When I heard that my two favorite things, the "Harry Potter" franchise and theater were combining together to construct "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" in 2015, I was absolutely over the moon. As soon as the script book was published, I bought it and finished it within a good ten hours. My inner witch craved more. I searched who was cast as the characters who helped shape me into the person I am today. When I saw British black actress Noma Dumezweni was set to portray the cleverest witch of her age, Hermione Granger-Weasley, I was a tad confused. I was accustomed to seeing Emma Watson, who is Caucasian, on the big screen in the eight films. However, my confusion quickly turned to joy as I realized the Golden Trio was becoming diverse. Representation!

Others did not view the casting choice in the same light as I did. Trolls covered up their racist remarks by claiming Hermione was written as white in the books, why would the play change that? J.K. Rowling debunked this theory in a tweet, stating that the witch's ethnicity was never identified. Others outraged that the play should follow the film, but the film was just an adaptation of the books, as is the stage play. Why should there be any continuation from one portrayal? As the queen already stated, canon still fits the brilliant Noma Dumezweni. Emma Watson showed her support for the next Hermione and also posted a heartwarming photo of the two when they had met. If the original actress and author of the books backed Noma being cast, why couldn't others?

I noticed that when POC portrayed originally Caucasian or assumed Caucasian characters like Hermione, so-called fans of franchises became outraged. When roles were reversed and movies/TV shows were whitewashed, those trolls had kept their mouth shut and only a number of people expressed anger. Personally, I think the character's ethnicity should only matter when it is significant to the plot like the musical "Hairspray" where leading lady Tracy Turnblad worked to integrate the dancing show she was on in 60s Baltimore, Maryland or when in a historical biopic like the movie "Selma" which portrayed Martin Luther King Jr.'s hardships trying to obtain equal voting rights for African-Americans also in the 60s. Who says that there can't be a Native American Cinderella or perhaps the famous redheaded Annie of Chinese descent?

I have yet to see the play live (which I am terribly sad about), but Domezweni did not disappoint. She received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (her second one!) and a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play in regards to her portrayal as the witch daughter of two Muggle dentists. Domezweni also graced us with her Hermione flair on Broadway when the show was first released in the United States in spring 2018. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is set to premiere in Melbourne, Australia in 2019. In September of this year, the casting announcements for Melbourne were released. Another colored actress is set to play Hermione, Paula Arundell. The trolls did not win. Break a leg, Noma and Paula!