Just in Time – 02 May 2025

There are few musicians, actors, and performers whose talent can truly transcend genre, and, in Just In Time, Jonathan Groff proves his versatility a thousand times over. As Groff portrays Bobby Darin’s race against the clock (the clock being his own heart’s short life expectancy), he goes through fast-paced comedy, jazz crooning, rock and roll, a moment of soft spoken folk, sentimentality, and angry intensity— yet he still manages to leave us smiling. Just in Time transcends theatre into a true experience that is part play, part musical, part concert, part nightclub, and all astonishing.

Groff doesn’t do it alone. Supporting cast members, particularly the women playing Connie Francis (Gracie Lawrence), Sandra Dee (Erika Henningsen), and his mother, Polly Walden (Michele Pawk) give Groff a lot to play off of, as they each deftly pull on different heart strings and day dreams that shape how the audience processes Bobby’s journey. Add in absolutely astounding scenic (Derek McLane), costume (Catherine Zuber), and lighting (Justin Townsend). Groff seemingly cues a lot of design shifts with a snap of his fingers (the precision required of the stage manager calling the show is truly daunting), and all throughout the visual aesthetics of the show are changing constantly and seamlessly.

Direction (Alex Timbers) and choreography (Shannon Lewis) are a bit of a challenge in this space. While it is fun, and quasi immersive, to have actors appear from everywhere, there are many moments where one has to make a choice about who to watch, and, in some seats, that choice is made for you based on who you can see. The choreography is functional, but actors are often confined to very small platforms and spaces that would make it hard to do anything more. Alex Timbers chose to focus on dynamic storytelling, which is what makes Just in Time work as a piece of theatre that, under a less imaginative director, could easily have been more like a concert. Sometimes, the distance between people is significant, as thematically the show asks questions about how well people need to know each other in order to love each other.

It also breaks down the difference between love and trust, as Bobby’s infatuations come from not wanting to feel alone more than they come from anything he feels for Connie or Sandra. Both women seem to have deeper, more fully developed feelings, because they are complex. Unlike Bobby, they are not living on borrowed time. They have to think about the long term consequences of being with Bobby— for Connie, the knowledge that her father will outlive her potential husband, and for Sandra, the knowledge that Bobby has limited time on earth but would rather give it to strangers he can’t even see because of the blinding lights than the little family she unwisely created with him. Bobby’s trust is in his mother (who turns out to have told him a pretty big lie regarding who his mother is) is unshakable, but trust in the women he allegedly loves never materializes. Tragically, he spends his life focused on what he can give the world, and never takes the time to think about what he could give himself. The closest he gets is his solitude in a trailer and denim, but it’s clear from the way Groff portrays this moment that it didn’t bring Darin peace.

Just in Time is at the upper echelon of performances that the audience wants to linger a little longer in. It beautifully balances fun, enjoyable moments with moments that are truly touching and raise the stakes. It makes audiences move in their seats, while also deeply moving anyone who has ever felt like they’re running out of time. As Groff points out toward the end, life is short and we have to hold on in the moment before the moment becomes a memory. For me, Just in Time is a moment worth holding on to.

I attended this performance on press pass from Polk & Co.