Julia Nightingale, Aidan Close and Emmet Smith Photo by Matt Murphy

Must be magic!

This complete immersion into the universe of Harry Potter and Hogwarts hardly even requires suspension of disbelief. The magic that takes place on stage is more of the "how did they do that?" variety; it looks so real that it would take a muggle to question whether we can believe our eyes–we just need to accept it. Things (and people) fly. Characters travel via floo powder. One character gets twisted and inverted into thin air as he apparates. Polyjuice potion changes characters into other characters. Dementors float fluidly through the air. Hogwarts staircases move about playfully.

Of course, the creator of this universe, JK Rowling, several years ago dismayed both her fandom and LGBTQ+ people around the world–two communities that have an enormous overlap–by deciding to become the leading spokeswoman for the anti-transgender movement, shocking millions of readers who saw in her books allegorical visions of acceptance and powerful arguments against intolerance. Who knew that the author was more Delores Umbridge than Minerva McGonagall, more Bellatrix Lestrange than Molly Weasley?

It's possible, though, to love this play without loving the creator, and I do. Very much. (Though Thorne wrote the play alone, he based it on a story he co-wrote with Rowling and John Tiffany. Besides, in any case it's her universe.) And whatever one may think of her, it's a brilliant universe.

The play takes place nineteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts and the conclusion of the original seven novels. Harry, Hermione, and Ron have all grown up–Harry is the head of Magical Law Enforcement, Hermione is Minister of Magic, and Ron runs Weasley's Wizard Wheezes–and now have teenagers of their own (Harry with Ginny Weasley, and Hermione and Ron with each other). Harry's youngest son, Albus Severus–and can I take a second to comment on the burden it must be on the kid to carry those names?–is going to Hogwarts for the first time and he is terrified that he'll be sorted into Slytherin, which, to his chagrin, he is. (The Sorting Hat is played by a sinuous Kaleb Alexander.) In Slytherin, the best friend he makes is the son of his father Draco Malfoy's nemesis, Scorpius, a totally lovely and even fragile sweetheart of a boy played by Aiden Close. He and Albus (Emmet Smith) bond so well that they do pretty much everything together, including things that cause trouble and others that are downright dangerous. (The boys may not like their respective dads much, but it's clear that they are, in many ways, chips off the old block.)

Set designer Christine Jones, costume designer Katrina Lindsay, lighting designer Neil Austin, and sound designer Gareth Fry allow director Tiffany to lead us into many locations familiar from the books. Through the use of a time-turner, we visit a long-ago quidditch match, Umbridge's Hogwarts (Katherine Leask is outstanding as both Umbridge and McGonagall), Godric's Hollow on a particular night, and even the Tri-Wizard Tournament. We also get to spend some quality time with Moaning Myrtle (MacKenzie Lesser-Roy), who no longer tolerates the epithet "Moaning."

Balancing the young people with their parents, we meet a girl, Delphi Diggory (a sparkling Julia Nightingale), who joins with Albus and Scorpius to do mischief. The niece of Amos Diggory (Chicago's Larry Yando, who also plays two other key and familiar roles), the free-spirited girl with Nymphadora Tonks hair has inherited his desire to undo his son Cedric's death. When Albus and Scorpius learn about this, they are determined to make it happen. Now, time-turners are fun toys, but messing with the past is problematic, as Albus and Scorpius discover when they end up creating an alternate universe–thought you wouldn't have to worry about them since this isn't Marvel, didn't you?–in which a whole lot of things have changed.

The plot, which involves a plan to set things straight, is complex and fun as Albus and Scorpius have to deal with fixing their screw-ups while going behind the backs not only of their teachers but also their parents. The adult Harry is played by John Skelley, who is outstanding as a torn father who wants to protect a son who thinks he is unloved. His wife Ginny (Trish Lindstrom) still has her teenage snark, but she spends much of her time consoling her emotional husband. Adult Hermione (Ebony Blake), as she always did as a teen, rides the straight and narrow as she now tries to be a role model for the entire wizarding community, while her husband, adult Ron (Matt Mueller), retains a lot of the playful silliness of his teen years. (Their daughter Rose, played by Naiya Vanessa McCalla, is a mixture of the two of them and the object of Scorpius's desire.) And of course there is Draco, the adult version of whom is played by Benjamin Thys as a very familiar long-haired and sullen blonde man.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a show that everyone, especially anyone who has ever spent time in the Potterverse, needs to prioritize as a must-see. The acting throughout is top-notch, the story is fascinating, the magic is incredible, the new characters are fun, and the whole experience feels as if we've been picked up and dropped into the saga we know so well. And there's nothing remotely bad about that!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the national tour, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, Chicago IL. Tickets on sale through May 25, 2025. For tickets and information, please visit BroadwayinChicago.com. For information on the tour, visit HarryPotterthePlay.com