Jeremy Jordan Talks Just In Time Casting, Jonathan Groff and Making the Role of Bobby Darin His Own

When it was announced that Jonathan Groff will play his final performance as Bobby Darin in Just In Time this spring, the immediate question was: Who could possibly fill those patent leather shoes? Now the casting cat is out of the bag, with Jeremy Jordan set to depart The Great Gatsby on March 7 and begin practicing the Bobby Darin bent wrist ahead of his debut as Darin on April 21. Jordan spoke to Broadway.com on the day the news broke, sharing what excites him most about the show and teasing potential changes when he takes on the role.

Jordan has already had time to think about how he'll make a splash as Darin. When he saw Groff perform, he says, "It was before I accepted it, but I knew I had the offer. When you go into a show with that sort of mentality, you're like, 'Okay, how do I make this mine?'" While he can't give too much away this early, Jordan assures fans that "it'll be fun because we're very different."

Beyond their choices as performers and interpreters of the material, Jordan teases "discussions about potentially some fun things" around the look of the character. Pointing out his slicked-back, heavily pomaded hairstyle as Jay Gatsby, Jordan notes: "The problem is, this is the only thing my hair will do in this sort of style, and I don't want it to look exactly the same for the next show. So we're going to brainstorm some stuff. It doesn't do this thing that Jonathan Groff's hair does, it doesn't do that."

Speaking to whether he and Groff have chatted about the hand-off, Jordan says, "I talked to him a little bit at the beginning when I first got it. We sent some little video voice messages back and forth. I've known him forever, and he's just the loveliest." Groff brings this loveliness to the role, where engaging with audiences in the intimate setting of the Circle in the Square Theatre is key to both the magic of the show and a realistic portrayal of Darin. The "Dream Lover" singer was addicted to the feeling of a live audience. "I'm not worried about that. I've done so many concerts and solo shows that I feel like I understand what my personal energy is coming into a room like that," Jordan says.

He isn't put off by the interactive aspect of the role, which includes sharing a monologue as himself at the top of the show before getting into character as Darin. "We haven't had any talks about it yet, but I know it's going to change, so I'm excited to see what that's going to be," he shares.

In fact, when asked what appeals to him most about joining Just In Time, Jordan explains that he's looking forward to taking on the dual responsibilities of storyteller and star. "I've been doing solo concerts as myself for 12 years now, and bringing all that experience into it and getting to be the storyteller while also being a part of the story is really exciting to me," he says. "I'm a little bit of a control freak, so it's going to be nice to orchestrate the whole thing. I'm looking forward to just having fun with that aspect of it."

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