Erika Henningsen and Jonathan Groff Bring Dream Lovers Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin to Broadway inJust in Time(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Erika Henningsen and Jonathan Groff at a press event forJust in Timeon Broadway.Photo:Michaelah Reynolds

Michaelah Reynolds

There’s been no shortage of bio-musicals about icons of song on Broadway.The Four Seasons,The Temptations,Carole King,Neil Diamond,Peter Allen,Michael Jackson,Cher,Tina Turner,Donna Summer,Gloria Estefan— the list goes on and on.

It’s a fully immersive experience unlike what audiences may have seen before. But as Groff, 39, told reporters at a Feb. 5 press preview, it was a necessary move to fully showcase Darin’s power as a live act.

Jonathan Groff (R) sings with backup from (L to R) Valeria Yamin, Christine Cornish and Julia Grondin.Michaelah Reynolds

The show will begin, Groff explained, with the actor as himself in 2025 before transporting audiences back to the 1950s and 1960s, when Darin rose to fame.

“Alex and Jonathan, they’ve found a way to take a historical story and make it feel very present,” starErika Henningsennotes to PEOPLE. “This is not a typical show. What’s happening here is unique among the mix of what’s on Broadway.

The actress, returning to Broadway for the first time since originating the role of Cady Heron in 2018’sMean Girls: The Musical, is portraying sun-kissed teen idol Sandra Dee inJust in Time.

Erika Henningsen sings at a press event forJust in Timeon Broadway.Michaelah Reynolds

Dee famously met Darin in the summer of 1960 on the set of the filmCome Septemberin Portofino, Italy. After a whirlwind romance, they married that December. At the time, she was just 18, and he, 24.

Up until that time, Dee — known forGidget(1959),A Summer Place(1959),The Restless Years(1958) and her Golden Globe-winning work in 1957’sUntil They Sail —had led a very sheltered life under the watchful eye of her controlling mother, Mary. Her marriage to Darin famously gave the good-natured ingenue independence for the first time, allowing her to pursue life on her own terms.

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With Darin, Dee grew up fast, becoming a wife and a mother (to their son, Dodd Mitchell Darin, now 63). But while the dream lovers appeared to be a match made in heaven from the outside, their marriage was far from it. In 1967, after a tumultuous partnership that included allegations of infidelity, they divorced.

Darin died of a heart attack six years later in 1973, when he was just 37, while recovering from open-heart surgery. Dee, who never remarried,died in 2005 from complications of kidney diseaseat the age of 62.Tackling Dee’s story is something that drew Henningsen to the project. “Sandra had a life, with a capital L!” she recalls. “And I’m so excited to track that this role. She grows up a very fast throughout the show, and we get to go through all of it.”

Jonathan Groff kisses the hand of an audience member at a special preview for Broadway’sJust in Time.Michaelah Reynolds

She’s also looking forward to bringing Dee and Darin’s partnership to life. Though Dee’s film career would ultimately take a backseat to Darin’s musical aspirations, Henningsen explains that the two were one another’s ultimate cheerleaders.

“They really respected one another’s talent and they really respected one another’s drive,” Henningsen says. “And that’s pretty rare for two people who had this much acclaim, because so often you hear about one person begrudging the other for their success.”

Gracie Lawrence sings at a press preview for Broadway’s ‘Just in Time’.Michaelah Reynolds

Darin was one of the music industry’s biggest stars, and was a staple on the charts in the late 1950s and ’60s. He began his career as a member of the iconic Brill Building’s songwriters but struggled to make it as a solo artist — that is, until he catapulted into the spotlight with 1958’s “Splish Splash.”

Other hits like “Beyond the Sea,” “Dream Lover” and “Mack the Knife” followed, the latter becoming his signature song.

Throughout his short yet multifaceted career, Darin released 27 albums, starred in 13 movies, had two television variety shows and won two Grammys and one Golden Globe. He was known for switching up his styles often, exploring all genres of music such as jazz, folk, country and pop.

Andrew Eccles

Joining Groff and Henningsen inJust In Timewill beGracie Lawrence(of the band LawrenceandThe Sex Lives of College Girls) as Connie Francis. The role will mark her Broadway musical debut. Tony winner Michele Pawk will play Darin’s mother, Polly, who famously turned out to be his grandmother when he learned that his older sister, Nina, was actually his biological mother.

Other stars in the cast include Joe Barbara (A Bronx Tale The Musical), Emily Bergl (Good Night, Oscar), Lance Roberts (The Music Man), Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away), Christine Cornish (Kiss Me, Kate), Julia Grondin (Funny Girl), Valeria Yamin (Moulin Rouge!), John Treacy Egan (My Fair Lady), Tari Kelly (Mr. Saturday Night), Matt Magnusson, Khori Michelle Petinaud (Lempicka) and Larkin Reilly (Bad Cinderella).

Just in Timeofficially opens on Wednesday, April 23. Tickets are now on sale.

source: people.com