Ariana Grande has sparked fears that she is about to drop out of the major West End musical she is scheduled to star in next summer. The 32-year-old actress and musician will appear opposite Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George. However, with ticket sales now delayed until autumn, concerns are growing that she may no longer be able to take on the role. This has reportedly led show bosses to seek a potential replacement in case Ariana is too busy to fulfill her duties.
This news comes at a hectic time for the 7 Rings singer, who recently split from her other Wicked co-star Ethan Slater after three years of dating. She also began her Eternal Sunshine tour in America this month, leading to worries that the star is becoming oversubscribed. A source told The Sun: 'Ariana has a lot on her plate and there are concerns she is oversubscribed.' They added: 'It's too risky to start flogging tickets until it's all locked down. It will be a demanding production with eight shows a week.'
Starring Wicked's Glinda and Fiyero actors, Sunday in the Park with George is a revival of the musical by Stephen Sondheim and will be directed by Marianne Elliott. While Ariana and Jonathan's roles have not yet been confirmed, the musical's female lead is George's lover, Dot. The pair's romance begins to feel the strain when painter George's obsession with his work begins to drive away those around him. According to its official website, tickets will go on sale in August 2026 and can be purchased via the official Barbican website.
In addition to her musical commitment and ongoing tour, Ariana is set to appear in series thirteen of American Horror Story. A new album, titled Petal, is also expected to drop on July 31. For now, she seems content enough, following reports that she is doing great in the wake of her split from Ethan Slater. The couple first met on the set of Wicked before going Instagram official with their relationship in November 2024. Their relationship came after splitting with their respective partners, with Ariana's separation from then-husband Dalton Gomez confirmed days before her relationship with Ethan was made public. Meanwhile, Ethan had been married to his high-school sweetheart Lilly Jay for five years, welcoming a son together in 2022. The Broadway Spongebob Squarepants actor filed for divorce on July 26, 2023.
Of Ariana's subsequent split from Ethan, which reportedly occurred months ago, an insider said: 'It's amicable, they gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways.' 'They are still friends and very supportive of one another,' the insider told People Magazine. Another source told the publication that Ariana has seemed very happy after ending things and is incredibly focused on preparing for her tour. She will bring her Eternal Sunshine tour to the UK this autumn, playing at the O2 Arena in London from August 15 to September 1.
Last week, she took time out of her busy schedule to condemn the White House for using her music in a post that promoted immigration arrests. Discovering that her 2024 hit Bye had been used in a TikTok montage by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she publicly put the post on blast. 'Please do not ever use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense,' she commented on the video. She later added: 'F*** ICE.'
Metro has reached out to Ariana Grande and the Barbican for comment on this story.
