Rialto Chatter: Jonathan Groff To Lead Reading of New Bobby Darin Musical

Broadway Journal is reporting that newly-minted Tony Award-winner Jonathan Groff will lead a staged reading of a new Broadway-aimed musical about the life of singer Bobby Darin. 

The reading of the show, titled Just in Time, will be directed by Alex Timbers, who is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony-winning musical Moulin Rouge!. His other recent Broadway credits include Here Lies Love, David Byrne's American Utopia, and Beetlejuice. 

Groff's journey with Darin began when he performed a selection of tunes by the famed crooner as part of the 92Y's New Lyrics & Lyricists series. 

Singer, songwriter, activist and actor Bobby Darin, who started his career as a songwriter for Connie Francis, wrote and performed across all genres, foraying into jazz, pop, rock & roll, folk, swing, and country music. Some of his hits include "Splish Splash," "Dream Lover," "Mack the Knife," and "Beyond the Sea."

About Jonathan Groff

Jonathan Groff recently wrapped up his Tony Award-winning Broadway run as Franklin Shephard in Merrily We Roll Along.

Groff recently co-starred opposite Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix Resurrections. The film, written and directed by Lana Wachowski, released in theaters and on HBO Max on Wednesday December 22nd. On Monday November 15, 2021, Groff reunited with the entire original Broadway cast and band of Spring Awakening for a one-night-only, sold-out, 15th anniversary reunion concert, which benefitted The Actors Fund. The reunion concert was the subject of the HBO documentary, "Spring Awakening: Those You've Known," produced by Groff, his castmate Lauren Pritchard and Radical Media. The documentary is available to stream on HBO Max. Groff recently completed production on M. Night Shyamalan’s highly anticipated feature Knock at the Cabin. On August 24th, Groff voiced the titular role of Ollie in "Lost Ollie," an animated limited series produced by 21 Laps Entertainment for Netflix. In 2019, Groff starred as the lovable doomed florist Seymour Krelborn in the celebrated Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Groff's Spring Awakening director Michael Mayer. Groff starred opposite Tammy Blanchard and Christian Borle in Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's beloved musical. He received rave reviews for his performance, and was an Outer Critics Circle Award honoree, as well as a Lucille Lortel and Drama League "Distinguished Performance Award" nominee. The production was also honored with Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk and Drama League Awards for "Outstanding Revival of a Musical,” and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

On screen, Groff is the voice of Kristoff and Sven in the Disney animated hit films Frozen and Frozen II. Frozen won an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for “Best Animated Feature Film.” Additional film credits include American Sniper, C.O.G., The Conspirator and Taking Woodstock. Groff is also known for his starring role as Holden Ford in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed Netflix television series “Mindhunter,” which was executive produced by Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. Groff played an FBI agent who interviewed incarcerated serial killers in an attempt to solve ongoing crimes. Groff also starred in the HBO series “Looking,” and reprised his role as Patrick in “Looking: The Movie,” which concluded the acclaimed two-season series. He also appeared as the recurring character, Jesse St. James, on the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning show "Glee," created and produced by Ryan Murphy. In the summer of 2015, Groff originated the role as King George III in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Pulitzer Prize-winning production of Hamilton on Broadway. The musical, which began Off-Broadway and tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, won 11 Tony Awards in 2016, including “Best Musical." Groff also received a Tony Award nomination for his performance, and the cast won a Grammy Award and Billboard Music Award for the original cast recording. The Emmy Award-winning film adaptation of the Broadway musical is currently streaming on Disney+. Groff also received an individual Emmy Award nomination for his performance in this film. In 2006, Groff gave an award-winning breakout performance in the Broadway production of Spring Awakening (Theatre World Award winner; Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award nominee). Additional theatre credits include The Bobby DarinStory, “Encores! Off-Center: A New Brain,” The Bacchae, Hair, The Submission, The Singing Forest, Prayer for my Enemy (for which he won an Obie Award), Deathtrap and Red.