The planned West End revival of Sunday in the Park With George will no longer move forward as scheduled, following the departures of Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey from the production.
A representative for Empire Street Productions told Variety that the 2027 staging at the Barbican has been called off for now. “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 decision comes two weeks after Bailey stepped away from the revival, and after Grande had already removed the musical from her schedule amid a planned break from public commitments. Grande had been set to lead the production as Dot and Marie, roles originally performed by Bernadette Peters in the musical’s initial 1984 Broadway run.
Bailey, who co-starred with Grande in the Wicked films, was due to appear opposite her as Seurat. The role was originated on Broadway by Mandy Patinkin and later played by Jake Gyllenhaal in a 2017 Broadway revival.
Bailey announced his exit on Sept. 1, saying his decision followed Grande’s own withdrawal. “Ari is one of my dearest friends, and my support for her is unwavering,” Bailey said. “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.”
Grande’s exit had already placed the production in a precarious position. In early August, she said she planned to take a break from public commitments after her Eternal Sunshine tour wrapped on Sept. 1. According to the source material, that break included removing Sunday in the Park With George from her calendar, with Grande describing it as “taking a step back from visibility” because of “ongoing public scrutiny.”
The revival had originally been announced in January, with plans for a run at London’s Barbican Centre theater next summer. Producers had initially intended to recast after Grande’s departure, with auditions expected over the summer to find new leads.
Bailey’s own statement at the time suggested he believed the musical would continue with different performers. He said he “so look forward to seeing what the two actors who will now take on these roles will create with it.” Those recasting plans, however, are no longer moving ahead for the 2027 production as scheduled.
According to Variety, tickets for the London engagement were originally due to go on sale in May. Producers, anticipating major demand, pushed the sale date to September in order to align with the end of Grande’s tour. The production’s future shifted after Grande’s announcement, followed by Bailey’s decision to withdraw.
Sunday in the Park With George, the 1984 Stephen Sondheim musical, is inspired by French pointillist painter Georges Seurat. While the upcoming Barbican staging has now been halted, Empire Street Productions has not abandoned the title entirely: the company said it will retain the rights with an eye toward presenting the production in 2028.
What Happens Next?
For now, the 2027 Barbican production is off the calendar. The only confirmed future plan is that Empire Street Productions intends to hold onto the rights and may present the revival in 2028, with additional details to be announced later.