Tony Hale, Jessie Mueller and J. Quinton Johnson will join the Broadway cast of “Paddington The Musical.” The production begins previews March 30, 2027, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with opening night scheduled for April 18.
The principal cast announcement also confirms that James Hameed and Arti Shah will reprise their shared portrayal of Paddington from the West End production. Both received Olivier Awards for their performances in London, where the musical won seven awards, including Best Musical.
Hale will appear as Mrs. Brown opposite Drew Gehling as Mr. Brown. Johnson takes the role of Grant.
The company also includes Kelvin Dukes as Tony, Allison Guinn as Lady Sloane, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Millicent Clyde and Zonya Love as Tanya. Serena Parrish will play Judy Brown, with Tony winner Karen Ziemba as Mrs. Bird and Chip Zien as Mr. Gruber.
Additional casting will be announced. Jim Carnahan and Jason Thinger of Jim Carnahan Casting are handling casting, with Annabelle Davis serving as the Paddington casting consultant.
Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said the casting process introduced them to performers who brought distinct interpretations to the familiar characters.
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“We’ve been completely blown away by the extraordinary artists we’ve met throughout the casting process, and by the warmth and enthusiasm with which everyone has welcomed Paddington to Broadway. We really do have a dream company,” the producers said in a joint statement.
“Our exceptional, award-winning duo have spent years, alongside an extraordinary team of artists and technicians, developing and bringing Paddington himself to life,” Friedman and Lumley said. “What they have achieved together is quite remarkable.”
Based on Michael Bond’s children’s books and their film adaptations, “Paddington The Musical” features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher and a book by Jessica Swale. Luke Sheppard will direct the Broadway production, bringing back the creative team behind the London staging.
That team includes choreographer Ellen Kane and music supervisor and orchestrator Matt Brind. Tom Pye designed the scenery, Gabriella Slade the costumes and Tahra Zafar the Paddington character and puppets.
The Broadway engagement follows the musical’s West End premiere last year. Its central stage effect uses a robotic puppet head worn by the onstage performer, working in coordination with the separate voice performer to create Paddington’s expressions and movements.
For more information and additional details, theatergoers can visit the official Broadway “Paddington Bear The Musical” website.
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