Practical Magic
Broadway Show In Development
Practical Magic is in Development
Practical Magic Summary
- Show Status: In Development
- Genre: Musical
- Practical Magic is 15 minutes long, including an intermission of 15 minutes
- 8 Shows per week
- Show Closes: Open ended
Two witch sisters battle a family curse, forbidden love, and dark magic while reclaiming sisterhood, choice, and power in a superstitious coastal town community traditions.
What's Practical Magic Like?
The Owens Family Curse
Practical Magic follows sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, raised in a seaside town under the weight of a generations-old curse that kills any man who loves them.
Two Sisters, Two Paths
Sally longs for stability and normalcy, rejecting magic in hopes of building a safe life. Gillian embraces passion, danger, and independence, using magic freely and living impulsively. Their opposing choices strain their bond but never sever it.
Death, Magic, and Consequences
When Gillian escapes an abusive relationship and tragedy follows, the sisters reunite to hide a body using forbidden magic. Their actions unleash darker forces, attracting suspicion from townspeople and threatening to destroy them both.
Love, Fate, and Sisterhood
As the curse tightens its grip, the sisters confront whether fate is fixed or can be rewritten. Ultimately, the story centers on sisterhood, personal choice, and the courage to love despite the risk of loss.
Is Practical Magic Good for Kids?
The Practical Magic stage musical is not generally considered good for kids.
The source material features adult themes including romantic relationships, family trauma, death, grief, and supernatural elements that are typically aimed at teens and adults, not children.
The 1998 film adaptation was rated PG-13, and the story’s tone reflects that level of maturity.
Practical Magic on Broadway Background
Practical Magic began as Alice Hoffman’s 1995 novel, later adapted into the 1998 film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Though the film opened modestly, it grew into a long-running cult favorite, especially around Halloween, praised for blending romance, grief, sisterhood, and witchcraft with a contemporary setting.
Development as a Stage Musical
The stage musical has been developed with an original score by Norah Jones and Gregg Wattenberg, marking Jones’s first major Broadway-aimed theatrical project. The book is written by Alice Hoffman herself, alongside playwright Peter Duchan, keeping the adaptation closely tied to the source material’s tone and themes.
Creative Direction
The production is being directed by Maria Friedman, whose recent work has emphasized emotionally grounded storytelling and strong female perspectives. The creative team has positioned the show as a romantic, atmospheric piece rather than a spectacle-driven fantasy.
Cast Members
- Sally Owens
- TBA
- Gillan Owens
- TBA
- Frances Owens (Aunt Frances)
- TBA
- Jet Owens (Aunt Jet)
- TBA
- Jimmy Angelov
- TBA
- Gary Hallet
- TBA
- Maria Owens
- TBA
- Kylie Owens
- TBA
- Antonia Owens
- TBA
Producers
Stephanie and Nicole Kramer
Brian and Dayna Lee
Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures
Production Credits
- Director
- Maria Friedman
Creative Team
- Original Score
- Norah Jones
- Original Score
- Gregg Wattenberg
- Book
- Alice Hoffman
- Book
- Peter Duchan