Now, the London revival of Sunday in the Park With George has been cancelled altogether, with organisers perhaps anticipating that it would be hard to sell tickets for a star-studded musical without the stars. Grande and Bailey, who appeared together as Glinda and Fiyero in Wicked and Wicked: For Good, had originally been cast as Dot and George in Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical. It was set to debut at the Barbican in the summer of 2027.
But in August, Grande pulled out, citing the need to take a break from “endless public scrutiny”. The pop star, who was coming to the end of her Eternal Sunshine tour, had been the subject of press speculation surrounding her weight loss and general health, which intensified after the release of the music video for her song Petal. The production vowed to soldier on, with new casting promised, but was then hit with the news earlier this month that Bailey had also had second thoughts.
In a statement, the Bridgerton star announced his departure, saying: “Ari is one of my dearest friends. After much consideration, I have decided to also 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.
I look forward to seeing what the team, and the two actors who will now take on these roles, will create with it.” Sadly, it seems that what production company Empire Street Productions have decided to do with it is cancel it, at least in the short term. A statement from the company said: “The planned 2027 production of Sunday in the Park With George at the Barbican will no longer proceed as scheduled. 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 musical, created by Sondheim and James Lapine, made its Broadway debut in 1984, starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters as George and Dot. A year later it won the Pulitzer prize for drama. The musical’s story is inspired by the Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, and follows the artist as he attempts to finish the pointillist masterpiece, while exploring his relationship with Dot, his lover and muse.
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