The topic “Sunday in the Park with George” is currently trending due to the announcement that Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey will star in a revival of the musical in London. This news has generated significant interest, as both performers are well-known figures in the entertainment industry, with Grande having a large following as a multi-talented singer and actress, and Bailey gaining recognition for his recent work in theatre and film.
The revival of this specific musical draws attention not only because of its artistic significance but also due to the star power associated with its lead actors. The combination of Grande and Bailey, as mentioned in various reputable sources such as PureWow and Playbill, has captivated fans and theatre enthusiasts alike, leading to a spike in search interest.
Moreover, the revival’s location in London’s West End adds to the buzz, as this area is considered a hub for high-profile theatrical productions. The intersection of popular culture with the classic musical format creates a compelling reason for audiences to seek more information, further contributing to the high volume of searches related to “Sunday in the Park with George”.
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Internet Reacts
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I’m very curious to see what the reaction to Act II will be for the fans who will only go because of Ariana.
M
Yes it will be fascinating to see how they dress her up in Act II
T
Which character would she be?
L
Dot and Marie surely
S
Should be Celeste and Elaine
W
You think they’re gonna get Ariana Grande, and get her to play that small of a role?
S
I said should.
W
Someone speaking sense.
F
Don’t worry, Act II will be a separate movie.
S
Gosh, the ticket price is gonna be insane.
W
the lowest price for tickets right now for her upcoming tour this summer in London is $900 and thats a 30k capacity venue. this show has a capacity of 1100. it really is going to be expensive as hell.
C
That’s a resale price, her o2 show tickets were never that expensive straight off, and neither will the Sunday tickets.
W
they are resale prices yes, but 10 o2 shows sold out entirely in around 15 minutes and one of them had 2.2 MILLION people in the queue for one show. a 1k capacity venue will sell out so quickly that its going to be near impossible to get. almost everyone will be getting resale tickets that will be very very expensive due to the high demand. easily $1000-2000 for the cheapest tickets.
A
Idk if resellers will have the ability to resell those for the cost they expect, this isn’t the same audience and her fans could buy a ticket at resale prices to get an understudy… fun stuff
A
This is cool but also quite annoying, I’d love to see this show but getting tickets to this is probably going to be impossible.
T
Sunday is my favourite Sondheim This is the first major UK production since I discovered it 🥲🥲 God help my purse
S
Such a wonderful musical. The finale is so lush and gorgeous.
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Too bad I live in Florida I’d see this 10 times if I could 😭
M
Same, I had tickets to see the Jake gyllenhall one which got cancelled cos of covid 😭😭😭
C
Same, I was really looking forward to that. It’s not just the cost that’ll be a problem, I’d be lucky to even snag a ticket this time round.
M
Same. I’d happily pay quite a bit more, but I just don’t see how I’m going to get tickets 🥲💔
C
Same here.
M
Yep. Just said to myself “would love to see this finally but I guess won’t be.” Tickets will be $1000 face value
9
On Broadway they would be, but in the UK that would be unheard of – I believe Tom Holland in Romeo and Juliet had the highest ticket prices recently and those topped out at 440 pounds. However, tickets will sell out practically instantly, which happened with that show and also with American Psycho this year – I think the entire initial allocation sold out in less than an hour. So either way tickets won’t be accessible, especially for foreign visitors with little flexibility!
K
funny you mention american psycho like this. it’s nothing like r&j, it sold out quickly because it’s a rerun of a really great production, in a tiny (300 seats) theatre, in that theatre’s director’s last season with them. the most expensive tickets at the almeida are £70. all of this to say AP is not an exception, most of their anticipated shows sell out quickly as it’s one of the best theatres in london. i’d say the closest to compare with romeo and juliet would be the concert staging of TL5Y with rachel zegler and ben platt.
9
Ha, the only reason I brought that up as an example is that it’s current and a friend of mine joined the Almeida in order to get access to tickets for an upcoming trip we’ve planned – and still only got them after another allocation was released! So fair point, but sellouts are always going to be common when tickets are priced well below what audiences are willing to pay. That’s the devil’s bargain of variable pricing – you can get tickets without having to sign up for presales or wait in lengthy queues, but you’re also going to pay way more. And honestly, “affordable” tickets can often end up getting resold for way more, with the artists missing out on the profit. I did a quick check and there’s currently a pair of TL5Y tickets on Stubhub for 941 pounds each. . .
K
fair haha – i’m glad you managed to get tickets! we got really luckily with the queue numbers so also bagged some. respectfully, i disagree with the “people could pay more so let’s charge them more” angle. yes the things you mentioned are valid, and dynamic pricing is unfortunately more and more prevalent in the west end as well, but it’s also common to oppose the view of theatre, and arts in general, as elitist. almeida runs free nights for under 25s and concessions for local residents, even the royal opera does £1-ticket shows although of course they could be selling them for £300 like any other night. in any case, there are always official returns available if you can spare the time to check often. but also it’s okay to miss out on a show once in a while.
9
Just to clarify, I’m not advocating for charging more – my point is that charging less doesn’t make shows accessible either. A prime example would be Shakespeare in the Park here in NYC – the majority of tickets are given away free, but many people either can’t get off work or can’t physically manage waiting in line for hours to get them. My personal feeling is that programs that give free tickets to students and the underprivileged combined with proshots that can be seen by everyone are the best ways to provide access. And if a tier of super-pricey premium seats were used to fund those efforts I’d have no problem with it.
K
i misunderstood then, sorry! fwiw i’d rather miss a show because i forgot about the sale / got unlucky in the queue / decided i would check later and it sold out, than because i’m priced out.
P
Yes any short running show can fly out even without a huge celeb cast. I couldn’t get tickets for Great Comet last year and was so gutted.
A
wow why was american psycho so popular?
C
It’s a short run in a very small theatre, people who missed it when it sold out even faster 10 years ago plus everyone who loved it the first time are going again.
A
oh how interesting! i think it was a big flop on broadway?
D
Fun fact Jonathan was in the original run of American Psycho
K
Not sure! I saw Johnny in Richard || last year and third row my ticket was less then $100! The west end is very different then Broadway
H
i think what’s gonna be more annoying is the audience behaviour…
T
It’ll be a bloodbath lmao
G
Lowkey this is why I hate when major celebrities do Sondheim. Not because of the celebrities themselves, but how their fans respond to it. I believe Ariana Grande will do Sunday in the Park with George justice, as she’s proven to be incredibly competent and passionate about musical theater through her portrayal of Glinda. However, I don’t trust that the Arianators in the audience will give the musical the level of seriousness and critical engagement necessary for a piece like this. I’m sure I’m gonna be flooded with shit like “this musical is sooooo boring why did Ariana choose to star in this” from stan Twitter. I also heard this was the case with Merrily We Roll Along, where I’m sure Daniel Radcliffe did a great job in the role considering he won a Tony for it, but from what I heard from people who attended stage door for it, so many of the Potterheads who went had no interest in the show itself but just went so that Daniel Radcliffe could sign their Harry Potter merch. It sucks because I don’t blame the celebrities themselves for this behavior, but I hate it when the actual Sondheim fans get priced out of Sondheim shows so that only the celebrity stans with no media literacy or musical theater appreciation who treat the show like a glorified meet-and-greet could attend.
A
> However, I don’t trust that the Arianators in the audience will give the musical the level of seriousness and critical engagement necessary for a piece like this. They already don’t do it for Wicked,reading some of their takes made me lose hope for media litterracy, so you are right to be concerned
G
Exactly! Wicked is the musical theater equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster that should be easily deciphered by its audience, whereas Sunday in the Park with George is the musical theater equivalent of an arthouse film that is slower paced and requires one’s full attention and maybe a couple of rewatches to understand.
H
sorry if this sounds mean but the majority of ariana’s fans do not possess the brains to interpret and appreciate sondheim
V
I may be a minority vote but I thought she was a terrible choice for Galinda.
D
Agree.
J
I wonder if we’ll go a pro shot! Someone once told me they’re cheaper to film in the west end but I’m not sure
S
I’m pretty sure if this production is acclaimed, studios will fight to get this made into a movie.
S
Because of the visual elements, this show wouldn’t translate to film particularly well.
W
The PBS recording is pretty good, so…
I
That would be awesome
R
I’m definitely curious about the choice to go West End over Broadway. I’m hoping it’s well received to increase the chances of a pro shot.
R
Marianne Elliott always does West End first. This is probably pretty likely to transfer assuming Ariana is available.
Additional Sources:
PureWow – Ariana Grande & Jonathan Bailey Are Reuniting for Another Musical
