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# Jessie Mueller, Tony Hale and more to star in ‘Paddington The Musical’ on Broadway
- URL: https://www.broadwaynews.com/jessie-mueller-tony-hale-and-more-to-star-in-paddington-the-musical-on-broadway/
- Published: 2026-11-09T19:47:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-09T19:47:23.000Z
- Description: The musical begins performances on March 30, 2027 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with opening night set for April 18.
- Author: Sophia Rubino for Broadway.com
- Tags: Casting, Paddington The Musical, News, Arti Shah, James Hameed, Drew Gehling, Jessie Mueller, Serena Parrish, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Karen Ziemba, Chip Zien, Tony Hale, Allison Guinn, Zonya Love, J. Quinton Johnson, Kelvin Dukes

The principal cast is set for “Paddington The Musical” on Broadway. Based on the book “A Bear Called Paddington” by Michael Bond and the STUDIOCANAL film “Paddington,” the adaptation features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography by Ellen Kane. The musical begins performances on March 30, 2027 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with opening night set for April 18.

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Making their Broadway debuts are James Hameed and Arti Shah, the Olivier-winning team behind the bear. Hameed will voice Paddington while Shah will perform as the bear onstage. Joining Hameed and Shah are former “Waitress” co-stars Drew Gehling as Mr. Brown and Tony winner Jessie Mueller as Mrs. Brown, Serena Parrish as Judy Brown, Tony nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Millicent Clyde, Tony winner Karen Ziemba as Mrs. Bird, Chip Zien as Mr. Gruber, Tony Hale in his Broadway debut as Mr. Curry, J. Quinton Johnson as Grant, Allison Guinn as Lady Sloane, Zonya Love as Tanya and Kelvin Dukes as Tony. The full cast will be announced shortly.

Gehling has appeared on Broadway in “& Juliet,” “Almost Famous,” “Waitress,” “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” and “Jersey Boys.” He joins “Paddington” after appearing in “The Heart” off-Broadway. Gehling’s television and film credits include “A Good Person,” “Succession,” “30 Rock” and “Smash.”

Mueller won a Tony Award for her performance in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” She received nominations for her performances in “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Waitress” and “Carousel.” Her additional Broadway credits include “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “The Minutes.” Mueller received an Emmy nomination for her performance in the PBS broadcast of “Chicago Voices” and can be seen in “The Post,” directed by Steven Spielberg.

Parrish makes their Broadway debut in “Paddington.” Her screen credits include “Don’t Say Good Luck,” “The English Teacher,” “Long Bright River,” “Life & Beth,” “New Amsterdam” and “FBI: Most Wanted.”

Kritzer earned a Tony nomination for her performance in “Spamalot.” She joins “Paddington” after appearing in “The Fantasticks” on Broadway. Her additional Broadway credits include “Beetlejuice,” “Something Rotten!,” “Elf,” “Sondheim on Sondheim,” “Legally Blonde,” “A Catered Affair,” “Hairspray” and “Celebrity Autobiography.” Her television credits include “The First Lady,” “Bridge and Tunnel,” “New Amsterdam,” “Vinyl” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

Ziemba is a Tony winner for “Contact.” She was nominated for “Steel Pier,” “Never Gonna Dance” and “Curtains.” Her other Broadway credits include “A Chorus Line,” “42nd Street,” “Teddy & Alice,” “Crazy For You,” “Chicago,” “A Wonderful Life,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “Prince of Broadway.”

Zien has had a celebrated Broadway career for over five decades. His Broadway credits include “Ride the Winds,” “All Over Town,” “The Suicide,” “Into the Woods,” “Grand Hotel,” “Falsettos,” “The Boys from Syracuse,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Les Misérables,” “The Country Girl,” “The People in the Picture,” “The Big Knife,” “It Shoulda Been You,” “Caroline, or Change” and “Harmony.”

Hale is a three-time Emmy Award winner, earning two for his performance in “Veep” and a third for “The Mysterious Benedict Society.” He is best known for his role as Buster Bluth on “Arrested Development.” His additional screen credits include “Toy Story 4,” “Inside Out 2,” “Love, Simon,” “The Decameron” and “Toy Story 5.”

Johnson made his Broadway debut in “Hamilton.” He later appeared in “Choir Boy.”

Guinn joins “Paddington” after performing as an understudy in “Operation Mincemeat” on Broadway. Her additional Broadway credits include “Tammy Faye,” “On the Town” and “Hair.”

Love’s previous Broadway credits include “Beetlejuice”’s return engagement in 2022 and “The Color Purple.”

Dukes makes his Broadway debut in “Paddington.” He was a quarterfinalist on Season 15 of “America’s Got Talent” and appeared in the film “Don’t Say Good Luck.”

In “Paddington The Musical,” a small, lost bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a place to call home. A chance encounter with the Browns leads him into an unexpected world of adventure, where kindness has the power to change lives and strangers can become family. But London isn’t all afternoon tea and friendly faces — and even the seemingly happiest of families can have cracks beneath the surface. So, when a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns embark on a thrilling rescue mission, realizing they need this special bear as much as he needs them.

The London production won seven 2026 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. It features scenic design by Tom Pye, costume design by Gabrielle Slade, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Gareth Owen, video and animation design by Ash J. Woodward, hair, wig and makeup design by Campbell Young Associates and Paddington and puppet design by Tahra Zafar. Musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements are by Matt Brind.

> [This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/207662/jessie-mueller-tony-hale-and-more-to-star-in-paddington-the-musical-on-broadway/?ref=broadwaynews.com)