Overview
- Jonathan Bailey announced he was stepping back from Sunday in the Park With George in a statement posted Tuesday, saying he withdrew in support of Ariana Grande and calling the production a “passion project.”
- Ariana Grande had publicly withdrawn in August as she planned to take a step back from public-facing work after her Eternal Sunshine tour, a decision producers previously confirmed.
- Empire Street Productions and the creative team say work on the revival continues and that casting discussions are actively under way while they reshape the show around a new company.
- Ticket sales have been delayed twice and tickets have not yet gone on sale, a fact that reduces immediate refund risk but increases uncertainty about marketing, casting announcements and the planned summer 2027 Barbican run.
- Sunday in the Park With George is a high-profile, Pulitzer-winning Sondheim and Lapine musical whose revivals depend heavily on marquee casting, so finding two replacement leads will be central to the production’s publicity, timetable and box-office prospects.