JUST IN TIME Is Setting the Scene for a Proper Night at the Club

Bobby Darin was an iconic American performer who rose to prominence in the 1950s and quickly became a titan of the stage and screen until he met his untimely death in 1973. Theatregoers might expect that a musical about his life would open in those early days of his career. They'd be wrong...

Just in Time, a new musical about Darin led by Jonathan Groff, is getting ready to open at the Circle in the Square Theatre- a venue very specifically selected by the man at the helm of the project- Tony-winning director Alex Timbers.

"The Circle and Square is such a unique Broadway theater... it's the only non-procenium house. And so we really selected that specifically to try to foster the kind of intimacy that Bobby was known for as a performer," explained Timbers. "I think if you're a fan of Jonathan's, to be that close to him and seeing him perform over 35 numbers in this show is going to be extraordinary.

"We have a stage on one side, a stage on another, cabaret sitting in the middle. And the action happens all over the performance space. I think it's gonna be a really kinetic, invigorating, immersive night."

"The idea of the immersive staging that we're doing with the show is that we're gonna move around through the crowd and also do production numbers and everything," added choreographer Shannon Lewis. "It will very much have a nightclub feel, with kind of a retro cool vibe. And then the audience really feels like they're a part of the show- they are immersed inside of it in the story and yeah it's pretty incredible."

The concept isn't just immersive, but also nods to the strengths of Darin himself.  

"We start the show in 2025 in the Circle in the Square," explained Groff. "I'm myself starting the show. So I come out as myself, bring the audience into the present moment, which is [Bobby's] magic. I create this kind of thread between me and the audience- like, 'Let's go! I'm now going to tell you the story of Bobby Darin.' And then we do the story of his life. 

"Why are we doing that? It's because conceptually, that felt like the strongest way to honor who he was. He was so magic in the moment, live. He's got this great song that sort of became his signature song called 'The Curtain Falls', where he sings to the audience: 'We've shared this moment...' The show, and I think his career, was a love affair with the audience. So that's our way in- we're playing with form a little bit of the normal bio musical here in a way of kind of spiritually honoring who he was as a performer.

"Alex Timbers is, I think, an unparalleled, visionary director," Groff continued. "He's got a set of eyeballs in his head that I don't think anyone else on this planet has. To get to collaborate with him on this and feel that artistry of his vision is such a blessing and a gift. Alex is also so in tune with the audience and so with all of his amazing, immersive work, he's got a deep commitment and passion for the audience. I think in a similar way, the one that Bobby Darin had as a performer. So Alex's eye and commitment to the audience paired with Bobby Darin's commitment to the audience, it's such a perfect marriage."

"I know when we get an audience there, it is gonna take on a whole other element that I have never experienced in my live theatrical life," added Erika Henningsen, who plays Sandra Dee. "The audience for this show, I think is as important as the work that we're doing on stage. And I am tickled for that experience."

Just in Time will begin previews at the Circle in the Square Theatre on March 28 and will open on April 23, 2025. View the full 2025 Spring Preview!

Photo Credit: Michaelah Reynolds