Jonathan Groff Sets March 2025 Broadway Return with JUST IN TIME- Page 3

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 6:09pm

Merely reading between the lines, and this could be nothing, but:

Warren Leight (one of two credited bookwriters) has tweeted more than a dozen times today, yet nothing about this show. So perhaps he's being credited in name only and Isaac Oliver is the one actively serving as bookwriter now?

[Ensemble1727285844]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 7:32pm

The NY Times article says it has a 16 person cast and an on-stage big band. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 10:37pm

I feel like there's got to be some sort of angle here that we just don't know about yet. Otherwise, I have such a hard time imagining why Groff and Timbers would sign on to something like this. 

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 10/9/24 at 11:13pm

Put it in after Cabaret. The set for a cabaret performance is already there.

[Ensemble1727285844]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 12:32am

From the NY Times article:

The musical, “Just in Time,” is to begin previews March 28 and to open April 23 at Circle in the Square Theater in Midtown Manhattan. The theater, with its close approximation of an in-the-round experience, will be configured to accommodate an immersive nightclub-like staging, with a 16-person cast, an onstage big band, two stages and some cabaret-style seating.

“We all got invested and excited about the idea of telling his life story in this environment of a night club,” Groff said. “We’re playing with the genre of the biomusical, trying to find our own unique point of view and way into not only his story but also the genre itself. There’s a bit of experimentation happening here.”

[Kad]

Posted: 10/10/24 at 10:09am

Isaac Oliver is an interesting choice as a book writer. He’s best known for David Sedaris-esque essays and doing shows at Ars Nova and Joe’s Pub (as well as writing for series like Glow and Mrs. Maisel). Not necessarily somebody you’d hire to do a standard bio show. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/19/25 at 11:00am

Kad said: "Alex Timbers is certainly a surprising director choice for a project like this."

I went to the JUST IN TIME theater talk event last night at 92Y and producer Ted Chapin mentioned how he casually asked Jonathan Groff back in 2018 who he thought might be a good director for this project and Groff suggested Alex Timbers given his work on Jersey Boys and Here Lies Love. Alex definitely has experience with jukebox musical and nightclub party atmosphere. Plus, Jonathan always wanted to work with Alex Timbers. I guess Ted then contacted Timbers to see if he's interested and indeed he was! 

 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 8:22pm

Call me crazy, but Betsy Wolfe just posted on her story about seeing Just in Time and said, “More soon about this show and the brilliant cast.” Erika recently posted that she’s leaving soon. Could Betsy be stepping in?

[mshalo18]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 9:12pm

DramaTeach said: "Call me crazy, but Betsy Wolfe just posted on her story about seeing Just in Time and said, “More soon aboutthis show and the brilliant cast.” Erika recentlyposted that she’s leaving soon. Could Betsy be stepping in?"

Love Betsy, but she’s at least 10 years too old for the Sandra Dee role.

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 9:35am

Sadie Dickerson is Sandra Dee and Sarah Hyland is Connie Francis beginning October 8.

[inception]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 11:22am

KevinKlawitter said: "Sadie Dickerson is Sandra Dee and Sarah Hyland is Connie Francis beginning October 8."

Cool.  I'm seeing this in November. 

[Sauja]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 9:48pm

Groff hasn’t missed a single performance, has he? With new cast members going in, I’m just thinking about how long original contracts were for and whether he’ll have at least a vacation coming up sometime. Because it’s built so, so much around his own persona, I’m deeply curious how the show would/will play with someone else going on as Bobby. 

[theatrejunkie007]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 11:32pm

Sauja said: "Groff hasn’t missed a single performance, has he? With new cast members going in, I’m just thinking about how long original contracts were for and whether he’ll have at least a vacation coming up sometime. Because it’s built so, so much around his own persona, I’m deeply curious how the show would/will play with someone else going on as Bobby."

This is certainly a hot topic. If we assume Groff wants to leave after the scheduled January shows, or whenever his contract is up, I’d like to suggest that they will have no problem finding a new star to fill Groff’s shoes. Those shoes won’t be easy to fill, obviously, but as long as the new crooner has the chops, a la Harry Connick Jr. or Michael Buble or someone more outside the box that none of us would be thinking of, i think the show has a real chance of maintaining its hit status for awhile to come… with new blood and a new angle. The billing remember is: BIG NAME BIG FONT is Bobby Darin (small font). So this is a big selling point for would-be Darin hopefuls. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 12:04am

No star of legitimate drawing power should want to follow in Groff’s footsteps here (the show was literally built around him), and Darin’s name is close to meaningless from a full-priced-sales standpoint on Broadway. I assume this shutters the moment Groff decides to leave. Maybe Groff chooses to do a limited run in London after taking a break.

Where the Darin name might still hold some weight is in the regions. I’d be surprised if they don't launch a non-Eq tour, and it should do decently well in licensing. 

Updated On: 9/4/25 at 12:04 AM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 3:51am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "No star of legitimate drawing power should want to follow in Groff’s footsteps here (the show was literally built around him), and Darin’s name is close to meaningless from a full-priced-sales standpoint on Broadway. I assume this shutters the moment Groff decides to leave.Maybe Groff chooses to do a limited run in London after taking a break.

Where the Darin name might still hold some weight is in the regions. I’d be surprised if they don't launch a non-Eq tour, and it should do decently well in licensing."

I completely agree that Darin’s name isn’t the one selling tickets to the Bobby Darin musical. Also, someone like Harry Connick Jr. is 100% wrong for this. Bobby Darin died at 37. HCJ is way too old, and I don’t think Bublé dances. There really is nobody who can do it like Groff and also sell tickets. It will close with him.

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 4:56am

Given his recent portrayal of Frank Sinatra, I can somewhat imagine Matt Doyle in the role (he can dance well enough, right?), but it is probably unlikely that he would want to follow Groff or could pull in an audience for long enough to make it worth extending.

Updated On: 9/4/25 at 04:56 AM

[theatrejunkie007]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 7:33am

Yes Doyle could work well. 

[inception]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 9:19am

theatrejunkie007 said: "Yes Doyle couldwork well."

But wouldn't sell tickets.

They'd need someone like Harry Styles - who isn't doing Broadwsy anytime soon.

Maybe Daniel Radcliffe. 

[mshalo18]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 9:52am

Not a name at all, but while I was watching MHE, I kept thinking Dez Duron would suit the role well.

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 9:59am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "No star of legitimate drawing power should want to follow in Groff’s footsteps here (the show was literally built around him), and Darin’s name is close to meaningless from a full-priced-sales standpoint on Broadway. I assume this shutters the moment Groff decides to leave.Maybe Groff chooses to do a limited run in London after taking a break.

Where the Darin name might still hold some weight is in the regions. I’d be surprised if they don't launch a non-Eq tour, and it should do decently well in licensing."

I imagine if there are any plans to replace Groff, the plans would be to rework the show around that particular actor as well, at least to a degree. Make some adjustments to the framing device to fit that actor's persona and such.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 11:17am

mshalo18 said: "Not a name at all, but while I was watching MHE, I kept thinking Dez Duron would suit the role well."

 

Isn't he MAGA (or at the very least, MAGA-lite)?  He's sung at a number of Repug fundraisers.

[mshalo18]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 12:28pm

JSquared2 said: "mshalo18 said: "Not a name at all, but while I was watching MHE, I kept thinking Dez Duron would suit the role well."



Isn't he MAGA (or at the very least, MAGA-lite)? He's sung at a number ofRepugfundraisers."

So I’ve heard. But I was attempting to keep the discussion about replacement casting and not politics.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 9/9/25 at 8:43pm

Sweaty Oracle just posted that “your mom’s favorite pop star is rumored” to be taking over the Bobby Darin show when Groff is done. Says he’ll post who on his patreon. Anyone know?
 

Darin died at 37. An NSync or Backstreet member? And they’re already pushing the age (as is Groff even though he pulls it off with no problem)! Who else could it be?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/9/25 at 8:50pm

Unless it is Justin Timberlake, I would imagine those grosses would go through the floor if a boy-band type replaced Groff., and I can't see what he would have to gain by dong it unless he still thinks he could have a future as a movie star and is guaranteed the role if a movie is ever made, which I can't imagine happening.

 

 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 9/9/25 at 8:55pm

Jarethan said: "Unless it is Justin Timberlake, I would imagine those grosses would go through the floor if a boy-band type replaced Groff., and I can't see what he would have to gain by dong it unless he still thinks he could have a future as a movie star and is guaranteed the role if a movie is ever made, which I can't imagine happening.”

Def don’t think he’d do it. That ego is too big. I honestly couldn’t really see any of them doing it. Joey McIntyre is too old; JC Chasez seems content working on his own show and doing nothing else; AJ McLean is maybe the best fit, but I still don’t know if that would work.