If you want to hear Harry Potter speak, go no farther than the Borders bookstore at White Flint Mall (11301 Rockville Pike, Bethesda; 301-816-1067) Wednesday at 7 pm. Broadway actor Jim Dale has gained a whole new audience by giving voice to Harry, Hermione, Severus Snape, Voldemort, and more in the audio versions of the book series. The 17-disc audio set of the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is selling almost as quickly as the book.
Not only was Dale one of the first to know the fate of Harry and his friends—he received a manuscript of the new book about two months ago—but he was also one of the first to come up with voices for J.K. Rowling’s characters. He even earned a spot in the Guinness World Records for providing the most voices in an audio book thanks to his work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which there were 134 characters.
At the free White Flint event, Dale will sign copies of the final CD set and talk about his experiences recording the stories that have captured millions of readers.
