Paddington at the Al Hirschfeld- Page 2

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 1:48pm

Paddington is fine. Some fun songs. And adorable bear. But a terribly overstuffed second act which just made me want the evening to end.  And the fully superior Matilda did not last long on Broadway. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 2:04pm

Owen22 said: "Paddington is fine. Some fun songs. And adorable bear. But a terribly overstuffed second act which just made me want the evening to end.And the fully superior Matilda did not last long on Broadway."

Matilda ran for just shy of 4 years and recouped within 2 years.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 2:06pm

If PADDINGTON has a MATILDA or BILLY ELLIOT-type run if/when it comes to NY, odds are it will not be profitable. 

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 2:17pm

I've said before, I'd like to see this show be successful. But if I were a big producer instead of an out of town small fry, I'd be wary: if shows often make back some of their money on the road or in licensing, how do you tour or license a show so dependent on a high-intensity special effect like this? Will regionals and schools still want to pay up to do Paddington when it's a high school freshman in a hat with ears, instead of a three-person animatronic puppet?

[DaveyG]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 2:35pm

darquegk said: "I've said before, I'd like to see this show be successful. But if I were a big producer instead of an out of town small fry, I'd be wary: if shows often make back some of their money on the road or in licensing, how do you tour or license a show so dependent on a high-intensity special effect like this? Will regionals and schools still want to pay up to do Paddington when it's a high school freshman in a hat with ears, instead of a three-person animatronic puppet?"

Shrek has been incredibly successful in licensing without each production having expensive ogre prosthetics. Some just have a green headband with ears and it works just fine. 

But the magic trick they're pulling off in the London production was worth every pound. It was glorious. Act Two does wander a bit and I hope they continue to work on it because it has the potential to be huge. 

Updated On: 4/8/26 at 02:35 PM

[Tag]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 3:37pm

The animatronic is the gimmick. If the West End production was using a "hat with ears", we wouldn't be talking about this show right now.

The show is too expensive to make sense on Broadway.

[DaveyG]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 4:22pm

Tag said: "The animatronic is the gimmick. If the West End production was using a "hat with ears", we wouldn't be talking about this show right now.

The show is too expensive to make sense on Broadway."

If the animatronic were the only thing going for it, I would agree. But that is not the case here.

King Kong was a gimmick. That puppet was the only reason to see that show.

Paddington is a fully realized show that happens to have an extraordinary piece of stagecraft at its center. Big difference.

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 4:30pm

Kad said: "Owen22 said: "Paddington is fine. Some fun songs. And adorable bear. But a terribly overstuffed second act which just made me want the evening to end.And the fully superior Matilda did not last long on Broadway."

Matilda ran for just shy of 4 years and recouped within 2 years.

I guess I'm just comparing it to its British run, as it's still playing in the West End. But ten years on, maybe Matilda would have needed its full four years to recoup! It would take even more for an uber-expensive, inferior product like Paddington. I don't see the NYC reviews equaling the obviously easy-to-please British critics either.

[Dolly80]

Posted: 4/8/26 at 6:23pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "If PADDINGTONhas a MATILDA or BILLY ELLIOT-type runif/when it comes to NY, odds are it will not be profitable."

The difference is that Paddington doesn’t have loads of kids in it. That made Matilda and Billy E unprofitable on Broadway due to astronomical running costs.

[malcs98]

Posted: 4/12/26 at 10:55pm

Tag said: "The animatronic is the gimmick. If the West End production was using a "hat with ears", we wouldn't be talking about this show right now.

The show is too expensive to make sense on Broadway."

While that is true, the animatronic is more than just a gimmick for Paddington…it’s also an incredible marketing tool, I mean  it had a feature for British Vogue, it performed on Strictly Come Dancing, and it presented at the BAFTAs. If they keep this up and apply this same tactic for Broadway, the possibilities are certainly endless. 

Updated On: 4/12/26 at 10:55 PM

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 9:23am

darquegk said: "I've said before, I'd like to see this show be successful. But if I were a big producer instead of an out of town small fry, I'd be wary: if shows often make back some of their money on the road or in licensing, how do you tour or license a show so dependent on a high-intensity special effect like this? Will regionals and schools still want to pay up to do Paddington when it's a high school freshman in a hat with ears, instead of a three-person animatronic puppet?"

But not every single show on Broadway or in the West End goes to schools. They can just have Broadway/West End runs and then that's it. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 9:46am

Short answers: Yes. If it's a school play with a kid in some Bear ears, it'll still be a hit. The show is good. And it's better than just the gimmick. 

[DaveyG]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 9:54am

RippedMan said: "Short answers: Yes. If it's a school play with a kid in some Bear ears, it'll still be a hit. The show is good. And it's better than just the gimmick."

Couldn't agree more. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 10:16am

I mean, didn't people say the same thing about Shrek and it's playing in every school and regional production in the country. ****, they put out an ugly as sin tour with head band shrek ears. You can always bring down the costs of a production once it's off Broadway. 

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 11:27am

malcs98 said: "Tag said: "The animatronic is the gimmick. If the West End production was using a "hat with ears", we wouldn't be talking about this show right now.

The show is too expensive to make sense on Broadway."

While that is true, the animatronicis more than just a gimmick for Paddington…it’s also an incredible marketing tool, I mean it had a featurefor BritishVogue, it performed on Strictly Come Dancing,and it presented at the BAFTAs. If they keep this up and apply this same tactic for Broadway, the possibilities are certainly endless."

Hell, he had tea with the Queen:

https://youtu.be/7UfiCa244XE?si=YD2b1bgEsXiDbYcl

[malcs98]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 11:30am

whatever2 said: "https://youtu.be/7UfiCa244XE?si=YD2b1bgEsXiDbYcl"

Yeah that was way before the show...

[Kad]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 11:39am

witchoftheeast2 said: "darquegk said: "I've said before, I'd like to see this show be successful. But if I were a big producer instead of an out of town small fry, I'd be wary: if shows often make back some of their money on the road or in licensing, how do you tour or license a show so dependent on a high-intensity special effect like this? Will regionals and schools still want to pay up to do Paddington when it's a high school freshman in a hat with ears, instead of a three-person animatronic puppet?"

But not every single show on Broadway or in the West End goes to schools. They can just have Broadway/West End runs and then that's it."

Very few shows don't enter licensing. It's how creators continue to make money once the original productions close and it keeps the shows in the canon. 

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 12:07pm

I'd even go so far as to say in today's economy, quite often the Broadway/Off-Broadway run of the show is a glorified commercial for the eventual licensing.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 2:20pm

this is 1000% going to transfer and its not a gimmick, the entire production is wonderful as reflected by its multipul Olivier wins for performance, design, direction and music

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 3:14pm

malcs98 said: "whatever2 said: "https://youtu.be/7UfiCa244XE?si=YD2b1bgEsXiDbYcl"

Yeah that was way before the show..."

Given she died three and a half years ago I should hope so.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 4:57pm

I wish this would run at the Majestic instead, and Evita can go in the Hirschfeld

 

Updated On: 4/13/26 at 04:57 PM

[John Adams]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 6:22pm

malcs98 said: "[...] the animatronic is more than just a gimmick for Paddington…it’s also an incredible marketing tool, I mean it had a featurefor BritishVogue, it performed on Strictly Come Dancing,and it presented at the BAFTAs. If they keep this up and apply this same tactic for Broadway, the possibilities are certainly endless."

"It" ? Hello, George. There is someone in this dress. (...and offstage as well.)

I like this video. At ~3:52, there's a graphic that shows the actor's natural eyeline in relation to Paddington's. The narrator explains, "consider that Arty as she's inside is like looking way further down or way further up than Paddington actually is because his head is riding on top of her head like a helmet, you know?"

I'm sure that's only one, single element that makes the performer inside the costume more important than the head. I also imagine it will be incumbent on the actor to cover for the tech should it fail in performance.

 

[Timon3]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 8:21pm

Six is very British and easily recouped, as did Billy Elliot & Matilda. War Horse was also very British and went into the black, you could argue the same for Kinky Boots.

This show is being helmed by Sonia Friedman who is the best in producing and knows the Broadway market.

This show will need to hit $2m a week which seems the soft spot for a big show to recoup, saying that if the show is good the midtown crowd will come out from the tri-states.

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 9:04pm

Producer Sonia Friedman on a Broadway transfer: "I’d like it to be next year... Look, it’s going to happen, I can’t kid you, but we have to look at the costs." .

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 4/13/26 at 9:32pm

If she says it’s coming in, it’s coming in. 

Look, this show may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s damn entertaining and visually stunning. Thanks to many of you expressing your excitement, even before the first preview, I risked one of my London Christmas slots. It was so incredibly worth it: I have no shame in admitting that I had streams of joy cascading down my face throughout.

Paddington is not just some person in a bear suit so much as a fully realized character; as much as I’ve seen in all my years of theater-going.  With that said, as all shows, you don’t have to see it, but there’s absolutely no need to poo poo something you’ve never seen, especially if it gives others so much joy (by all means, be critical to your heart’s content if you have seen it). 

I can’t wait for that little bear to convince even the most cynical and jaded New Yorkers that this show is worth their time and money. He and this show certainly did that for me.  And hopefully next season, god knows we certainly need some unbridled joy in the world right now 🙏🤞!!!

Updated On: 4/13/26 at 09:32 PM