Jonathan Groff is irresistible as Bobby Darin

Surprise is the last thing you’d expect from Just In Time. After all, it’s one of a dozen jukebox bio-musicals to grace a Broadway stage in the past few years; packed with songs you’ve heard before; and telling a story you could easily digest via Wikipedia during your commute to the Circle in the Square Theater.

But much like the very performer whose story it tells, the show goes on to defy all expectations in favor of an utterly electrifying experience. And that success is due in no small part to Jonathan Groff, the magnetic star who takes on the persona of ’60s singing sensation Bobby Darin.

The sense of wonder is immediate: the second you enter the theater, scenic designer Derek McLane has transformed the space into a smoky 1950s nightclub, recreating the very settings where Darin performed decades prior. But when the spotlight hits and the music begins, it’s Jonathan Groff who takes the stage — and not just literally. When he first croons one of Darin’s hits into the mic and saunters through the audience, he is himself: the actor fans know and love from Spring Awakening and Hamilton, confessing his own love for Darin’s works. 

This is one of the show’s many surprises: the self-awareness, the meta approach. When Groff does become Darin, he does so before our eyes, reintroducing himself in character as he goes from paying tribute to Darin to playing him.

From there, Groff and his costars will walk us through Darin’s story, taking us into specific scenes then zipping through time to another significant point. There’s much ground to cover and time — the brevity of it — was a constant concern in Darin’s life.

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 unravels the story of Darin’s legend, introducing him as Walden Robert Cassotto, a New York kid raised by his vaudeville singing mother (a vibrant Michelle Pawk) to dream big, despite his weak heart. After he defies his doctor’s expectations and lives beyond 16, urgency overtakes Darin: There’s no telling how much time he has, but he refuses to waste a single second. And we’re off to the races.

Like the star he portrays, Groff knows the importance of momentum. Fresh off his (long-awaited) Tony Award win for last year’s Merrily We Roll Along, he is already back on Broadway, headlining a glitzy new show built around his skills. There’s no time to waste.

Darin was heralded for his versatility and admired by greats like Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, who went so far as to call him a “f—ing genius” So it’s no easy feat to match up — especially in a nightclub-esque setting, his home turf. But Groff is up to the challenge. He’s irresistible in the role, proving why he belongs centerstage. He makes the dance breaks look effortless, oozes charm, and soars through the vocals.

More impressively, there’s an intimacy to the space he creates under Alex Timbers’ direction. It’s not a matter of the theater’s size, but of Groff’s ability to speak so directly to each audience member. It helps that there are two stages and tables in between, allowing him to wander the crowd and make direct eye contact, but the credit is owed to Groff’s signature earnestness.

His sincerity doesn’t clash with Darin’s suave persona, but elevates it. Bobby is frank in his own way — he wears his determination to succeed on his sleeve. One minute he’s belting out his love for Connie Francis (a stunning Gracie Lawrence) in a general store, and the next he’s declaring his intent to achieve greatness on national television. He’s winning, winking, and leaving everyone to swoon in his wake.

Groff isn’t alone in his success, the entire 11-member cast rises to the occasion, including Pawk, a charming presence, and Mean Girls alum Erika Henningsen, who makes a big impression as Hollywood sweetheart Sandra Dee.

The energy of Just in Time is its greatest tribute to Darin: a recreation of his natural habitat buoyed by the dazzling charm of its stars. Everything from the stunning lighting design (courtesy of Justin Townsend) to Groff’s crooning vocals emulates a ’50s night club. And therein lies the real surprise of the show — beyond honoring Darin in particular, it serves as a love letter to live music.

More than once, the theater vanishes, leaving only a singer and a rapt crowd. In Lawrence’s biggest moment, she delivers “Who’s Sorry Now,” one of Francis’ best-known hits. The number is bisected by emotional devastation and in that second half, Lawrence dazzles. Her raw vocal talent and the cracks owed to weighty emotion are breathtaking. Across the room, Groff’s Darin takes it all in, devastated in his own spotlight. Everything disappears but the two of them.

In moments like that, it’s clear: seeing Just In Time just once won’t be enough. 

As is often the problem with biopics of all kinds — jukebox musical or not — the sheer scope of a life is impossible to capture in a mere 2 hour runtime. The second half of Just In Time speeds by, a destabilizing whirlwind. We relished in Darin’s rise to fame and yadda yadda our way through his final years: two marriages (only one gets acknowledged), a kid, a loss, a sudden interest in politics, and the revelation of a life-altering secret.

The emotional gut punches occur and Groff, ever the expressive performer, makes sure that they hit. And then they’re over and it’s time for the next thing. 

The end of Bobby’s story is especially abrupt — art imitating life. But in that too, we are grounded by our star. Returning to us as Groff rather than Darin, the urgency in his voice rings loud and clear when he notes that this show, like those before and those to follow, like time itself, is  “already turning into vapor.” He’s right, that is the nature of all things, after all. But as the show so frequently reminds us, “never bet against Bobby D.”

When Just In Time does conclude, it goes out with an exuberant bang, and though the vapor forms, it’s clear that this is a show guaranteed to linger… whether it be the toe-tapping tunes, the memory of Groff’s enthralling presence, or a certain thought, sure to cross your mind on the way out: “When can I see it again?” Grade: A–