J.K. Rowling Surprised The Cast Of 'Cursed Child' & The Video Is Magical AF

For many of the stars of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, being cast in a J.K. Rowling project was a dream come true. Last week, though, that dream got a little bit sweeter when the author surprised the Broadway cast with a visit to the Lyric Theatre in New York just days before opening night.

As if being the star in a Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child isn't enough, the cast of the year's most anticipated show got the chance to meet its creator when J.K. Rowling stopped by the theater in New York a few days before the play's opening night. Many members of the cast — including Jamie Parker (Harry Potter), Noma Dumezweni (Hermione Granger), Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley), Poppy Miller (Ginny Potter), Sam Clemmett (Albus Potter), Alex Price (Draco Malfoy), and Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy) — are reprising the roles they perfected in the original run of the play in London, but their familiarity with the franchise and with Rowling herself didn't seem to dampen their excitement over the author's appearance.

“I know this is really, really embarrassing, but I know you don’t mind,” said Cursed Child director John Tiffany to his cast before revealing the incredible surprise guest. “I’ve got a friend in town and she’s a big Harry Potter fan, and I said I’d introduce her to you.”

See the tear-jerking moment, below:

As you can see, everyone was thrilled to meet the creator of the Harry Potter universe. From the moment Rowling stepped through the doors, the actors were cheering and clapping, and a few even had to wipe their eyes of happy tears. In the video, you can see just how excited the cast is to meet and, in many cases, pose for a photo with what is presumably one of their favorite authors, but the play's actors and actresses weren't the only one excited about the encounter. "This is amazing," Rowling told them about the upcoming premier. 'Thank you, and I can't wait. I really, really can't."

She may be the world's first billionaire author and the woman behind the most popular children's fantasy series of all time, but Rowling still seems to be in awe of her continued success. In a tweet accompanied by photos from her visit to the theater, she admits "I've just walked around the refurbished Lyric theatre for the first time and laugh-cried quite a lot. It's so beautiful. I can't believe we're on Broadway."

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child celebrated its official opening night on Sunday, April 22, a night Rowling called "one of the best evenings of my life" in a tweet following the show. The author was in the audience watching the magic unfold on stage, but she wasn't the only familiar face in the crowd. Dan Fogler, who plays Jacob Kowalski in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was in attendance, as was Ezra Miller, who played the troubled Credence Barebone in the same film, and Jessica Williams, who is slated to play Lally Hicks, a professor at Ilvermorny, in the upcoming sequel. Whoopi Goldberg even showed up dressed in her Gryffindor robes.

In speaking to Pottermore on the red carpet outside the theater, Rowling explained her mixed emotions on opening night. When asked how she was feeling, the author responded "Nervous, as I always do." She want on to explain, "I take nothing for granted, you never know what is going to happen next."

Based on the great reviews Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are receiving from critics who have praised it as a "theatrical marvel" with "all-consuming enchantment" and the "heart, humanity and warmth of a Rowling novel," I think we can all predict what happens next: a stellar run with sold out shows.

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