'The Tales Of Beedle The Bard' Comes To Life At 'The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter'
As the clock ticks down to the grand opening of Universal Orlando's The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Diagon Alley expansion, more details are being revealed. The newest bit is that author JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be brought to life as part of the park's new entertainment options. The trunk show, an adaptation of the first two stories from the children's book ("The Fountain of Fair Fortune" and "The Tale of the Three Brothers") will be performed by a troupe of four from the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts using "scenic pieces, props and puppetry fabricated by Emmy-award-winning designer Michael Curry." You can get a first look at The Tales of Beedle the Bard show after the jump.
Universal Orlando has also revealed a second show that will be offered in the Wizarding World, more details about the entrance to the new expansion and information on how Muggles will be able to exchange currency at the Gringotts Money Exchange. All this and more, after the jump.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard Show at Universal Orlando
Here is a first look at the puppetry fabricated by Emmy-award-winning designer Michael Curry for The Tale of the Three Brothers trunk show adaptation from JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard book:
Harry Potter fans know that The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a children's storybook that was mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. JK Rowling decided to write the book within the book, and auctioned seven limited edition handwritten and illustrated copies to charity. One of the copies, the moonstone edition, sold to Amazon for $3.98 million. The book was later published and made available to the general public, with the proceeds going to charity. The book contains five fairy tales, each with an Aesop-like lesson, illustrated by the bard herself. You can read more about the book here.
The Singing Sorceress: Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees
The second new live show will be a musical performance by The Singing Sorceress: Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees which 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". All of the songs are titles created by J.K. Rowling. The lyrics also contain never-before-revealed information about Celestina's wand – written by J.K. Rowling for Pottermore. No photos have been released.
The Knight Bus Conductor
They also revealed a cool interactive experience in the London section of the new Universal Orlando expansion which will let guests get up close with the Knight Bus and its two permanent occupants: a shrunken head and the Knight Bus Conductor. Apparently they will interact and joke with guests. Above is a first look from the Universal folk.
Gringotts Money Exchange
And lastly, Universal Orlando has confirmed that muggles will be able to go to the Gringotts Money Exchange which will allow them to exchange Muggle currency for Wizarding Bank Notes, which can only be used within the Universal theme parks to purchase snacks and items from the shops. They released a photo, above, of a Gringotts goblin who will be overseeing your transaction.
