JUST IN TIME Previews- Page 6

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/22/25 at 11:49pm

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. "
 

Don’t you live in Reno or somewhere? You won’t be seeing the show anyway so can it, toots.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 7:25am

Don’t you live in Reno or somewhere? You won’t be seeing the show anyway so can it, toots.

With all due respect, I live in Laguna Beach, CA but still have my place in Tribeca so I continue my pilgrimage to Broadway every few months when I’m in the city for client meetings. 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 7:35am

Just a little warning to anyone who is sensitive to the stuff: the lighting and incredibly loud band might trigger migraines and or vertigo for some. I left the theater with a pounding headache and wound up getting vertigo that night. He’s fantastic and I don’t know where he gets the energy, but it was a struggle for me to sit through

[Lisalemann]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 11:16am

Love Theatre2 said: "I understand that the musical is telling his life's story. What I am saying is that in these clips, he isn't convincing me that he is attempting to be, theatrically speaking, Bobby Darin. At all. I am speaking regarding the acting in these songs in the clips. (Think Audra McDonald portraying Billie Holiday) She became Billie Holiday. 100%. I am seeing, Jonathan Groff. Not Bobby Darin.

Now don't get mad. I am entitled to my opinion."

I definitely get your point.  I haven't seen the show yet - but from what I understand the only clips that have been seen so far are from the curtain call performance - so I'm assuming the actual performances during the show might not be like that. I don't think you can judge a show by their curtain call number.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 11:57am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Don’t you live in Reno or somewhere? You won’t be seeing the show anyway so can it, toots.

With all due respect, I live in Laguna Beach, CA but still have my place in Tribeca so I continue my pilgrimage to Broadway every few months when I’m in the city for client meetings."

 

Mhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 12:01pm

I don't know. I thought this was pretty bad. Jonathan Groff is a wonderful performer, but I found that I couldn't care less about Bobby Darin. Admittedly, I wasn't familiar with his story before the show, but certainly nothing in the writing made me feel like I wanted to know more. It felt like the show told us that he had some hits but never felt like he found his voice, was a monstrous husband, and always felt unfulfilled. I left the show not really liking him but also not especially curious to learn more. He might be fascinating! But if so, I didn't really get that from the piece. Alas.

[Dan6]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 12:23pm

My wife and I saw this last night. We've loved Groff ever since Spring Awakening and are old enough to remember Bobby Darin and be familiar with some (but far from all) of his catalogue, so YMMV, but we had a wonderful time. Groff is the show's essential life force and it's hard to see the show working without him, but he's so committed, charming, and talented that I find it equally hard to imagine anyone not being entertained. We were grinning ear to ear for most of the first act, and while the second isn't as strong (and makes a somewhat jarring shift from diagetic to mostly non-diagetic songs), the ending still packed a punch and we left the theater feeling thoroughly satisfied. 

The design at Circle has been handled beautifully, the lighting and sound were excellent (particularly for a preview), and the choreography made fun and effective use of limited space. The band and the entire ensemble were also great; particular props to Gracie Lawrence, whose "Who's Sorry Now" was a clear highlight. The book is fine...nothing spectacular but stronger than many other bio-musicals I've seen...and while I'm not sure the Groff-as-Darin framing device entirely worked, I appreciated them trying something different, and the shift back to Groff-as-Groff had a nice payoff at the end. 

For seating, using RumTumJM's seating chart at #13, we were in Row F of Section A, about midway between the two stages, and I thought it was perfect. Much of the choreography on the main stage is played straight out, so I can see where Sections B and C might be preferable for that, but they're at a greater distance away and are often looking at the backs of people on the smaller second stage. We were glad we didn't spring for the stage-side, banquette, or table seating, since the people on stage level seemed to have heads blocking much of their view, and some of the people at the tables appeared uncomfortable having to look over their shoulders at one stage or the other...as well as the fact that, Groff being Groff, they were splish-splashed on heavily throughout. 

All in all, a great leadoff to a two-week, 21-show trip. I hope the critics enjoy it as much as we did!   

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 12:46pm

Saw this last night and it is absolutely one of the most fun and charming nights of theater this entire season. Had Jonathan Groff not already won the Tony for Merrily, he would certainly win it for this. I thought beginning the piece as himself worked remarkably well: It primes the audience to have a good time, ensures everyone is eating out of the palm of the star's hand from the get go, acknowledges why we are all here, and has a great payoff at the end. 

I think Alex Timbers gets into director for this at the Tonys. It's paced so well. His direction pairs well with the book to keep things moving, often by use of smart economic scene work, to tell a very tight story. I do think Act 1 is much stronger than Act 2 (mostly because of how Act 2 changes the use of the songs and their storytelling requirements. A shift in style that occasionally works for the piece, but in many cases falls short). And holy moly, Gracie Lawrence! I had never seen her before but I wish I could watch her "Who's Sorry Now" on repeat. Easily one of my favorite musical moments this season. Add on gorgeous scenic design and lighting and this was a fabulous night of theater. I had totally written this show off when it was first announced because "ugh ANOTHER bio musical?" but this was fantastic and I hope to see it again. 

[IronMan]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 5:07pm

So. I saw an early preview and have been stewing about this show ever since.  I am a HUGE Bobby Darin fan, owning all of his albums (they won't tell you that he recorded 27 studio LPs, 2 live LPs, along with several "Best of"s), and having seen every episode of the several TV series that he hosted (again, you will not know those existed), and this show is Groff Sings Darin with some terribly written book scenes between.  He wisely makes no attempt to convey Darin's style vocally or in performance, and though it IS entertaining, it is in no way Darin.

So many missed opportunities here... why show us how he bombed on his first TV appearance but not later show us how he became a master of playing to the camera and the crowd?  And the cliche scene of him traveling with Sandra Dee while ensemble members hold spinning wheels/headlights/etc to make a "car" while others hold up city signs... I thought they might pick up some kids and start a vaudeville act.  The ending when he's back to being himself and commenting on the experience of seeing live theater was nice and I wish THAT had been the angle the book writers took. 

The cast is giving its all, the band is HOT, but all in all I wouldn't recommend it unless you're that much a fan of Groff (again, he IS giving a great performance; it's just not Darin).   I hope that by now they have fixed the curtain call, which was designed to get the audience on their feet... but then continued for another 5 minutes of medleys while I just wanted to sit back down.  

Updated On: 4/23/25 at 05:07 PM

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 7:10pm

I saw the show a few weeks ago and I thought they pushed opening night a few days to April 26, 2025. Now I am seeing it's opening tonight. Does anyone know if tonight is the official opening?

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 7:22pm

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Updated On: 4/23/25 at 07:22 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 7:26pm

It looks like they're still doing opening night festivities even if reviews aren't dropping tonight- photos of the step and repeat and red carpet are on social media.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 8:19pm

Kad said: "It looks like they're still doing opening night festivities even if reviews aren't dropping tonight- photos of the step and repeat and red carpet are on social media."


They had a family and friends opening party last night as well.

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 9:32pm

For what it's worth, a little trivia - today would have been Sandra Dee's 83rd birthday. 

Updated On: 4/25/25 at 09:32 PM

[MezzA101]

Posted: 4/25/25 at 4:07pm

Jonathan Groff on the Urgent Intimacy of ‘Just in Time’ on Broadway | Vogue

 

https://www.vogue.com/article/jonathan-groff-just-in-time-broadway-interview

[someoneinatree2]

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

Kad said: "It looks like they're still doing opening night festivities even if reviews aren't dropping tonight- photos of the step and repeat and red carpet are on social media."

Is this about to become the norm? or is it lowkey already the norm and I'm just now wising up to it

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/25/25 at 6:31pm

The gorgeous Sandra Dee and little Dodd:

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/25/25 at 8:03pm

Sauja said: "I don't know. I thought this was pretty bad. Jonathan Groff is a wonderful performer, but I found that I couldn't care less about Bobby Darin. Admittedly, I wasn't familiar with his story before the show, but certainly nothing in the writing made me feel like I wanted to know more. It felt like the show told us that he had some hits but never felt like he found his voice, was a monstrous husband, and always felt unfulfilled. I left the show not really liking him but also not especially curious to learn more. He might be fascinating! But if so, I didn't really get that from the piece. Alas."

If you want to take the time to find out why there is a Broadway show about him...that there was a film "Beyond the Sea" and several books dedicated to his life, check out the one by his son Dodd - Dream Lovers. I was a so-so fan of his in his heyday 60 odd years ago. I was a greater fan of Sandra Dee. Even so, it was actually hearing about this show that got me looking into his past wondering why the interest. I bought Dodd's book and am now a great fan of Bobby's and watch videos of his early performances and listening to his early recordings. Chased by his idea of dying by the time he was 16, he was a versatile musician (played piano, guitar, harmonica, drums), singer, actor, songwriter, producer and in his later years (such as they were) chess player. He and Sandra had a troubled marriage, mostly because of her issues, but they always loved one another and were going to try for a reconciliation before he died. He was special.

[Purplehayes]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 6:09am

Not sure what to make of the reviews from people who haven’t actually seen the show. Maybe that’s the nature of the internet. 
As someone who saw a preview two weeks ago and is old enough to remember watching Darin’s tv series the year he died, here’s my two cents. The show is a lot like Darin was himself: brilliant but flawed, and most of us will have a good time watching it.

That Groff isn’t trying to mimic Darin was never an issue for me, nor should he given the theme of the show. This isn’t the first time a play or musical used a metatheatrical conceit and it won’t be the last, but it is done very effectively here. Groff is both Darin and himself during the show because it requires him to be both a central character as well as a Thornton Wilder-like Stage Manager commenting on the action and the relationship to the audience. Without it, his final address to the audience about the ephemeral nature of live performance and the analogy to Darin’s life would be odd. In this context, it’s quite touching. It’s why the show sticks the landing in spite of second act roughness.

None of which means I’m heaping accolades on the book. The second act has the harder part of the story to tell and it struggles with the task. I’m not sure Pawk’s self-aware line confirming what the audience is probably already feeling is shrewd writing. Part of the inherent difficulty is devoting so much time to Darin’s courtship of Dee and then race into the disintegration of the marriage without so much as a honeymoon phase. The pacing undermines the drama. It also means the other aspects of Darin’s later years get short shrift. His tv appearances, his series, his second marriage…nothing. There would be greater drama in seeing his comeback, allowing the audience to celebrate it, rather than restrict it to a single performance cut off by the Grim Reaper (he died in a hospital after open heart surgery, but whatever.) And while on the subject of drama, am I the only one who finds it odds that the writers give Darin a moment of reconciliation with a dead relative, but pretty much leave the situation regarding a living parent unaddressed? Did I miss something? And near the start of the second act, I swear Darin bemoans Connie Francis’ getting married, which actually didn’t happen until he’d been married to Sandra Dee for about 4 years. 
 

So, yeah. Second act has a tough job and could’ve been better. But what’s right about the show? Nearly everything. Groff is a dynamo and like others, I can’t imagine the show without him. Personable, self-effacing, and talented as anything, it’s his show. But that doesn’t mean this would be better off as a concert with biographical reminiscences. Bobby Darin’s  Springsteen on Broadway wouldn’t cut it. As for his acting, watch his reactions during Gracie Lawrence’s “Who’s Sorry Now.” It’s heartbreaking.

Gracie Lawrence’s Connie Francis lacks the gravitas of Erika Henningsen’s Sandra Dee, but she does it with aplomb. Her voice is perfect for theater and her first scene where she gets to be brassy and acerbic is a highlight, along with her performance of the aforementioned Francis hit. Michele Pawk gives a performance that conveys warmth and attachment that could’ve easily dissolved into treacle. Her Outer Critics nom is well-deserved. The “Sirens” work their tails off and are unsung heroes of the show. 
I sat in the 200 section FLOOR B, approximately parallel with Table 11. Despite the concerns of some posters here, I had zero view obstruction. If it was my misfortune to be there on a night the Knick’s’ starting five were in the row in front of me, that may have been a problem. Otherwise, not so much. It was easy to view both stages and allowed me to feel immersed in the production, but just out of distance of Groff’s infamous splash radius.

The set design works brilliantly with the meta aspect of the show. Perhaps the club design encourages people who haven’t seen the show to think it’s just a cabaret, but they’re missing the point. Darin’s drive to perform is what kept him going, so what better place to let his life unfold than IN a club setting? The audience blends with the thrust stage set and invites us to be a part of the journey, using the unique design of CITS to great advantage. We see the merging as the club lights retract to the ceiling. It’s smart. It’s also effective, as was the lighting and sound, which was uniformly excellent even as the show split into elements in multiple parts of the theater. If they don’t get technical Tony noms, I’ll be disappointed.

At the end, Groff speaks of impermanence…in art as it is in life. Darin was given a “you’re on the clock” reminder of mortality that most of us don’t receive until we’re much older, and for all his flaws, was striving to make his time matter as best he knew how. If, like me, you have more road in your rear-view mirror than is waiting for you out the front windshield, it’s a heartfelt and affecting moment. It makes the exuberance of the curtain call mean a little more: this is a celebration, of Bobby Darin’s life and art, but our own as well. So we should try to enjoy it and have a good time while we can. Your mileage may vary, and if you feel a lack of connection with the Darin songbook is too much of a hindrance or are determined to focus on the weaknesses of “Just In Time” with a zealotry that would make Torquemada envious, you’ll be miserable. But the rest who go? I think they’ll have a great time and will recommend it, as I’m doing now.

 

 

Updated On: 4/26/25 at 06:09 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 8:16am

So, after watching Matthew Hardy's expansive review I'm now definitely going to see this. Hands down, his review is the first truly detailed explanation of the show's conceit and what JUST IN TIME is really about. Everyone else on here pretty much just said lots of nothing and Matthew, previously only familiar with Bobby Darin by name (aside from the song "Beyond the Sea", he went in not knowing any other song Darin sang, etc.), has great unbiased comments.  

 

[MaxineElliott]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 8:27am

Super interesting in the Actors on Actors interview that Groff flew to Australia to see a rival Bobby Darin show and convinced those producers an Bobby Darin's son to give him the rights to do his own version. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 8:50am

MaxineElliott said: "Super interesting in the Actors on Actors interview that Groff flew to Australia to see a rival Bobby Darin show and convinced those producers an Bobby Darin's son to give him the rights to do his own version."

Ahh, thank you for this info. That explains why Australian producer John Frost was at the show this week. Groff must have seen Dream Lover, starring David Campbell, in Aus. 

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 8:56am

Time to work my old David Campbell CDs back into rotation after reading this mention.

[MidWestTheater]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 9:39am

I saw this last night and interesting that this show has an Australia connection because it reminded me a lot of another bio musical, The Boy From Oz. And just like that one you have a star who doesn’t really sound or look much like the person he’s portraying, but my god is he giving it is all, and giving showmanship, bravura performance. 
 

I didn’t mind the Groff being himself at the beginning, because I think it does gave the audience the expectation that he is not Bobby Darin. I’ve never Groff so what he does here, the splish splash number alone deserves a marathon Tony. I thought the whole cast was a great. Yeah, the book is not good, especially in the second act. Having Sandra Dee take over the narration was a choice. But for me, when I see a jukebox musical it’s all about the numbers, and that front this show delivered and then some. Also mad shout out to Gracie Lawrence for her rendition of Who’s Sorry Now.

I did splurge and got floor seats, and was on one of the love seats right near the second stage. I had no issue seeing anything, and yes I did feel some spit flying my way. The wild part was standing up at the end and having the two leading ladies singing Mac The Knife right in your face. I don’t think I’ve been that close in any theater ever.

Overall, I had a blast. Will it go down the analogs of the great bio-musicals…no, but who cares. It’s impeccably  well staged, the immersive element of the nightclub is amazing, the band is hot, and its leading man is firing on all cylinders.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/26/25 at 8:23pm

For anyone interested in the Australian genesis of Dream Lover, check out approx. the 7 min mark of this interview with producer John Frost from 2016. Caroline O’Connor played the role that Michele Pawk is playing in Just In Time. 

https://youtu.be/058y-ZyZFG8?si=ui0DouIYwgV-07vh

And here’s Splish Splash from the production with David Campbell who almost seems like Darin reincarnate. The same account has uploaded several other numbers which should show up as suggested videos. 

https://youtu.be/DhE0h3i_TaI?si=adRaj5Khuw2T-FLV


Backstage with David Campbell plus performance clips interspersed.

https://youtu.be/yqmbaYIBES0?si=mox45Uv1pHtARZRj


And finally, Sydney opening night audience reactions.

https://youtu.be/-1R1KSmv_fw?si=bLXhGdjkCh9v0Gz8

Updated On: 4/26/25 at 08:23 PM