The Barbican Centre's highly anticipated 2027 revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical 'Sunday in the Park with George' has been postponed indefinitely, following the withdrawal of both lead actors, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey. The production, which was set to be the biggest London theatre show of 2027, has been plagued by setbacks since its announcement earlier this year.
Stars Withdraw from Production
In early August, pop star Ariana Grande pulled out of all public events following the conclusion of her current world tour, amid speculation about her health. A month later, Jonathan Bailey quit via a vague Instagram statement implying he was leaving in solidarity with his friend Grande. The double departure has left the production without its bankable leads and forced the indefinite postponement.
According to Time Out's theatre editor Andrzej Lukowski, the issue may be that investors in the production would rather wait for more bankable stars and higher ticket prices. Although there is no fundamental reason why a production with only modestly famous names couldn't have been a success at the Barbican, equally big names could not be found in time.
Production Details and History
'Sunday in the Park with George' is a classic Sondheim musical set across two timelines, focusing on painter George Seurat and his cynical great-grandson, also named George. A production starring Jake Gyllenhaal was planned for 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Wicked leads Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey would star in a summer 2027 revival at the Barbican, creating an absurdly hot ticket. Fortunately, tickets never actually went on sale, saving headaches as Grande and Bailey fans would have snapped up the vast majority.
Future Prospects and Replacements
The production is directed by Marianne Elliott and designed by Tom Scutt, two of the biggest and most prestigious names in British theatre. While it might not be the phenomenon it would have been with Grande and Bailey, there is no reason it shouldn't go ahead and do well, plus it'll be considerably easier to get a ticket now.
However, the odds of finding two actors of equal fame who also have history together from a major contemporary film franchise are very low. Speculation abounds that rather than casting major screen celebrities, the production is more likely to get a couple of big Broadway names, who'd be easier to get hold of at a year's notice and would be adept at tackling Sondheim's complex music and themes.
Rising star Micaela Diamond has been mentioned a lot as a Grande replacement, though it's hard to say whether this constitutes actual grounded rumours or dream casting. It would be very funny if Jake Gyllenhaal and his co-star Annaleigh Ashford took the parts, though this does seem very implausible.
Ticket Sale Timeline and Next Steps
Tickets are currently due to go on sale in the autumn, though no guarantee has officially been made that leads will be announced by then. Tickets had previously been due to go on sale in May and then in the summer. It seems overwhelmingly likely that both new leads and a ticket onsale date will be announced at some point in the next couple of months.
Whether the production ever emerges again is impossible to say at this stage. It seems likely enough that Marianne Elliott will get to direct it one day, whether at the Barbican or elsewhere, although to do that she will have to break the 'Sunday in the Park with George' curse, which would appear to be very real.
