NEW YORK—The beloved bear from Peru is heading to Broadway, and he’s bringing an impressive cast along for the adventure. Producers of Paddington The Musical have announced the principal performers for the upcoming production, which begins previews March 30, 2027, and officially opens April 18 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
Tony Award winners Jessie Mueller (Waitress) and Karen Ziemba (Contact) will play Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Bird, respectively. The cast also includes Drew Gehling (Waitress) as Mr. Brown, Tony Hale (“Veep”) as Mr. Curry, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (The Fantasticks) as Millicent Clyde and Chip Zien (Into the Woods) as Mr. Gruber.
Bringing Paddington to life
Olivier Award winners Arti Shah and James Hameed will reprise their roles from the London production. Ms. Shah will portray Paddington onstage, while Mr. Hameed will provide the bear’s voice and remote puppetry.
The company also features Kelvin Dukes, Allison Guinn, J. Quinton Johnson, Zonya Love and Serena Parrish. Producers will announce additional casting later.
A London hit comes to Broadway
Based on Michael Bond’s beloved books and the popular Paddington films, the musical follows a small bear who arrives in London from Peru in search of a home. After meeting the Brown family, Paddington discovers friendship, adventure and the importance of kindness. However, a mysterious villain soon threatens his newfound happiness.
The production features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale and direction by Luke Sheppard.
The London production has become a major hit, winning seven 2026 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. It also earned nine WhatsOnStage Awards.
Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions are bringing the show to Broadway.
Paddington The Musical begins previews March 30, 2027, and opens April 18 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 W. 45th St., New York. Tickets start at $69.
Tickets and information: https://broadway.paddingtonthemusical.com/