Jonathan Groff Perfectly Portrays Bobby Darin in the Broadway Musical 'Just in Time': All the Details

It's safe to say Jonathan Groff was always ready to take on the role of Bobby Darin, a prominent pop singer in the 1950s, known for his hits, including "Mack the Knife," "Dream Lover" and "Splish Splash."

Eight years ago, the Broadway star, who plays Darin in Alex Timbers' new musical Just in Time, was asked to do a "night of Bobby Darin music at the 92nd Street Y, and I started looking up clips on YouTube," he recalled.

"I was just completely taken by his primal, ferocious way of performing that even leapt off of my laptop screen in these black-and-white clips from like over 50 years ago. And so I became really fascinated by him. I read this book called Dream Lovers, the book that [Bobby Darin’s son] Dodd Darin wrote. There’s a quote at the end of that book that we use in the show, which is Bobby Darin saying that at the end of the day, he was a nightclub animal. That was sort of the launch point for the conceit of the show, and it’s been the gift of a lifetime to get to embody him and channel his spirit," the performer told Variety in an interview about taking on the role.

The uplifting and hilarious musical explores Bobby's short-lived life, as he suffered from a rheumatic heart before ultimately dying at age 37 in 1973 from heart failure after undergoing open-heart surgery in Los Angeles.

Theatergoers are transported back in time as they learn about Bobby's success from a teen idol to overnight jazz sensation. The musical, which opened on Broadway in April, gives viewers insight into his relationship with Connie Francis (Gracie Lawrence) in the 1950s and marriage to actress Sandra Dee (Erika Henningsen) in the '60s. The two shared son Dodd.

"It’s such an American story of [Bobby and Sandra’s marriage in] under 40 minutes. So much happens so quickly, which is an expression of the fact that his life moved so fast, and considering he died by the time he was 37 and he was always aware of that ticking clock. That is definitely articulated in that relationship between Sandra and Bobby in the show and our incredible book writer Isaac Oliver and our director Alex Timbers would do work sessions about the characters and about the research and what we had read. Isaac, our writer, was really interested in collaborating and talking about the sort of beats of their story and the relationship dynamics in the Bobby and Sandra relationship that most spoke to us as people today," the Glee alum explained.

Gracie said Connie and Bobby's relationship "mirrors" her "natural rapport" with Jonathan.

"Our relationship is not romantic, but they have so much love and respect for one another. I think it’s a coincidence and it’s a really fortuitous one with the way that we like to perform with each other. It seems to really mirror the way that Bobby and Connie perform with each other, which is just to have fun and to be really present and to react to whatever the other one is giving them," the actress said.

Ultimately, the Mindhunter star would "love for audiences to walk away with the appreciation of who Bobby Darin was as a person and as an artist."

He added, "But even in a broader sense than that is learning about the irreplaceable magic of the relationship between performer and audience, which to me is what Bobby represented in his prime and his time. Yes, he was a recording artist and an Oscar-nominated actor, but by all accounts, he was at the height of his powers in the center of a nightclub floor. Playing Bobby has changed my life in so many ways since we’ve been working on the show for eight years, and he was a man that never gave up and kept his nose to the ground with the time he was given. Every day I get to try to evoke him when I go out there on stage and I’m eternally grateful to get to embody him at this moment in time."

The Circle in the Square Theatre, which has been transformed into a swanky nightclub with two separate stages and table seating in New York City.

As Jonathan says, "I'm a wet man," which remains true, especially if you're on the floor. If you're lucky, he might sweat, spit or dance with you.

"The cabaret tables, and me starting as myself, isn't just a gimmick," Groff told USA Today. "It feels like an essential way to celebrate the energy and spirit of who he was as a performer."

Just in Time is now playing at the Circle in the Square Theatre (235 W. 50th Street) through January 11, 2026.