Paddington The Musical is Coming to Broadway
By Ellie Esquenazi
An iconic bear is headed to Broadway! The star-studded lineup has been announced for the Broadway transfer of “Paddington The Musical.” The show previews Mar. 30, 2027, and officially opens Apr. 18 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.
“Paddington The Musical” is a stage adaptation of Michael Bond’s classic books, and it opened on the West End in London in Nov. 2025. As it continues its successful run in the UK, it is approaching Broadway.
The show follows a young bear who migrates from Peru to London after a natural disaster destroys his home. Upon arriving alone at Paddington Station, the bear has a chance encounter with the Brown family, who takes him in and introduces him to life in London.
Coming straight from across the pond, Arti Shah and James Hameed will be reprising their shared role as Paddington Bear in the Broadway production. Shah is the onstage performer while Hameed voices the bear and controls the puppetry from offstage. Shah and Hameed jointly won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical earlier this year.
As for the Brown family, two familiar Broadway faces will reunite in this production! Drew Gehling and Jessie Mueller have been cast as Mr. and Mrs. Brown, but they are best known for originating the roles of Dr. Pomatter and Jenna in “Waitress” on Broadway.
The casting has already generated excitement among fans on social media. As for Judy Brown, their daughter, Serena Parrish will be making her Broadway debut in the show. Parrish is most recognized for her role as Katie in the recent Netflix release, “Don’t Say Good Luck.”
Other principal roles include “Arrested Development” star Tony Hale, who will make his Broadway debut as Mr. Curry. Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba will portray Mrs. Bird, while Chip Zien is set to play Mr. Gruber. Ziemba is known for her featured role in “Contact,” and Zien originated the role of the Baker in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, known for her role in “Beetlejuice,” will portray Millicent Clyde, while Allison Guinn, who appeared in “Only Murders in the Building,” will play Lady Sloane. The company will also include Zonya Love as Tanya, J. Quinton Johnson as Grant and Kelvin Dukes as Tony.
With a combination of Broadway debuts and seasoned veterans, the cast of “Paddington The Musical” is set to warm audiences’ hearts. Suitcase in one hand and a jar of marmalade in the other, Paddington is ready to make himself at home in New York City.
