INTERVIEW: Cara Ricketts enters the Harry Potter universe
Photo: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child features, from left, Daniel Frederick as Ron, Cara Ricketts as Hermione and Maya Jerome Thomas as Rose. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy / Provided by BBB with permission.
Cara Ricketts admits that when she landed the audition for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, she had some homework to do. Although she certainly knew about the literary phenomenon of Harry Potter and his journey to Hogwarts, she was new to the books, the movies, the play and the intricacies of Muggles, magic and mayhem. This allowed her a fresh perspective on the role of Hermione, a pivotal character in the Potter-verse. Spoiler alert: She landed the role and can now been seen at the Lyric Theatre on a nightly basis.
“I remember trying to find things online, which was kind of hard,” Ricketts said in a recent phone interview. “My boyfriend was helping me find the script, which was published, and I got to compare that to the script that I received. One scene I remember very vividly was Hermione in the top of Act II when she’s in ‘V World,’ and the other scene was her talking to Harry in Act I in the normal established world. … Luckily, they liked what I did, and now that I’m doing the show, it makes complete sense. I remember being excited, nervous and curious about the show.”
Ricketts, who also appeared on Broadway in Time and the Conways, said this show, which runs nearly three hours and 30 minutes, is different than tackling a classical role for the stage. She has source material certainly, but she’s also a member of a large company of actors who have their own stories of being impacted by these characters and plot points.
“I also get to be surrounded by a bunch of people who have their own memories associated to not only the experience of a show that’s been running for so long and changing and growing, but also their relationship to the books within their own families and friends and all of that,” she said. “Then the audience themselves. Being backstage and hearing Dumbledore come on and hearing an applause and knowing that that means a lot to people who are alive now and who can tell you what those experiences mean to them in their own special and unique way is really a gift.”
Ricketts called the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child company a big family, reminding her of her four years with the Stratford Festival, which routinely had large casts. However, Harry Potter is, without a doubt, the largest show she’s ever acted in.
“There are some people in the company that I don’t always see unless they swing on to my track or I run into them backstage,” Ricketts said. “It’s a world of people. It’s really cool. … I am surprised at the athleticism involved in this part because I don’t think when I’m watching it, I don’t see that behind-the-stage work, but there is so much involved in the magic of the show.”
Ricketts was quick to say that she’s unable to share the behind-the-scenes magic of the show, which is dazzling and perhaps the ultimate example of stagecraft in New York City. She wants audiences to be transported by the sights and sounds, so she kept her secrets.
“They make us swear as magicians at the top of rehearsal,” Ricketts said with a laugh. “But there is so much behind the scenes that requires a physical ability, which I think is really, really amazing. At first, in the rehearsal hall, we talked through it a lot, but getting to the theater is a completely different experience. And so it’s a lot of fun, but it’s way more than I thought. I do agree, it’s probably one of the busiest shows that I’ve ever been on.”
One of the joys of performing in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is knowing that the hundreds of people sitting in the audience range in age and background. This play, because of the success of the books and movies, attracts so many people, from the young to the young at heart. Ricketts loves that different lines of dialogue in the show can play on multiple levels.
“I was talking to Daniel Frederick, who plays Ron,” she said. “We were saying how wonderful it is when the house has a nice proper mix, when it has a vocally strong mix of everybody that’s there. So you’ll have the adult who kind of practically says the words, ‘Aww,’ as family members reunite and show love, and then you’ll have younger people who get excited at two characters finally meeting together. They’ll gasp. Or, Ron and I have a few moments where we kiss, and people are like, ‘Oh my God, they’re about to kiss.’ And as we’re kissing, you get to remember that there are little kids in the audience because you’ll hear that little, ‘Ewww,’ which will sometimes cause the audience to laugh. It feels familial in that way because everybody is in the house, and there are certain elements of the show that are directed toward the kids and making sure the kids can follow along. Also, [we reach] for that heartfelt moment that we can all feel as family and people who love each other. It is for everyone in that way.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, featuring Cara Ricketts as Hermione, continues at the Lyric Theatre on Broadway. Click here for more information and tickets.
