London revival of 'Sunday in the Park With George' called off after stars drop out
LONDON (AP) — A new London production of the musical “Sunday in the Park With George” will not go ahead next year as planned, the production company said Monday, after both its leading stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey pulled out.
The London revival of the 1984 Stephen Sondheim musical had been set to unite “Wicked” co-stars Grande and Bailey on stage at London's Barbican Centre in 2027.
Grande announced in August that she was pulling out of the show and taking a break from the spotlight. At the time, a representative for the singer told People magazine that she wanted to finish her Eternal Sunshine Tour on a high note, then take “a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
The 33-year-old star has previously expressed discomfort with public discourse around her weight.
Production company Empire State Productions said at the time that the show would continue as planned, but Bailey also announced he was withdrawing earlier this month.
Empire State Productions said Monday the show “will no longer proceed as scheduled," and suggested it could be staged in 2028.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is a fictionalized account of how French painter Georges Seurat handles his romantic life while trying to finish his famous painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte."
The London production was going to be directed by Marianne Elliott, who in 2018 directed Bailey in another Sondheim musical, “Company.”
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