Paddington The Musical is set to open on New York's Broadway next year. The production, which won seven Oliviers during its run at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End in 2026, tying the record for the most awards won by a musical in the ceremony's history, will launch in the United States at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on March 30, 2027.
McFly's Tom Fletcher, who composed the music, expressed his excitement: '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 (Swale, writer), Luke (Sheppard, director) and our producers Sonia and Eliza. The response from West End audiences of all ages has been unlike anything I've ever experienced.'
Fletcher added: '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.'
The musical is inspired by the children's books by Michael Bond and three hit films. It follows the small bear from Peru as he is taken in by the Brown family after a chance meeting at London's Paddington station, who later have to protect him from evil villain taxidermist Millicent Clyde.
Swale said: 'I couldn't be more excited to bring Paddington to New York. 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.'
The production stars a puppet of the bear, played by a two-person team consisting of James Hameed as remote puppeteer, controlling the expressions and delivering the voice, and Arti Shah embodying the character on stage.
Due to popular demand, the soundtrack for Paddington The Musical was released on streaming services one month earlier than its originally scheduled release.
The marmalade-loving bear has also made a string of public appearances around the launch of the play, having presented an award at the Bafta Film Awards in February and posed for a photo on Abbey Road's zebra crossing in April. The bear which stars in the play also met the Prince and Princess of Wales at this year's Royal Variety Performance, where they reportedly discussed marmalade sandwiches.
Paddington, first published on October 13, 1958, has seen a number of adaptations over the years – including a BBC TV version in 1976 voiced by the late Sir Michael Hordern. More recently there were films released in 2014, 2017 and 2024 – which all performed well at the box office.
The late Queen Elizabeth II famously appeared in a comedy sketch with a digitally animated Paddington to mark her Platinum Jubilee, in which she revealed that she kept marmalade sandwiches – Paddington's favourite treat – in her handbag. When she died in 2022, mourners left Paddington cuddly toys and marmalade sandwiches outside Buckingham Palace in tribute.
Tickets for Paddington The Musical's New York run are available now from the musical's website.
