JUST IN TIME Previews- Page 5

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 6:29pm

After watching a handful of various clips on social media, I'm avoiding this at all costs.  The headlining cruise ship concept just doesn't do it for me, especially with Groff not making any effort to evoke Bobby Darin in any way AND let's not get me started on those backup dancers and their overzealous energy. Everything just looks so damn tacky and cheap - including the costuming for Sandra Dee and Connie Francis. Could they have not a least attempted to make THEM resemble the women they are portraying? This definitely is a missed opportunity and I think they could have honored Bobby Darin if they simply recreated the Copacabana night club with Bobby Darin telling his story and keeping the background dancers evoking that 60s night club performance style instead of the annoying perky high energy crap they're doing. And at least ook at actual photos of the people being portrayed and try to at least recreate the actual person and not some stereotype of anyone of that era and not that particular person.  

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 6:55pm

''The more comments I read about this show, the more I think it's just about Groff and not Darin.''

Instead of prejudging the show, without any firsthand experience, or dismissing it from quick video clips, how about just seeing ''Just in Time'' in context? There are rush seats for as little as $40.  Groff spends 90% of the show playing Darin. He makes some self-deprecatory remarks at the beginning that contrast the difference between himself, a gay theater nerd, and Darin, a ''playboy crooner.'' And Groff shows you why he's so passionate about sharing Darin's story, and most of all, their shared love of live performing. Groff is giving a tour de force that's such a 180 from his Tony-winning performance in ''Merrily We Roll Along,'' and I'd be surprised if he isn't up for another Tony for this. ''Just in Time'' is now in its third week of soldout previews, and audiences, older and younger, are lovin' it. 

Updated On: 4/19/25 at 06:55 PM

[jakethesnake]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 8:10pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "After watching a handful of various clips on social media, I'm avoiding this at all costs. The headliningcruise ship concept just doesn't do it for me, especially with Groff not making any effort to evoke Bobby Darin in any way AND let's not get me started on those backup dancers and their overzealous energy. Everything just looks so damn tacky and cheap - including the costuming for Sandra Dee and Connie Francis. Could they have not a least attempted to make THEM resemble the women they are portraying? This definitely is a missed opportunity and I think they could have honored Bobby Darin if they simply recreated the Copacabana night club with Bobby Darin telling his story and keeping the background dancers evoking that 60s night club performance style instead of the annoying perky high energy crap they're doing. And at least ook at actual photos of the people being portrayed and tryto at least recreate the actual person and not some stereotype of anyone of that era and not that particular person. "

And we should care about your thoughts why?   You haven’t seen the show yet, yet you write a 300 word treatise.  Who cares?   

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 9:00pm

"Groff spends 90% of the show playing Darin. He makes some self-deprecatory remarks at the beginning that contrast the difference between himself, a gay theater nerd, and Darin, a ''playboy crooner.'''

The gifted Groff is entitled to build his show accordingly, and some of us are equally entitled to determine that this isn't our preferred method to suspend disbelief in the theater. In this case, I'd argue, we're not dealing with pre-judging a show we haven't seen as much as determining whether a structural conceit entices us as consumers. I don't find it unfair to make a decision in advance about anyone's use of discretionary funds in 2025. 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 4/19/25 at 9:10pm

All I know is the group I was with found it to be a hell of a good night out.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 3:01pm

I assume that 90% of the audience is there to see Groff.  I think that starting out as Groff and turning into Darin is something that would appeal to his fans.  I would bet money that that is why they are doing it, and that they wouldn’t be doing it otherwise.

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 5:26pm

Jarethan said: "I assume that 90% of the audience is there to see Groff. I think that starting out as Groff and turning into Darin is something that would appeal to his fans. I would bet money that that is why they are doing it, and that they wouldn’t be doing it otherwise."

I ran across an old interview with Kevin Spacey last night from shortly after Beyond the Sea opened. He spoke about how he approached the film. For starters, he worked on it for 20 years, mostly based on hearing Bobby Darin recordings played over and over in his household by his mother. He worked on having his voice sound as much like Darin's as possible...even learned to play the drums (which was cut from the film because it didn't work to advance the story). He wanted the story to be about Bobby...not him. It was stylized and not a "this is absolutely the true" story, but it had the approval of Dodd and Sandra.

So that 10% of Groff at the beginning just shows where the ego lies and the show is about Groff not Darin. As I noted before, that's fine, but don't promote it as if it is about Bobby. Should have just been Groff sings Darin and left it at that. The show will be a hit with his fans and the box office will show if that's enough. 

I'm sure Bobby would be pleased that he is still an influence and is being remembered.

[Love Theatre2]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 7:34pm

Hello to all here,

To Brody Fosse123,Broadway Legend, message #100,  THANK YOU.   I too felt as you did in watching the previews.  You put it into words, perfectly, what I was feeing but didn't know how to express it.  I also feel that it should be billed differently if they are not trying to portray Bobby Darin.  From what I can tell, it ought to be billed as a concert of Bobby Darin songs by Jonathan Groff.   I was just in NYC, and skipped it for that reason.  And your other comments were also, very valid.  So, thanks for speaking up.  And in the clips, it does feel like a cruise ship.

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 9:13pm

Except it is not a concert of Groff singing Bobby Darin songs alone. 

It literally enacts elements of Darin's career, including others who were a part of it.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 9:35pm

SteveSanders said: "Except it is not a concert of Groff singing Bobby Darin songs alone.

It literally enacts elements of Darin's career, including others who were a part of it."

[yyys]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 9:54pm

The book is about Bobby Darin...from early childhood to death. It's actually a very enjoyable and very well done bio jukebox musical. I'm sure Alex Timbers will be nominated for the direction.

 

Love Theatre2 said: "Hello to all here,

To Brody Fosse123,Broadway Legend, message #100, THANK YOU. I too felt as you did in watching the previews. You put it into words, perfectly, what I was feeing but didn't know how to express it. I also feel that it should be billed differently if they are not trying to portray Bobby Darin. From what I can tell, it ought to be billed as a concert of Bobby Darin songs by Jonathan Groff. I was just in NYC, and skipped it for that reason. And your other comments were also, very valid. So, thanks for speaking up. And in the clips, it does feel like a cruise ship."

 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 9:55pm

People are on a first-name basis with a performer who died in 1973?