JUST IN TIME Previews — Page 2

bwaylyric, wayman had mentioned those two Oscars so I didn't repeat the information. Thank you, though!

There are also what looks to be two extra rows of seats down front on the sides, but the view is blocked by the people sitting at those $400 table seats. I would have hated to be in those added-on front rows.

He has moments where he does come off poorly or snaps at family/friends and it does touch on most of the bio details above especially in act 2. It’s not a bad book but it’s a show more focused on the music and focus on performing like Darin.

Show let out at 10:35 after starting around 8:05 with a 20 or just under intermission.

The show covers all the bio points mentioned above, but very quickly (as Groff even promises early on they're going to do). So while we're told he's struggling, he goes from struggling to success so quickly it never seems like the struggle was that big of a deal. Groff seizes up every once in a while and grabs his chest while heartbeats pump on the soundtrack and the stage goes dark, but Groff himself seems so hale and hearty Darin's sickliness never comes across believably. The RFK thing is covered in 10 seconds as the Sandra Dee character summarizes it directly to the audience (something like "Bobby went all in campaigning for RFK, and when RFK was assassinated it was like Bobby died too.") ...And that's it. So all we're really left with is a bunch of impressions that seem typical of any musician. He was ambitious (...like every famous musician?), he was a jerk to the people around him (...like so many famous musicians?), he had a failed marriage (...), then he died (...like, everyone). Even the family history seemed typical (I believe Jack Nicholson famously had the same family revelations?). To do it right and provide a reason to care about any of that, it probably would have needed more development...but I didn't want more development. Even less would have been fine since the strongest parts of the show were elsewhere.

The box office recommended sections A & D over B & C in your diagram.

Having seen the show now, I would agree with that assessment.

I think you feel closer to the action in sections A & D, while B & C feels a little more distant. I think the show is blocked well that it plays very well to sections A & D - you don't feel like you're "on the side" at all.

That being said - I would also recommend you sit no more forward than row B. There is very little rake in the rows in front of row B, so you could get a lot of heads in those for 2-3 rows.

I would also avoid the 6-7 seats in each row in sections A & D that are closest to the normal stage section (where the band is).

The box office is also selling "upgraded rush" tickets if available for $69. Those might exist even when the $40 seats are gone.

Enjoy!

I have not seen the show yet, but I originally questioned why do a musical show about his life when the movie covered the same territory. As I read the comments on the show, it sounds like George M! set in a nightclub with quick one or two line bio bits between a song repertory. Isn't this really more nightclub than musical theatre?

I am too old and too spoiled by great musicals of the past. I am not a fan of Wikipedia musical theatre, nor do I like movies thrown on stage with generic scores where the lead blasts a Defying Gravity note at the end of Act One and has a soulful generic gut wrenching pop ballad at the end of the Act Two. The formula is just not exciting. Where is the originality? At least Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat and Dead Outlaw try for dramatic surprise and authentic emotions.

Bio musical AND narration? Imma pass. But so curious to see what Timber’s cooked up.

SteveSanders said: "merle57 said: "I have not seen the show yet, but I originally questioned why do a musical show about his life when the movie covered the same territory. As I read the comments on the show, it sounds like George M! set in a nightclub with quick one or two line bio bits between a song repertory. Isn't this really more nightclub than musical theatre?

Well one obvious reason why is some people like a live experience more than just watching a movie, particularly when it is led by a popular, talented, and winsome performer like Groff. This is no more "nightclub" than a lot of musical offerings."

The thing is Darin was anything but "winsome." If you are going to see Groff that's fine. If you are going to see Darin and know anything about his life, based on the comments I've read here, you are going to be disappointed. I wasn't a big fan of Darin's when he was alive - thought Splish Splash was stupid...did love Mack the Knife though. I enjoyed Spacey's film, but it was actually the announcement of this show that got me interested in him. The movie was good, however, after reading a biography, it also fell short (but putting 37 years of life into 1 1/2 hours is tough). It was imaginative and I loved the way Spacey dealt with the heart issue. Putting his life on stage would be even more difficult.

From an interview I saw with Groff, the focus is about the music and maybe this should have just been a concert. This seems to be the main objective of the show...more about Groff than Darin.

Updated On: 4/2/25 at 08:12 PM

The death finale to Kevin Spacey’s 2004 Bobby Darin biopic BEYOND THE SEA, featuring William Ullrich as young Bobby. Choreography by the fabulous Rob Ashford:

Found this to be fairly standard - entertaining in most of the musical moments, but not without its flaws. The biggest one: the book is…pretty damn dreadful.

Jon Groff is working his ass off up there. The music all sounds great. Costumes and lighting are particularly strong. Catherine Zuber, you will always be famous.

This’ll no doubt sell well with the older crowd, but anyone hoping Alex Timbers / Ted Chapin would bring some sort of edge or unique perspective to the bio-musical genre will be disappointed.

Updated On: 4/3/25 at 11:18 PM

henrike said: "I saw tonight's performance (3rd preview), and I thought it had some fun moments. But I agree that the book needs work.

The second act, however, needs to be rewritten from scratch. The way it's currently written, its challenging to care about his relationship with Sandra Dee.

The relationship was challenging - she was 16 (according to her and their son - official records had her at 18). They were madly in love with one another, and her mother wasn't thrilled about them being together. (That's a whole other story again!) Both were damaged. She was sexually abused by her stepfather for years until he died. Bobby didn't know about this until much later. Doubt she knew all about his health issues. The main problem was he was one of the boys and after shows he was with his friends. She was a day person working on films, but he wanted her at all his shows. She wanted him home. She started drinking and to stay awake to go to work on a film and take care of Dodd, she was given drugs by her doctor. Anyhoo...he divorced her when he thought she was having an affair with Peter Fonda. Despite the divorce they were still together for years after the divorce. She wanted to get the marriage back together. After a miscarriage during this period (1 of 3 she had while they were together) he wasn't particularly "kind "and she cut him off. According to some, after his relationship with Andrea Yeager (who tends to get forgotten in his story), they dated and lived together for 3 years were married for about 5 minutes before Bobby divorced her, too, Bobby and Sandy were working to get back together. She was never with another man, and he said she was THE ONE for him. Hard to put all that in a show when the show is concentrating on the nightclub element of his career. It's part of the reason their marriage didn't work.

The point being, this could be its own play along the lines of the Days of Wine and Roses. Again, Spacey was able to show a lot of their relationship in the film. But, once again, this production seems to be more about showcasing Groff singing Darin.

The Connie Francis relationship was a challenge as well, I would imagine. They met when he was writing songs for her. They fell in love, and he wanted to elope even though her father threatened to kill him. On the way to get married, she backed out - she was afraid for him. They met up again on Ed Sullivan's show later, did a couple of songs and that was the last time they ever saw one another in person. Spacey didn't use their story or the Andrea relationship in the film. No one has talked about her part of the show, just that it was better than the part with Dee.

There is just so much. His relationship with Polly was the strongest. She taught him everything about music and kept him alive. When he found out about the lie, it was around the same time he was working with Bobby Kennedy, so Kennedy's death combined with that knowledge AND the miscarriage and Sandy cutting him off all happening was a big trauma for him. It did bring around, however, his return to the spotlight.

One element Dodd wrote about in his book that was just kind of left dangling was how Bobby deliberately did not take the antibiotics prescribed before a dental appointment, but also did not take his heart medication either. In a sense he ended it that day although he wouldn't die for a while later.

There is this element of his feeling betrayed by the women he loved...even if only imagined. Outside of the times he was on stage or working with his music, he was insecure. I'm not sure of the exact words, but he would say in the dressing room he was this short, ugly guy from the Bronx but when he walked out of the door he was Cary Grant - that's what he loved the most.

Not very far back at all. Probably the equivalent of being in the middle of the orchestra in most Broadway theaters, allowing for the elevation factor. I sat in the last row for An Enemy of the People, and while I would love to have been closer the $400 I saved by not being so was a most acceptable compromise.