Ariana Grande & Jonathan Bailey Drop Out Of 'Sunday In The Park With George' Revival, Forcing London Show Cancellation

London theatre fans will have to wait for another masterwork. The highly anticipated West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's beloved musical *Sunday in the Park with George* has officially been scrapped following the departure of its two headliners, Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey. The production was scheduled to run at the iconic Barbican Centre in 2027. However, after both *Wicked* co-stars bowed out of their leading roles, organizers decided the show could not go on as planned. A spokesperson for Empire Street Productions confirmed the sudden cancellation to Variety, stating that the scheduled 2027 staging at the Barbican will no longer proceed. The representative did not elaborate on specific reasons behind Grande and Bailey's exits, nor did they announce any plans to recast the roles or reschedule the run for a later date. ## why was sunday in the park with george canceled The star-studded revival was set to unite Grande and Bailey once again following their work together on Universal's blockbuster film adaptations of *Wicked*. The duo had reportedly been attached to play the fictionalized painter George and his mistress-turned-muse Dot in the celebrated 1984 musical, which features music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. Theatre insiders had viewed the project as one of the most coveted West End tickets for the late 2020s, pairing two of Hollywood's biggest contemporary musical talents on a prestige UK stage. With both actors withdrawing from the roster, producers ultimately chose to collapse the entire mounting rather than attempt to re-lead the high-profile venture with alternative casting. ## will ariana grande and jonathan bailey star in another show While fans won't get to see the pair belt Sondheim classics at the Barbican, Grande and Bailey remain deeply tied through their cinematic work. The two actors share the screen in director Jon M. Chu's two-part film version of *Wicked*, playing Glinda and Fiyero respectively. For now, neither performer's team has released an individual statement regarding their reasons for withdrawing from the stage revival. Production representatives have also kept further details under wraps, leaving theatregoers to wonder if the ambitious project will ever be revived with a fresh cast in the future.