Ariana Grande has announced plans to take a break from public-facing work after her tour ends due to \u201cendless, ongoing public scrutiny\u201d. She is pulling out of the upcoming London revival of Sunday in the Park With George.<\/p>\n
The pop singer was due to appear opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in a new production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s critically acclaimed musical at the Barbican in 2027.<\/p>\n
A representative for Grande told People: \u201cAriana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sunday in the Park With George will go ahead as planned and Grande\u2019s part will be recast, the production company Empire Street Productions said.<\/p>\n
A statement to the Press Association said: \u201cEmpire Street Productions have said following this evening\u2019s announcement from Ariana Grande\u2019s team, we can confirm that she has decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wish her nothing but the best. The production will open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned, and casting will be announced in due course.\u201d<\/p>\n
The musical, created by Sondheim and James Lapine, debuted on Broadway in 1984 starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.<\/p>\n
The show is inspired by the Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, and follows Seurat as he tries to complete the portrait, exploring his relationship with his lover and muse, Dot.<\/p>\n
Grande\u2019s announcement came days after she released the music video for Petal, the title single<\/a> from her newly released eighth studio album, which sparked speculation about her weight loss and her health.<\/p>\n One of her new songs, Like I Do, includes a possible dig at years of headlines about her weight: \u201cI\u2019ve got shit to talk, keeps me well fed.\u201d<\/p>\n