Paddington The Musical Sets Broadway Principal Cast

Paddington The Musical opens on Broadway on April 18, 2027, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Previews begin March 30, 2027, 19 days earlier. The announcement names 13 principal cast members and four creative leads.

Who wrote and directs the show?

Tom Fletcher writes the music and lyrics. Jessica Swale wrote the book. Luke Sheppard directs. Ellen Kane choreographs.

The staging draws on Michael Bond's book A Bear Called Paddington and the STUDIOCANAL film Paddington. Fletcher, Swale, Sheppard and Kane hold the music, lyrics, book, direction and choreography posts in one production that reaches Broadway in spring 2027.

Four named creatives run a 2027 production built from Bond's book and the Paddington film.

Who plays Paddington?

James Hameed and Arti Shah make their Broadway debuts as the Olivier-winning team behind the bear. Hameed voices Paddington. Shah performs the bear onstage. The announcement splits the role between voice and physical performance.

Hameed and Shah, described in the announcement as "the Olivier-winning team behind the bear," arrive without previous Broadway roles of their own.

An Olivier-winning pair divides the bear between voice and stage.

Who fills the rest of the company?

The announcement lists 11 further actors alongside the two performers of the bear. Three take the Brown roles: Mr. Brown, Mrs. Brown and Judy Brown.

• Drew Gehling as Mr. Brown
• Jessie Mueller as Mrs. Brown
• Serena Parrish as Judy Brown
• Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Millicent Clyde
• Karen Ziemba as Mrs. Bird
• Chip Zien as Mr. Gruber
• Tony Hale as Mr. Curry, in his Broadway debut
• J. Quinton Johnson as Grant
• Allison Guinn as Lady Sloane
• Zonya Love as Tanya
• Kelvin Dukes as Tony

The company pairs three performers playing the Browns with eight supporting actors that include a Tony nominee and a first-time Broadway performer.

Thirteen principals cover the household of Paddington and its wider circle.

What do the actors bring?

Mueller is a Tony winner. Rodriguez Kritzer is a Tony nominee. Gehling's Broadway credits include & Juliet, Almost Famous, Waitress and On a Clear Day You ….

Mueller and Gehling bring a shared Waitress history to the Brown household, one a Tony winner and the other a four-show Broadway veteran with credits at & Juliet and Almost Famous.

Hale plays Mr. Curry in his Broadway debut. The announcement lists only Mr. Curry for Hale.

Award winners and nominees fill most of the company; Hale supplies the Broadway debut.

What comes next?

The full cast will be announced shortly. The announcement lists no further performers beyond the 13 principals, and no dates for additional updates.

The next fixed point is that full cast announcement, which precedes a March 30, 2027 preview opening and an April 18, 2027 first night at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Everything else about the staging remains unannounced.