Universal Orlando Resort Reveals Exciting Entertainment and Interactive Experiences at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley

Jim Hill

10 years ago

Guests Will Enjoy New Entertainment and Shows in Diagon Alley, Featuring Puppetry from Emmy Award-Winning Designer Michael Curry, and Other Interactive Experiences

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 4, 2014) – Imagine wandering up the cobbled street of Diagon Alley, turning into nearby CarkittMarket, and enjoying a live performance by one of the wizarding world’s most popular singing sensations or seeing stories from The Tales of Beedle the Bard come to life right before your eyes.

Today, Universal Orlando Resort revealed the exciting details behind the unique entertainment and interactive experiences that will debut as part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, the all-new, magnificently themed land opening this summer at Universal Studios Florida.

While exploring the streets of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, guests will be able to enjoy the following shows:

The Tales ofBeedlethe Bard,a new stage show taking place withinCarkittMarket, a covered, outdoor shopping area inspired by London’s famous markets. The show will feature a troupe of four from theWizardingAcademy of Dramatic Arts who have set up to perform a trunk show using stylized scenic pieces, props and puppetry fabricated by Emmy-award-winning designer Michael Curry. Curry is best known as the production designer on projects including the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony and the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show.

The performers will retell two of the famed tales of Beedle the Bard, a 15^th-century author of wizarding fairytales. The show will feature “The Fountain of Fair Fortune”, in which three witches and a knight meet in their attempt to reach the Fountain in an enchanted garden, and “The Tale of the Three Brothers” – featured in the seventh film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” – in which three wizard brothers come face to face with Death.

The Singing Sorceress: Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, a musical performance featuring the ever-popular singing sensation of the wizarding world, known from the books as Molly Weasley’s favorite singer, who she listens to on the Wizarding Wireless Network. The swinging show will feature never-before heard songs including, “A Cauldron Full Of Hot, Strong Love,” “You Stole My Cauldron But You Can’t Have My Heart” and “You Charmed The Heart Right Out Of Me”. These titles were all created by J.K. Rowling and the lyrics also include never-before-revealed information onCelestina’swand fromPottermore.

There will also be various interactive opportunities for guests to enjoy while visiting London and Diagon Alley:

The Knight Bus, which provides emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard in the Harry Potter books and films, is located in the London area of the new land. Guests will be able to meet and chat with the Knight Bus Conductor, and witness his rapport with the shrunken head hanging from the rear-view mirror. The iconic three-story, purple Knight Bus was inspired by its first appearance in the third film, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
GringottsMoney Exchange,a place where guests will be able to interact with aGringottsbank goblin and exchange theirMugglecurrency forWizardingBank Notes. These bank notes can be used within bothDiagonAlley andHogsmeade(and throughout the rest of Universal’s two theme parks) to purchase snacks and items from the shops.
Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC, one of thewizardingworld’s premier wand shops. Visitors toOllivanderswill step into the small, dusty shop and experience “a wand choosing a wizard” firsthand, reminiscent of one of the most iconic scenes from the Harry Potter books and films. This interactive experience is also available atOllivandersinHogsmeadeat Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

“Bringing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley to life has allowed our team to create show content and experiences that will take guests further into the fiction than ever before,” says Michael Aiello, Creative Development Director for Universal Orlando’s Entertainment team. “Nowhere else in the world will guests be able to enjoy these unique experiences – from watching a stage show based on the popular wizarding stories from “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” to enjoying the music of Celestina Warbeck, a character from the fiction.”

For more information about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the new entertainment and interactive experiences found in Diagon Alley, check out the Universal Orlando Blog blog.universalorlando.com.