Bailey Exits West End Musical After Grande Departs — SkimNews
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- Jonathan Bailey announced Tuesday he is stepping back from the West End revival of 'Sunday in the Park With George,' citing unwavering support for co-star Ariana Grande and his long collaboration with director Marianne Elliott.
- Ariana Grande departed the production weeks earlier to take an extended break from public-facing work, with her representatives citing 'endless, ongoing public scrutiny' and concerns about her health; she is finishing her current tour before stepping away.
- Bailey and Grande — who co-starred in the Wicked films — were cast as George and Dot, with previews scheduled for summer 2027 and the show originally expected to go on sale to ticket buyers imminently.
- The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical was created by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, based on Georges Seurat's painting 'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,' and originally premiered on Broadway in 1984 with Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, winning two Tony Awards.
- Producers said the premiere timeline has not changed and the creative team is 'reshaping the production around a new company' while preserving the Sondheim-Lapine work's 'ambition and artistic integrity.'
- Casting discussions are ongoing with no frontrunners announced for either of the two central roles.
Why it matters: The production loses its two biggest commercial draws — a Bridgerton/Wicked film lead and a pop supernova — weeks before expected ticket sales, forcing a full creative reset with no named replacements yet while the team publicly insists the summer 2027 timeline holds.
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