It’s going to take longer than expected for the hat to be finished, because the West End revival of “Sunday in the Park With George” has been postponed after the high-profile exits of Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey.
“The planned 2027 production of ‘Sunday in the Park With George’ at The Barbican will no longer process as scheduled,” Empire Street Productions announced on Monday. They will, however, “retain the rights with a view to producing the production in 2028.”
Further details will be shared at a later date.
The update comes two weeks after Bailey dropped out of the Stephen Sondheim musical production, news that itself came a month after his “Wicked” co-star did the same. Grande’s exit was tied to her taking a “step back from visibility” amid “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” following her Eternal Sunshine tour this summer.
“Ari is one of my dearest friends, and my support for her is unwavering,” Bailey explained earlier this month. “[Director] Marianne [Elliott] is extraordinary and one of my longest collaborators and friends. After much consideration, I have decided to 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 its journey with this team. Among many things, the story explores the deep connection between George and Dot, a beautiful, devoted pairing, and I so look forward to seeing what the two actors who will now take on these roles will create with it,” Bailey added. “I wish the very best to the entire company. I will be cheering them on as they continue with this production.”
The musical debuted on Broadway in 1984 starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters after an Off-Broadway run the year prior. It won two Tony Awards for design and the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, with Broadway revivals in 2008 and 2017, as well as two London productions in 1990 and 2005.
