Ariana Grande says goodbye - and Jonathan Bailey follows her out the door
Grande closed her 41-show Eternal Sunshine Tour in London, announced an open-ended break from public life, and left the Sondheim revival she was building with her Wicked co-star. Then Bailey bailed too.
In brief
Ariana Grande says goodbye - and Jonathan Bailey follows her out the door
The lights went down at London's O2 Arena on the night of September 1, and Ariana Grande sat on a stool at the B-stage, choking back tears, knowing it was the last time she planned to do this for a very long time. The 33-year-old wrapped her 41-date Eternal Sunshine Tour with an emotional final show at the O2, struggling to hold back sobs as she thanked fans for what she called "one of the most beautiful, extraordinary experiences of my life." A day later, Jonathan Bailey - her Wicked co-star, her friend, and her would-be George Seurat - announced he was walking away from a West End production they'd been building together since January. The dream cast is gone. The show is still on. And nobody quite knows what happened.
Forty-one shows and then silence
The Eternal Sunshine Tour ran from June 6, 2026, through September 1, produced by Live Nation, and was Grande's first proper arena tour since the Sweetener World Tour wrapped in 2019. London got the biggest piece of it. Those 10 O2 nights were many fans' last shot to see her live, and they flew in from China, Australia, and across Europe - 200,000 people total for the London dates alone.
The reviews were strong. Rolling Stone wrote that "there were no signs" of Grande "struggling or not wanting to be there," and The Telegraph called the show "flawless," praising its "Hollywood-indebted" staging. On the second night, Grande surprised the audience by bringing out her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo for a rendition of their movie duet "For Good." It was, by every account, the kind of run that makes the ending hurt more.
But the ending had been announced weeks earlier. During the tour, Grande had declared she would be stepping out of the spotlight for an extended break once the shows were done. In early August, according to Variety, a rep for Grande cited "ongoing public scrutiny" as one of the reasons for the pause. In a statement to Deadline, Grande's team said, "Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour." The finale at the O2 was the last scheduled public appearance before an open-ended break from "public-facing work and appearances."
She was occasionally close to tears - most notably during "One Last Time," the song that has long carried extra weight as an anthem for survivors of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. That moment landed differently knowing she was stepping away.
The Sondheim production that lost both its stars
Before the tour ended, Grande had already pulled out of the revival that had been generating enormous theater-world buzz since January. A month before the tour's close, it was announced that Grande, 33, was stepping back from public life, prompting her exit from the West End staging of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, which was directed by Marianne Elliott and scheduled to run at the Barbican in 2027.
The setup had been genuinely exciting. Bailey and Grande were set to reunite on stage after co-starring in Wicked as Fiyero and Glinda respectively, with Bailey due to play painter George Seurat opposite Grande as Dot. Last December, Deadline's Baz Bamigboye had reported that Grande and Bailey were thinking of re-teaming on the production, with Empire Street Productions and London's Barbican Centre confirming the pairing the following month and setting a summer 2027 opening. Ticket on-sale dates had already been pushed back twice - originally slated for May 2026 and later delayed to summer 2026, with tickets never having actually gone on sale.
When Grande exited, producers initially intended to keep Bailey and find a replacement for her. That plan lasted about a month.
On September 1 - the same night as the O2 finale - Bailey announced his departure via social media, praising director Marianne Elliott and the musical while expressing support for Grande. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the exit. In his statement, Bailey wrote, "Ari is one of my dearest friends, and my support for her is unwavering. Marianne is extraordinary and one of my longest collaborators and friends. After much consideration, I have decided to also step back from 'Sunday in the Park with George.'"
A representative for Empire Street Productions confirmed: "Following Ariana Grande's withdrawal, Jonathan Bailey has informed the producers that he has also decided to step back from Sunday In The Park With George. Work on the production continues. Casting discussions are actively under way, and the creative team is reshaping the production around a new company while preserving the ambition and artistic integrity of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical."
The internet clocked the timing immediately. Both announcements, both exits, same night.
What it means for the show - and for Grande
Bailey and Grande were set to star as George and Dot in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, with previews set to start summer 2027. The most recent Broadway production was in 2017, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford in the leads. Producers insist the show goes forward. Casting starts over.
The fan response on social media was split. Online reactions ranged from admiration for Bailey's loyalty to concerns over professionalism for ticket holders who had been waiting for over a year. One fan on X wrote: "This casting was too good to be true. Jonathan and Ariana on a West End stage would have been everything." Another posted: "A tough decision, but friendship and standing by the people you love come first." Others wondered if there was more to the story, given his mention of his "unwavering" support for Grande.
What "ongoing public scrutiny" means, specifically, remains unaddressed by Grande's team. Deadline reported that Grande recently dropped out of the West End revival amid "ongoing public scrutiny" over her physical health following the release of the "Petal" music video. Neither Grande nor Bailey have elaborated publicly beyond those statements.
For now, Grande is off the grid - no scheduled appearances, no confirmed return date. The O2 Arena stands as the last stage she plans to take for the foreseeable future, with no date set for her return to public view. The Barbican is casting strangers into the roles they were supposed to fill together. And somewhere, presumably, Sondheim's notes on George and Dot are being handed to somebody new.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
