australia because "it is cheaper to fly to the States than to Melbourne." As the lights went out and as the leads came on, there was rapturous applause such that I couldn't hear some of the lines. And that is probably my biggest complaint: it was sometimes hard to hear lines. I couldn't tell if the actors were mic'd. The music was clearly put through the speakers around us, but the dialog all seemed to be coming only from the stage.
This was my first time seeing it, so I can't compare to other companies. Overall, I was pleased with the cast. I thought Harry and Hermione were the stand-outs. Something about Rose's performance wasn't working for me. It was as if she were acting too much. Memorized lines were thrown out rather than spoken with feeling. Perhaps it was first night nerves and she'll settle in.
The special effects are quite impressive and left the audience oohing and awing. I was not as fond of the modern dance-like elements with the suitcases or the wand dance. I'm not sure what that was about. The crowd cheered at the end of the first act as you would for a family member graduating. The second act dragged toward the middle (maybe it was the heat taking its toll on me...did I mention it was hot?), but then it went out with a bang that had the audience cheering like I've never witnessed before.
Overall, it was a very entertaining evening. It's not a masterpiece of theater, but it is enjoyable and I think even people who aren't familiar with HP can enjoy the effects. I hear Part 2 is even better, so I am looking forward to tonight's performance.
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