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Just in Time Review: Jonathan Groff Is a Swinging, Soaring Success as Bobby Darin
Apr
Fresh off his first Tony Award win, Jonathan Groff is already making a serious play for his second — and he’s doing it in dazzling style.
Just in Time, Broadway’s newest jukebox bio-musical, tells the story of ‘50s crooner Bobby Darin. While it could’ve been just another safe, predictable tribute, the show instead becomes an electrifying celebration of music, momentum, and star power — thanks almost entirely to Groff’s irresistible performance.
Stepping Into Bobby Darin’s Spotlight
The magic begins before the show even starts. Scenic designer Derek McLane transforms the Circle in the Square Theatre into a smoky 1950s nightclub, setting the mood perfectly. But once Groff takes the stage, there’s no mistaking whose night it is.
At first, Groff appears as himself, expressing his personal love for Darin’s music. But with a clever, meta twist, he transitions seamlessly into Darin before the audience’s eyes. Under the sharp direction of Alex Timbers, Groff’s journey through Darin’s life becomes a thrilling spectacle of charm, dance breaks, and soaring vocals.
A Life Lived in Urgency
Based on an original concept by Ted Chapin, with a book by Warren Leight (Side Man) and Isaac Oliver (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Just in Time chronicles Darin’s life with kinetic energy. Born Walden Robert Cassotto and raised by a vaudeville singer (a vibrant Michelle Pawk), Darin lived every day urgently after a childhood illness threatened to cut his life short.
Groff, fresh off Merrily We Roll Along, understands that sense of urgency better than anyone. He tears through Darin’s meteoric rise with verve, charisma, and heart, leaving the audience swooning and spellbound.
Groff’s Greatest Role Yet?
Channeling Darin’s legendary versatility, Groff shines brightest in the show’s most intimate moments — weaving through tables, locking eyes with audience members, and making the vast theater feel like a cozy nightclub. His signature earnestness melds perfectly with Darin’s showman bravado, creating a magnetic performance that feels both larger-than-life and deeply personal.
The ensemble cast is equally electric. Erika Henningsen makes a luminous Sandra Dee, and Gracie Lawrence, as Connie Francis, delivers a stunning, emotionally raw performance of “Who’s Sorry Now” that momentarily stops the show.
The production’s detailed lighting design (by Justin Townsend) and vibrant staging honor Darin’s golden era of live performance, offering a sparkling love letter not just to Darin but to the timeless thrill of live music.
A Breathless Second Half
If Just in Time falters, it’s only in its inevitable race against the clock. The second act rushes through Darin’s later years — marriages, political activism, personal heartbreaks — barely allowing time to absorb the emotional blows. Still, Groff grounds the whirlwind with a performance so sincere, the final gut punches land where it counts.
As the show closes, Groff returns to himself, acknowledging that Just in Time, like Darin’s life — like all great performances — is already “turning into vapor.” But what a vapor it leaves behind.
Groff’s Bobby Darin, the electric energy of the cast, the sheer rush of live music: it lingers long after the final bow, leaving you with one undeniable thought — “When can I see it again?”
Rating: ★★★★☆
Just in Time is now playing at Circle in the Square Theatre.
