“Cursed Child” Broadway to Offer Autism-Friendly Performance

by · July 31, 2019

Next year, even more fans will be able to enjoy the magic of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway thanks to Theatre Development Fund’s autism-friendly performances.

A non-profit organization, Theatre Development Fund (TDF) has recently announced five Broadway shows that will present adapted performances for people with autism and other sensory difficulties. Besides Cursed Child, TDF has also added autism-friendly performances of Frozen, The Lion King, Wicked, and Aladdin to its season.

This is the first time that an autism-friendly performance of Cursed Child will appear on Broadway. Both Part One and Part Two will take place on March 1, 2020, with the first part starting at 1 p.m. and the second part starting at 6:30 p.m.

 

 

Autism-friendly performances make adjustments to the play and the theater environment to be accommodating to members of the audience who may have sensory difficulties. The house lights are dimmed but remain on, and any jarring sounds or light effects are removed.

TDF’s Director of Accessibility Programs, Lisa Carling, has told of the excitement surrounding the organization’s ninth season:

You can feel the love. It comes from an audience knowing they are free to be themselves enjoying the show, and actors who embrace the opportunity to share it with them. We’re excited to have such a fantastic lineup of productions to mark our ninth year!

Tickets for the autism-friendly performances will go on sale six to eight weeks before the performance, and you can sign up for notifications of when tickets will go on sale on the TDF website.

According to TDF’s Executive Director, Victoria Bailey, there will also be several hundred free tickets for each performance for “families with children on the spectrum, who could not afford even discounted tickets.”

Are you excited to see stage productions become more inclusive to fans? Will you be heading to this inclusive performance of Cursed Child?