West End revival canceled after Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey exit
What's the story
The much-anticipated London revival of Sunday in the Park with George has been called off after the lead actors, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, dropped out. The production was set to take place at Barbican next summer but will no longer proceed as scheduled, reported Variety. Despite this setback, Empire Street Productions plans to retain rights for a possible 2028 presentation of the show.
Role details
More about the musical and Grande and Bailey's roles
In the revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical, Grande was to play both Dot and Marie, while Bailey was set to star as George Seurat.
The show is named after Seurat's famous painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte."
It was first announced in January, giving Wicked fans a chance to see two of its stars perform together live on stage.
Production delay
Grande's 'Eternal Sunshine' tour, her break from public life
Tickets for the London show were initially set to go on sale in May. However, producers pushed it to September due to high demand and Grande's Eternal Sunshine tour schedule.
Last month, Grande announced she would be "taking a step back from visibility" after her tour amid "ongoing public scrutiny" of her health.
Bailey also announced his exit earlier this month.
Future prospects
What next for 'Sunday in the Park with George'?
Auditions for Sunday in the Park with George were held this summer, leading fans to hope that producers would cast two other famous or experienced stage actors as Dot/Marie and George.
Bailey had expressed excitement about seeing who would take on these roles.
The show last had a major revival on Broadway in 2017 with Annaleigh Ashford and Jake Gyllenhaal in lead roles.
Looks like the makers need more time to finalize the changes.