Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The planned West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George has been delayed to 2028.
Empire Street Productions announced Monday that the musical "will no longer proceed as scheduled" in 2027, with the company to "retain the rights with a view to presenting the production in 2028."
The news follows word that Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey have dropped out of the production. Grande announced in August that she "will be taking a step back from visibility" after the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine tour, with Bailey later confirming he has "decided to also step back" from the revival.
Sunday in the Park with George features music and lyrics by famed composer Stephen Sondheim. The musical, inspired by the Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, debuted on Broadway in 1984 and on West End in 2006.
Marianne Elliot was to direct the West End revival, which was originally scheduled to open at London's Barbican Centre in summer 2027.

#grande #musical

Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey's planned reunion will no longer happen after their exits from a new project. The two stars previously appeared together in the blockbuster Wicked franchise, playing Glinda and Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, respectively.
The London revival of the popular musical Sunday in the Park With George has been canceled following Grande and Bailey's exits, according to Variety. The planned 2027 production will no longer proceed as previously thought.
"Empire Street Productions will retain the rights with a view to presenting the production in 2028. Further details will be announced in due course."
The revival was set to take place at London's Barbican Centre next summer. Ariana Grande was supposed to play both Dot and Marie. Bailey was set to star opposite her as George Seurat.
Moving forward, Ariana Grande will be busy with her upcoming The Eternal Sunshine Tour. She will also appear on the big screen in a new movie. The 33-year-old will feature alongside Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in the comedy Focker-In-Law. It's set to hit theaters on November 25, 2026. Despite her plans to take a break, Grande will appear in the promotional events for the movie.

#planned #previously

Ariana Grande reportedly shocked theatre bosses after suddenly leaving a major West End production. Her exit reportedly caused significant disruption behind the scenes. The singer was expected to star alongside her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
Grande was set to star alongside Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in Sunday in the Park With George at London's Barbican, with her casting reportedly viewed as a major coup. However, she later withdrew from the production.
According to the Daily Mail, producers were informed of Grande's decision less than an hour before her team made the announcement public, reportedly leaving the Barbican to quickly respond. A source connected to the production described the last-minute development as "mind-bending," reflecting the disruption caused behind the scenes.
The source claimed the production had already attracted attention because of the scrutiny surrounding Grande, even before rehearsals, which were scheduled to begin in 2027. The production reportedly had promotional plans already prepared, including planned magazine covers.
Grande's representative said she would "be taking a step back from visibility." The announcement followed her completion of the Eternal Sunshine Tour. Her team cited "endless, ongoing public scrutiny" surrounding the singer.

#wicked #barbican #leaving

Ariana Grande plans to step away from the public eye following scrutiny, a representative told People, as discussion swirls around her health.
The representative told People that Grande will take "a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour," which will wrap next month.
Following the announcement, Empire Street Productions confirmed that Grande has "decided to step back" from the revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park With George," which will open at the Barbican Center in London next summer.
Grande was set to star as both Dot and Marie in the musical, opposite her "Wicked" co-star Jonathan Bailey.
"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support," the production company said. "We wish her nothing but the best."

#ariana

Ariana Grande has announced she will be 'taking a step back from visibility' after her tour ends.
The Thank U, Next singer will take a hiatus after wrapping up her Eternal Sunshine world tour in London this month.
Her agents confirmed she will pull out of the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.
The superstar was due to tread the boards of the Barbican Centre next summer, alongside her former Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
A representative shared in a statement, "Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.
"She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny."

#visibility

Pop star Ariana Grande has dropped out of what would have been her debut appearance in London's West End, the show's producers said Sunday, as a representative for the singer said she wants to take a "step back" from the public eye.
The 33-year-old Grande had been slated to star opposite her "Wicked" castmate Jonathan Bailey in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Sunday in The Park with George" in the summer of 2027 at London's Barbican theater.
But amid renewed public scrutiny of the singer's health, especially on social media, her representative said she wanted a "much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances" when her "Eternal Sunshine" tour wraps in London on September 1.
"We can confirm that she has decided to step back from 'Sunday in The Park with George'," producers said in a statement carried on the show's official X account, without providing a reason for Grande's withdrawal.
"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support," the statement said, adding that the show would go ahead as planned and casting would be announced "in due course."

#public

Ariana Grande is to withdraw from public appearances and will no longer star in an upcoming musical production in London when she ends her Eternal Sunshine tour.
A representative for the US singer, 33, told People magazine that she "will be taking a step back from visibility" when the tour ends next month after her appearances led to "endless, ongoing public scrutiny".
The company behind a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, due to play at the Barbican in 2027, confirmed that she would no longer be part of the production and had its "complete understanding and support".
Grande's physical apperance and health have been a topic of speculation in recent years.
This speculation has increased since the release of her latest album, Petal, two days ago and her appearance in promotional material for it.

#production #ends #ariana