Paddington has been confirmed to cross the pond! Following reports and an almost confirmation at the June 7 Tony Awards, producers of the Olivier-winning stage musical have made it official: Paddington The Musical will begin on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (currently home to Moulin Rouge! through August 30) March 30, 2027. Opening night will be April 18. Get a preview of Paddington’s journey to New York in the video above.
Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL, and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK are producing the transfer.
The musical, which brings Michael Bond’s children’s books and their award-winning film adaptations to the stage, features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher and a book by Jessica Swale. Luke Sheppard will again direct the Broadway bow, reuniting his West End creative team, including choreographer Ellen Kane, music supervisor and orchestrator Matt Bring, scenic designer Tom Pye, costume designer Gabriella Slade, Paddington and puppet designer Tahra Zafar, lighting designer Neil Austin, sound designer Gareth Owen, video designer and animator Ash J Woodward, and hair, wig, and makeup designer Campbell Young Associates.
Casting, to be announced, will be by Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger of Jim Carnahan Casting. Annabelle Davis will serve as Paddington casting consultant.
The musical has become a major hit in London’s West End since premiering there last year, thanks in part to a technical marvel of a main character. The stage production brings the sentient stuffed bear to life via a state-of-the-art robotic puppet head worn by a diminutive performer, voiced by a separate offstage performer. The musical was the big winner at this year’s Olivier Awards, taking seven total categories including Best Musical.
WATCH: Here’s Your 1st Look at Paddington Bear in Paddington the Musical
“It has been the greatest adventure of my career to be entrusted with bringing Paddington’s story to life on stage alongside my brilliant creative collaborators Jessica, Luke, and our producers Sonia and Eliza,” says Fletcher in a statement. “The response from West End audiences of all ages has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s a great privilege to welcome New York audiences into Paddington’s world of curiosity and I am absolutely thrilled at the opportunity for this very rare and special bear to be on Broadway.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to bring Paddington to New York,” adds Swale. “As a city that breathes theatre, storytelling, and imagination, Broadway is the perfect place to celebrate this exuberant and heart-filled story. I can’t wait. Let’s just hope Paddington loves Big Apples as much as he loves oranges.”
“Producing Paddington The Musical with our extraordinary writing and creative team has been an immense privilege,” say Friedman and Lumley. “Paddington Bear has endured for generations because he reminds us of the best of ourselves: kindness, curiosity, empathy, and the belief that everyone deserves to belong. Wrapped inside a joyful theatrical adventure, with Tom Fletcher’s exceptional score at its heart, is a story about finding home, family, and community in unexpected places. We have been genuinely blown away by the response to the production so far and are thrilled to be bringing it to Broadway. As the home of so many of the world’s great musicals, there is no more exciting place to produce new work than New York, and we cannot wait to share Paddington’s world with Broadway audiences.”
Visit PaddingtonTheMusical.com.
