Ariana Grande will not appear in West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sunday in the Park with George’

Ariana Grande will not take part in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George next summer, Deadline reported on Aug. 2, ending a planned casting that had tied the singer’s appearance to the production’s schedule. The report said the show will need to move forward without Grande after she exits the Marianne Elliott-directed staging.

Deadline said Grande’s withdrawal comes as she wraps up her Eternal Sunshine Tour this summer. The timeline shift, according to the report, means the West End production’s plans will have to adjust to the absence of the performer who had been expected to make her debut in the Sondheim musical.

The production had been set up as a major West End event, pairing Sondheim’s material with Elliott’s direction. Deadline’s report framed the change as a practical scheduling development, with the stage “waiting” longer for Grande’s planned debut while she remains committed to her touring schedule this year.

Grande is described by Deadline as a three-time Grammy winner. Deadline’s report did not provide additional details in the summary about replacement casting, revised rehearsal dates, or whether the production will update ticketing or promotional plans immediately following the announcement.

For Grande and her team, the decision keeps her focus on completing the tour leg that Deadline connected to her exit. For the production, the change introduces additional casting and scheduling work for a show that depends on lead-performer availability and lead-time for rehearsals.

The next step is expected to be the production’s confirmation of new casting plans for the role Grande had been slated to play, along with an update on how the remaining schedule will be managed for a next-summer run. The show’s management will also need to coordinate communications with ticket holders and other stakeholders affected by the change, particularly if marketing materials were already aligned to Grande’s participation.