Producers Cancel Sunday in the Park With George After Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey Exits

Producers have canceled the West End revival of Sunday in the Park With George two weeks after Wicked star Jonathan Bailey withdrew from the production. The musical reboot suffered a major setback in early August when lead Ariana Grande announced plans to pause her public commitments after her Eternal Sunshine tour concluded on Sept. 1.

Bailey announced on Sept. 1 that he was also leaving the project, stating, “Ari is one of my dearest friends, and my support for her is unwavering. After much consideration, I have decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George. This brilliant, introspective musical has been a real passion project for me, and I feel incredibly lucky to have shared in its journey with this team.”

Empire Street Productions initially intended to recast the 1984 Stephen Sondheim musical inspired by Georges Seurat. However, a representative for the producers told Variety that the show is no longer moving forward. “The planned 2027 production of Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican will no longer proceed as scheduled,” the representative said. “Empire Street Productions will retain the rights with a view to presenting the production in 2028. Further details will be announced in due course.”

The production was originally announced in January for a summer run at London’s Barbican Centre theater. Grande was cast as Dot and Marie, characters originated by Bernadette Peters in the 1984 Broadway run. Bailey was cast as Seurat, a role originated by Mandy Patinkin and later played by Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2017 Broadway revival.

Tickets for the London run were initially scheduled to go on sale in May, but producers delayed the date to September to align with the conclusion of Grande’s tour. When Grande stated she was stepping back from visibility due to ongoing public scrutiny, she removed the show from her schedule.

Producers initially planned to hold auditions over the summer to replace the leads. Bailey noted in his departure statement that he looked forward to seeing what actors would take on the roles, but those plans have been paused.