The musical that was scheduled to star Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey will not take the stage.
Although there had been plans to proceed with the production even after both actors’ departures, the producers canceled the 2027 London production.
However, the work itself has not disappeared. The producers said they would consider the possibility of a 2028 production.
3-line summary
1. The 2027 London musical production has been canceled.
2. Grande and Bailey withdrew one after the other.
3. The 2028 production has not yet been confirmed.
The 2027 Plan Changed After Both Leads Departed
Stephen Sondheim’s musical ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ was scheduled to be newly staged at London’s Barbican in the summer of 2027. American singer and actress Ariana Grande and British actor Jonathan Bailey, who played Glinda and Fiyero, respectively, in the film ‘Wicked,’ were set to appear as Dot and George.
The plans were first shaken by Grande’s departure. According to reports by the BBC and The Guardian, Grande withdrew from the production in August, saying that she intended to step away from the public eye for a while after completing her tour. Then, in early September, Bailey also left the production.
The production company, Empire Street Productions, initially maintained that it would find a new cast and continue with the production. However, after both leads departed, it announced that it would not proceed with the 2027 Barbican production as scheduled. It is necessary to distinguish between the direct result—the cancellation of the production—and the original plan to continue by replacing the actors. The latter plan did not make it through to an actual stage production.
A 2028 Revival Is at the ‘Consideration’ Stage
The producers said they would consider presenting the work in 2028 while retaining its rights. This is not a confirmed announcement of a new production, but a plan concerning a future possibility. No cast, venue, or exact schedule was provided.
The Guardian reported that the work was first performed on Broadway in 1984 and was created by Sondheim and playwright James Lapine. Based on French painter Georges Seurat and his work ‘A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,’ it depicts the relationship between George, a painter absorbed in his work, and Dot.
This cancellation did not end with a simple cast change after the departure of well-known actors. As the producers closed the production for a specific performance year, the fact audiences can confirm is that the 2027 Barbican production will not take place. Whether a 2028 production will actually be mounted can only be known after a subsequent concrete announcement.
A Cancellation Notice Is What Remains at the Barbican
The reason expectations were initially high was that the two actors were set to share a stage again after appearing together in a film. However, it also became clear that whether a musical will be performed is not determined solely by an announcement of its cast. The final decisions of the producers and venue are still required.
For audiences who had been waiting for this work, it is currently more accurate to check whether new dates, a venue, and a cast are announced together with the 2028 plan indicated by the producers, rather than making judgments based on the 2027 performance schedule or the two actors’ participation.
References
Tags #Musical #LondonMusical #Barbican #ArianaGrande #JonathanBailey #StephenSondheim #SundayInTheParkWithGeorge #SundayInTheParkWithGeorge #Wicked #ProductionCanceled #2027Production #LondonProduction #BroadwayMusical