The Olivier Award-winning musical, inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved short story and its 2008 film adaptation starring Brad Pitt, is making its North American premiere at The Public Theater in New York City

NEED TO KNOW

• PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the Olivier Award-winning musical making its North American premiere Off-Broadway
• Andrew Durand and Kelsee Kimmel star in the production, which reimagines F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic short story through music and a cast of actor-musicians
• The two stars exclusively tell PEOPLE about the experience of bringing the acclaimed musical to New York, where it runs through Dec. 6

Andrew Durand and Kelsee Kimmel are turning back the clock in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the North American premiere of the Olivier Award-winning musical, which brings F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved short story — famously adapted into a 2008 film starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett — to the stage in a whole new way.

Now in previews at The Public Theater’s Newman Theater in New York City, the production officially opens on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Its limited-engagement run is scheduled through Dec. 6.

Durand stars as Benjamin Button, the man born elderly who grows younger as the years pass. Kimmel plays Elowen Keene, the woman who captures his heart.

Together, they lead a company of 15 actor-musicians in a sweeping love story about time, mortality and the extraordinary beauty of an ordinary life.

Unlike the Hollywood film, which follows Benjamin’s remarkable journey through 20th-century America, the stage adaptation transports the action across the Atlantic to a small fishing village on the coast of Cornwall, England. There, against the backdrop of a close-knit community, Benjamin must navigate a world in which everyone around him is growing older while he moves in the opposite direction.

The production also takes a distinctly theatrical approach to telling his story.

Rather than relying on the elaborate visual effects that helped make the film famous, the musical uses an ensemble of performers who double as instrumentalists, playing the score live while portraying the colorful characters who enter and leave Benjamin’s life.

For Kimmel, stepping into a production with such a celebrated history has brought both excitement and responsibility.

“It is a unique honor and challenge to become part of a piece with such a beloved and decorated history behind it,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively. “This cast has inspired me every day by rising to that occasion with boundless heart, skill, and care.”

The musical’s journey to New York has been years in the making.

Featuring a book and lyrics by Jethro Compton, who also directs, and music and lyrics by Darren Clark, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button made its world premiere at London’s Southwark Playhouse in 2019. It returned to the venue in 2023 before making the leap to the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre in October 2024.

The musical was among the biggest winners at the 2025 Olivier Awards, taking home three trophies, including Best New Musical. John Dagleish, who originated the title role, won Best Actor in a Musical, while Clark and Mark Aspinall were recognized for Outstanding Musical Contribution. The show’s leading lady, Clare Foster, also earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Ultimate, the West End engagement ran for a year, closing in October 2025 and paving the way for the show’s American debut.

For Durand, taking on a character whose extraordinary circumstances raise universal questions about love, aging and the passage of time has proved especially meaningful.

“It has been a highlight of my career to put this show together with the most incredible company of multitalented artists that I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” he tells PEOPLE. “I have never connected to a show on such a personal level in the way I have been able to with Benjamin Button.”

The story itself has captivated audiences for more than a century.

First published in 1922, Fitzgerald’s original short story introduced readers to Benjamin, whose unusual condition sees him begin life as an elderly man and gradually grow younger. The premise offered a fantastical way to explore the human experience, turning the familiar progression from childhood to old age upside down.

Decades later, director David Fincher brought the tale to the big screen, with Pitt playing Benjamin opposite Blanchett as Daisy, the woman whose life becomes intertwined with his. The film, which also starred Taraji P. Henson and Tilda Swinton, earned 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won three Oscars for its visual effects, makeup and art direction.

Now, Durand and Kimmel are the latest performers to bring this enduring story to audiences.

A Tony Award nominee for his performance in 2025’s Dead Outlaw, Durand recently appeared as Brad Majors in Broadway’s revival of The Rocky Horror Show. His other Broadway credits include Shucked, Head Over Heels, War Horse and Spring Awakening, as well as the plays Ink and War Horse.

Kimmel, meanwhile, comes to the production fresh off her run as Jersey in the Alicia Keys musical Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway, where she succeeded Jessica Vosk in the role. Her previous credits include playing Jane Seymour in SIX in Toronto and Maureen Johnson in the 20th-anniversary national tour of Rent, as well as touring productions of Pretty Woman and Kinky Boots.

The New York production also features Britney Coleman, Trevor Lindley Craft, Brandon J. Ellis, Katie Horner, Sachiko Mae, Morgan Morse, Kris Saint-Louis, Claire-Frances Sullivan and Matt Wolpe, with Jo Brook, Casey Martin Klein, Lauren Jeanne Thomas and Spiff Wiegand serving as swings.

Tickets for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are now on sale.

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