As Long As I'm Talking About Jonathan Groff, Dears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      When I walked into the Circle In The Square Theater two Sundays ago to see "Just In Time," I was expecting a one-man show.  With its lavish nightclub setting, I expected it to be two hours or more of just Jonathan Groff singing Bobby Darin tunes.

                                           Instead, I got more than I expected.  Yes, Groff is front and center, but the show is actually a bio-musical, an almost kind of male "Funny Girl" that tells the story of Bobby Darin.

                                             Jonathan Groff, as I have reported elsewhere, is as electric as Darin as Streisand must have been as Fanny Brice, back in 1964.  But other actors give equally good performances.   Gracie Lawrence, also a TONY nominee. gives a poignant performance as Connie Francis and nails her rendition of "Who's Sorry Now."  Erika Henningsen makes Sandra Dee more than the "Gidget" persona one thinks of her as.  She had marital, drinking and other problems, and all are laid out here.  She made me think seriously about Sandra for the first time.  And keep an eye on Emily Bergl, as Nina, the older sister.  My favorite was the always excellent Michelle Pawk, playing a type of role, she has done before, but no one does it better.

                                               The characters they portray move in and out of Darin's life, as easily as Jonathan Groff moves about the stage, connecting with the audience, even venturing into the upper aisles and back.

                                                  Shannon Lewis did an excellent job of choreography, while Alex Timber's direction is as fluid as I have seen this season.  Again, I got much more here than I expected.

                                                     And while I have said without a good Rose there is no "Gypsy," this show would be lost without Jonathan Groff.

                                                     There is no other way to say it.  The show is great, but he is perfection!!!!!!!!!!