Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey have officially confirmed they will star in a new stage production of Stephen Sondheim‘s beloved musical Sunday in the Park with George.
The announcement arrived Wednesday (January 14, 2026) through a carefully crafted Instagram post. Both stars shared an image of themselves seated before Georges Seurat’s masterpiece, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” at the Art Institute of Chicago. “All it has to be is good,” Bailey captioned the post, quoting lyrics from the musical’s title song.
The musical will debut in summer 2027 at London’s Barbican Centre, marking the first major London production in nearly two decades. Tony and Olivier Award winner Marianne Elliott will direct, with design by award-winning Tom Scutt. Tickets will go on sale this May, and anticipation is already building among theater enthusiasts.
The pairing feels destined. Grande recently reflected on meeting Bailey during Wicked rehearsals. “I was nervous because I have always found him so brilliant—having bookmarked and memorized a few bootleg clips of him onstage in Company and The Last Five Years—but from the moment we met, I felt like I was giggling with someone I had known for 20 years,” she wrote in a tribute to Bailey for Time.
The production represents a return to the theater for both performers. Grande, who began her career on Broadway, recently told interviewers about her theatrical aspirations. “I think as someone who started on Broadway, I would love to be on stage in that way again, and exercise a different muscle and continue to tell stories in different ways,” she explained.
Bailey will portray George, the fictionalized version of Seurat, while Grande takes on Dot, the artist’s muse and mistress. The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical explores the cost of artistic perfection, examining how the painter struggled to create his masterpiece while maintaining meaningful relationships.
The timing arrives perfectly. Grande recently hinted at exciting news during a Variety interview. “I can’t say much yet, but it’s something that inspires me deeply. It contains multitudes,” she teased, likely referencing Sunday in the Park with George.
Their Wicked chemistry translated seamlessly to stage potential. After portraying Glinda and Fiyero in Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation, the duo discovered a creative partnership that extends beyond the screen. Grande shared that “I felt so immediately safe, connected to, and obsessed with my new scene partner and friend.”
The production marks a significant theatrical event for London. The show is produced by Empire Street Productions and presented in association with the Barbican, ensuring a world-class presentation of Sondheim’s work.
Fans responded with overwhelming enthusiasm. Under the Instagram announcement, one follower declared, “Genuinely never been more excited about a musical in my life,” while theater ticketing platform todaytix proclaimed it “a great day for theatre kids everywhere.”
