If I had to choose between film/TV and live performances (opera, theater, classical concerts, ballet), my money will always be on the latter. (Sorry, Timmy Chalamet.) There's something electric about watching a performer in the flesh, breathing the same air, seeing the high-stakes of everything playing out in real time. No two performances are identical. As a New York transplant and child who was obsessed with the Big Apple, I've now seen my fair share of shows, from Carmen and La Bohème at the Met Opera to Oedipus, The Outsiders, & Juliet and John Proctor Is the Villain—not to mention all the legacy Broadway shows like Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Wicked and Les Misérables. Recently, I finally went and saw a musical I'd had my eye on from the day it opened. And I think it might be my favorite of all time.
This Jazzy, Dramatic Musical Is My Favorite Broadway Show of All Time
Splish splash
On a balmy evening, I headed to the basement of Wicked (AKA Circle In The Square) to watch Matthew Morrison play music legend Bobby Darin in Just In Time. The production originally starred Jonathan Groff in the lead role; Jeremy Jordan has succeed Morrison, who performed a three-week engagement. As soon as my friend and I walked into the theater, I knew it was going to be special. Just In Time has made the rounds on social media for its cabaret-style seating, for which ardent fans have been known to shell out thousands for the chance to be picked by the lead to dance in the final number. What those clips don't show is the smallest auditorium I have yet to sit in for a Broadway production. And that's an extraordinarily good thing. Because of the intimate size of the space, there really is no bad seat. Every audience member has an incredible view, and the actors are constantly running up and down the aisles during the musical numbers, making it feel interactive and close-up no matter where you're sitting. There are even "cheap seat" standing tickets, which arguably puts you in the action even more. It's thrilling. It's the definition of live theater.
Just In Time recounts the meteoric rise and untimely death of Bobby Darin, a sensational act in his day who, though named the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, is now overshadowed by the frenzy of Elvis Presley in popular imagination. (Though, I observed the audience packed with the 55+ plus set who seemed to know all the words to Darin's hit songs.) As a child, Darin suffered multiple bouts of rheumatic fever, which left his heart frail. Understanding that he was likely living on borrowed time, Darin aimed to make the most of his songwriting career.
The musical opens with Darin's beloved "Beyond the Sea," and from there plunges the audience into the reverie of 1950s and 1960s as the heyday of Big Band and jazz gave way to thunderous rock 'n roll. From the streets of New York to the glittering Italian Riviera, "Dream Lover" to "Splish Splash," every number, every set, every sparkling costume conveys what's at stake. Darin's not just another young hotshot with a dream. He's a young man who knows he needs to arrive just in time before everything crumbles away. The musical is both a joyful celebration, emotional homage and swan song for an artist who wanted more than his fate had measured out.
