The lights went down, the curtain opened and the cheering, clapping and waving was deafening. The Harry Potter logo appeared on the screen and the theater filled with shushing noises.
These were no ordinary movie-goers. These were Harry Potter fans, some of whom had been waiting at the Senator Theater since noon on Tuesday for the first public screening of the latest movie, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” That happened at midnight on Wednesday.
“The waiting isn?t only for the movies, it?s the fun of meeting new people and seeing old friends you haven?t seen in a while. It?s just an all-around good time,” said Liz Slabik, 24, of Baltimore.
Slabik was the first person in line for the showing, waiting through thunderstorms and chasing away line jumpers for 11 hours. She has attended six other midnight showings at the Senator, most of which were Star Wars movies.
“There?s nothing like a midnight showing at the Senator,” she said.
Nicole Sclama arrived soon after Slabik and is the self-proclaimed “biggest Harry Potter fan you will ever meet in your life.” She and her friends read and played cards to pass the time.
“I didn?t have to sit on a street corner all day, but I did it because I love Harry Potter,” she said.
Many of the fans dressed as their favorite characters.
Jenna Morton, 18, dressed as one of Harry Potter?s best friends, Hermione Granger?but with a twist. In the second book, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” a botched potion leaves Hermione halfway to a cat transformation.
“It?s a bit warm, there?s a little condensation, but I will do anything for my Harry Potter,” she said. “The more people who get into the spirit of it, the better it is.”
Tina Duvall, 16, brought Beary Potter, a stuffed bear dressed as Harry Potter to see the movie with her. “Harry is definitely my favorite character,” she said.
When the doors opened at 11 p.m., the first people inside sprinted to save their seat for the sold-out show.
The audience clapped and cheered throughout the movie, to the annoyance of some. Sam Massa, 12, attended his first midnight showing. He said the clapping was annoying because it meant he couldn?t hear the movie.
“It?s OK though, I have a lot of family at home and I?m going to see it again,” he said.
Penny Gershman, 30, owns a podcast, Harry Potter Prognostications, with her husband.
“This is the summer of Harry Potter,” she said. “This is just part of the excitement.”
