New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck will make her London West End debut starring in the musical "Little Dancer," directed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman, producers announced. The show is scheduled to open in 2026 at a West End theater to be named later.
The casting marks a rare crossover for a working ballet principal into commercial musical theater in a leading role. Peck, 36, has danced with New York City Ballet since 2004 and was promoted to principal in 2009. She has also built a parallel Broadway career, most recently starring in the 2023 revival of "The Music Man" opposite Hugh Jackman.
"Little Dancer" centers on the young ballerina who modeled for Edgar Degas's 1881 sculpture "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen." The musical features a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, the Tony-winning team behind "Ragtime" and "Once on This Island." Stroman, who won Tonys for "The Producers" and "Crazy for You," directs and choreographs.
The production had its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2014, where it ran for a limited engagement. A Broadway transfer never materialized despite strong reviews for the staging, and the show has remained largely unseen in major markets since.
Peck's casting gives the West End production a marquee name with dual credibility in ballet and musical theater. She won a Tony nomination in 2015 for her featured role in "On the Town" and received an Olivier Award nomination in 2019 for "Cats," a production that played the West End before a planned Broadway run was halted.
Stroman has worked extensively in London, including the West End premiere of "The Producers" in 2004, which won the Olivier Award for best new musical. She also directed and choreographed "Young Frankenstein" in the West End in 2007.
Precise dates, the specific theater and full casting for "Little Dancer" have not been announced. Producers said further details would be released in the coming months.
