Will there be a Harry Potter Musical?

Harry Potter is a modern day phenomenon. With seven bestselling books, eight block-busting movies a theme park and thousands of merchandizing items, it has become an industry to itself. Harry Potter has made J K Rowling one of the richest women in the world, and created a following of millions of eager fans all around the world. This weekend the final movie opens and many people are devastated that this seemingly is an end to the amazing stories about the young wizard and his friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley.

As the Harry Potter saga comes to an end and the only lifeline for Harry Potter fans is the upcoming new site (Pottermore) created by J K Rowling, I wonder whether we have seen the last of Harry Potter or whether new ventures may appear in the future?

J K Rowling has said that she won’t return to the series, but there are still many avenues for future books that could be explored:

• A novel on how Neville finds a cure for his parents perhaps?
• The adventures of Dumbledore
• Short stories on all the main characters providing much more background
• Histories of all the wizarding schools – including some not mentioned in the books – surely there must be an American wizard school?

The list could go on, and I’m sure over time you’ll see some fan fiction covering some of these topics. Sadly it doesn’t seem likely that we’re going to see much more from the Harry Potter world, unless……………

While you can already see a Harry Potter in a spoof Youtube video, the quality is not what you would expect from any Harry Potter production. It therefore seems inevitable, and indeed there are a lot of rumors that a Harry Potter musical could be in production.

As there is now a void in the Harry Potter World, it’s very likely that a musical based on the series or one of the books would be very successful. People all around the world hoping to extend the fantasy just one more year would snap up the tickets.

A musical version of the best-selling books has all the elements to make it very successful, and I for one hope to see a production in Broadway very soon – J K Rowling are you listening?

While Danielle Radcliffe is on Broadway in a musical rendition of ‘How to Succeed in Business’ it’s very unlikely that he’ll want to reprise his role of Harry Potter in a musical. As he begins to move into an adult acting career there’s no doubt that he will want to distance himself from the role and not get stereotyped or type-cast.

The same goes for Rupert Grint and Emma Watson who both are embarking on their adult careers. You might see some of the lesser actors take a role, but as they are all approaching their 20s, it’s probably time to bring in some fresh actors to star in a Harry Potter Musical.

I note that I have been very impressed with how all the young actors have improved. Daniel Radcliffe is becoming an excellent actor and will have a great career. I suspect we haven't seen the last of many of these young actors.

Hermione Granger: Isabella Acres is an accomplished young actress who has already starred in some blockbuster movies – simply die her hair and she’d be perfect for the role of Hermione. Hermione has a rather strict look as we begin the saga, and with her piercing eyes and beautiful hair Isabella possesses the same poise as Emma Watson.

Ron Weasley: Preston Bailey has the same glint in his eye that Rupert Grint has. Already a big screen star, he’d be perfect to bring back the humor and ‘dorkiness’ of Ron. Having seen many of his movies, it’s obvious that he could play this role with panache, and bring back the Ron Weasley we all know and love.

Harry Potter: Jeremy Shada already has the pedigree to be a top movie star. However, his good looks and acting ability make him perfect for the role of Harry. Harry Potter’s role in a musical is a difficult one, it’ll require a very good singer, but also an actor who can bring out many emotions ranging from fear and anger, to love and honor – Jeremy Shada has proven he has the ability to show this range of emotion.

Dumbledore: Michael Gambon is very good as Dumbledore in the movies, and as he has experience of acting in musicals (The Singing Detective) he’d be perfect to keep the role of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter Musical. Dumbledore is an important role for a Harry Potter musical, and to a certain extent keeping the continuity between the movie and the Harry Potter musical is very important.

Snape: as Snape is such a mixed character, with both humor and terror mixed together, I feel that Jack Black could be perfect in this role. His great singing voice, combined with his quirkiness would fit the bill perfectly. Alan Rickman played Snape so well in the movies that it’s almost impossible to bring someone different in the role – however, Jack Black could make this role his own while still sticking to the vestiges inherent in the books.

Voldermort: this is probably the hardest role to cast, but based on the look of the young Tom Riddle I’d probably opt for someone young like Joseph Gordon-Levitt or even Ewan McGregor; they both are highly talented, but also have great voices. Voldemort and Harry are probably going to have many duets; as the character playing Harry is going to be a child actor, it’s imperative to cast an actor with a pedigree of singing – this will assist Harry but also bring a candid and raw feel to the duets.

(Note, as Storytellersrus says, Neil Patrick Harris would also make a superb Voldermort - he has the talent as an actor and the pedigree as a singer - he'd probably be very sinister!).

Who should write the music for the Harry Potter musical?

The one thing that makes the Harry Potter movies so good is the amazing music already incorporated into the films. Harry Potter music is already full of suspense, intrigue and mysticism, the main theme song is already recognized worldwide and the whole Harry Potter sound track is truly a masterful collection of amazing music.

John Williams has been writing movie scores for over 50 years and there’s no doubt that the style and feel of his Harry Potter music could be incorporated into a Harry Potter Musical. Personally I feel the style needs to be similar to that of Phantom of the Opera, but with a more magical or mystical feel.

At times it will be upbeat to enhance the comedy and action, but it will also have an underlying shadow of fear and danger, and will probably be full of tumult and degradation at times. All I know is that J K Rowling will want the best, and for me there is no better than John Williams.

I think there will be a Harry Potter musical simply because it is another avenue of revenue for the publishers. While there are a lot of technical difficulties: How do they show Dobby? How do they Play Quiddich? Etc, I feel that with the lessons learned in the recent Batman musical anything is possible.

Harry Potter certainly has the right elements to make a successful musical – drama, excitement, love, hate, comedy – and it definitely would attract huge audiences. Much of the dialogue could fit into a musical especially if the talents of a Tim Rice were brought in. I could even see U2 producing some very enticing Harry Potter music!

Sadly I do not have a direct line to J K Rowling. My guess would be that any Harry Potter movie would come out in 2014 or 2015. J K Rowling is a perfectionist so she will ensure that the right cast is in place, the right sets are built and that the music and writing captures the essence of her brilliant books.

While I have picked some American actors, you may find that J K Rowling will insist on keeping British actors, and therefore casting will probably take a little longer.

I have always been an avid reader. By the time I was twenty I had read over a thousand books and while I no longer have the time to read so enthusiastically I still can manage about four books a month. Reading has and always will be a passion of mine.

I discovered Harry Potter about nine years ago when a friend of the family gave my twin girls (aged eleven) copies of the first three Harry Potter books. We started to read the books together and it became a family event. We would take turn reading and all enjoyed the wonderful characters and storylines.

As my daughters grew up, the passion and love of Harry Potter never waned; we simply devoured each book as it was released and always spent hours speculating what J K Rowling would include in the next book. It was amazing how often we were right about certain plot elements.

As the movies were released we continued our love by attending the movies on the opening day and it will be a very sad day when we all go to see the final movie – the girls are now twenty and this almost seems like the day they will finally ‘grow up’.

My only saving grace is that my Grandson Lane will one day grow up and hopefully my Wife, my Grandson and I can enjoy the Harry Potter saga (once again). I will miss Harry, Ron and Hermione, they have been in my life for 10 years now, so it’s a Bon Voyage rather than a Goodbye for me, and here’s hoping there will be a Harry Potter Musical!