B'way Update: Paddington, Billy Crystal

Paddington the Musical will
make the transatlantic leap this spring.
Credit: Johann Persson

At this year's Tony Awards, Neil Patrick Harris brought a teddy bear onstage during the opening number and hostess P!nk said, "That's next season." For those viewers who do not obsessively follow theater news, they were referring to a rumored Broadway transfer of Paddington the Musical, a hit London tuner based on the beloved stuffed bear and hero of a series of books and movies. Producer Sonia Friedman just made it official, the Olivier Award-winner will begin performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on March 30, 2027 and open on April 18. The score is by Olivier winner Tom Fletcher, book by Olivier winner Jessica Swale and direction by Olivier winner Luke Sheppard. 

Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said, "Producing Paddington The Musical with our extraordinary writing and creative team has been an immense privilege. 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.”

Billy Crystal's 860 will play the Imperial
this fall

Meanwhile, Billy Crystal's solo show 860, centered around the home he lost in the Palisades fire and directed by Tony nominee Scott Ellis has announced dates and a theater. Previews begin Oct. 1 at the Imperial prior to an Oct. 21 opening for a limited 14-week run through Jan. 3, 2027.