University of Windsor alumna Alexis Gordon plays broom flying instructor, Madam Hooch in the first national tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Broadway play. (SUBMITTED BY ALEXIS GORDON/University of Windsor)
By Victor Romao
“Welcome to your first flying lesson.
“Step up to the left side of your broomstick.
“Stick your right hand over the broom and say, ‘Up.’”
“Up!”
The words soar through the theatre as Alexis Gordon (BFA Acting ‘12), guides her students in the art of broomstick flight, transforming the stage into an airborne adventure.
For the University of Windsor alumna, now playing Madam Hooch in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in New York, this isn’t just a line from a script—it’s the culmination of a journey that has taken her from Shakespearean stages to Broadway’s magical halls.
Gordon’s path from London, Ont., to Broadway was anything but linear.
It was marked by near-misses, pandemic setbacks and a relentless pursuit of opportunity.
Her story offers a glimpse into the resilience and reinvention required to thrive in the performing arts—and why adaptability has become her most powerful spell.
“I auditioned for this show years ago,” said Gordon, recalling her first brush with the wizarding world.
“Back then, I was across the street acting in Emma Donoghue’s stage adaption of her bestselling novel, Room, at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. I thought that ship had sailed.”
When Room’s Broadway transfer collapsed in 2022—two weeks into rehearsals—Gordon faced a crossroads.
“I had canceled my year of work in Canada. I was in New York thinking, ‘Which way should I go?’ I decided to stay and try,” she said.
“It wasn’t casual. It was stressful. But I’ve always wanted to work on Broadway.”
Her gamble paid off.
After an award winning performance in Denver Center’s A Little Night Music and a return to the Shaw Festival for Brigadoon, Gordon got the call: Madam Hooch was hers.
“I had auditioned for the roles of Hermione and Rose previously, but I wasn’t the right age for either,” she said. “This time, it was the right fit.”
Before joining the Broadway cast, Gordon toured with the production in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., where she even stepped in as Hermione for two months.
Her Hogwarts debut followed years of Canadian theatre triumphs: performances at the Stratford Theatre, Shaw Festival and a Dora Award for outstanding performance in a leading role for Ma in North American premiere of Room.
Alexis Gordon performs as Countess Charlotte Malcolm in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ production of A Little Night Music, a role that earned her a Henry Award for Best Supporting Actress. (AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY/University of Windsor)
She’s played everything from Winifred in Mary Poppins to Betty in White Christmas.
“I adore musical theatre,” she says. “It’s always been important to me.”
Gordon’s career highlights the fragility and resilience that define life in the performing arts.
“Our jobs are so short-term, so often fear-driven,” she says.
That reality inspired her to co-found Ground Floor, a theatre-based organization dedicated to fostering healthier, more collaborative creative spaces.
“If HR is the hospital, where’s the first aid kit? We wanted to create that,” said Gordon.
Her commitment to care and conflict resolution is backed by extensive training.
Gordon holds certifications in Embodied Conflict Resolution and Mental Health First Aid, along with additional coursework in workplace conflict transformation and bystander intervention.
She previously served on the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association’s Safe Force Committee for five years—further proof of her dedication to creating safer, more supportive environments for artists.
Her academic pursuits mirror this ethos—she’s studying social work online while balancing eight shows a week.
“I had the freedom to choose my path in both worlds, and I decided to take them all,” said Gordon.
Even amid the whirlwind, Gordon remains rooted in her craft.
“My mom asked me years ago, ‘Do you want to be the actor who can sing or the singer who can act?’ I said, I want to be the actor who can sing,” she recalls.
That decision led her to the University of Windsor’s drama program, where she honed her skills in Shakespeare and musicals alike.
“It was genius advice,” she says. “It gave me the ability to pivot.”
Participating in University Players productions was one of the most memorable aspects of her time at the University of Windsor.
“Performing on those stages offered an incredible opportunity to grow as an artist and connect with a vibrant community of creatives,” said Gordon.
Two standout experiences for Gordon were performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream during her third year and later taking part in Much Ado About Nothing in her fourth year.
Those productions were defining moments that helped shape her university experience and reinforced her passion for the performing arts.
From Stratford’s Shakespearean stages to Broadway’s enchanted halls, Gordon’s story is one of grit, grace and growth.
Her mantra is simple: keep moving forward, even when the path twists unexpectedly.
As Madam Hooch, she commands students to lift their brooms with a single word: “Up!”
For Gordon, that word isn’t just stage direction—it’s a declaration of resilience and a reminder that the only way to soar is to rise.