East View Texas premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'

The wizarding world of Harry Potter will come alive at East View High School this weekend with the Texas premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

EVHS is among only 29 schools across the nation selected by the Wands at the Ready competition to perform the high school rendition of the play. 

Broadway Licensing Global’s contest invited secondary schools from all over the United States to make the case for why their school is the most “magical” place to perform the award-winning play.

“Our entry focused on what makes East View magical,” theater teacher Jon DeMitchell said. “We submitted a video, a written essay, and our department’s social media to showcase EVHS and Georgetown — the place that I believe Harry Potter would have wanted to grow up,” Mr. DeMitchell said.

The play includes 25 student cast members, eight students working backstage as crew and three directors.

The play features an adult Harry and his son, Albus, a student at Hogwarts, a boarding school where young wizards learn magic craft. Other characters also are children of characters featured in the Harry Potter books and films.

“This is a story about a father understanding his son, and a son understanding his father,” Mr. DeMitchell said. “These are universal themes for all generations — there’s just magic involved.”
Set design is 100 percent original and was inspired by a trip to London. 

“This is the biggest show we’ve ever done at East View. We’re creating a world of magic,” Mr. DeMitchell said. “Things appear and disappear, things fly … it’s all Hogwarts’ magic on the East View stage.” 

EVHS has immersed itself in the play’s magic, he said. Students have decorated the halls to look like Hogwarts and there’s a buzz of excitement about the production.

“This show has brought the East View community together,” Mr. DeMitchell said. “That’s been the coolest part of this.”

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child premiered in London in 2016, and on Broadway in New York City 2018. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ticket information

Premiering on Halloween night, the EVHS production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will run October 31 to November 9, and showtimes are October 31-November 2, 7 p.m.; and November 7-9, 7 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.evhstheater.com/tickets.