How Just in Time Choreographer Shannon Lewis Helped Jonathan Groff Earn a Chita Rivera Award Nomination

When Shannon Lewis was asked to choreograph Just in Time, the new Broadway musical about music icon Bobby Darin, she knew it was the right fit. “It was clear that dance was going to become such an important part of the storytelling,” says Lewis. “The music of Bobby Darin is already very dance-forward. There are dance breaks built into the original arrangements.”

Just in Time, which marks Lewis’ Broadway debut, tracks the life and the music of Darin, known for hits such as “Beyond the Sea,” “Mack the Knife,” and “Splish Splash.” Though Jonathan Groff, who plays Darin, is a Broadway legend, he’s not necessarily known for his dance chops. But both Groff and Lewis have both been nominated for Chita Rivera Awards (Outstanding Dancer and Outstanding Choreography, respectively). Just in Time is also nominated for Outstanding Ensemble.

We checked in with Lewis to hear about the influences behind her work on Just in Time, how she got Groff dance-ready, and how she’s feeling about these nominations.

You and Jonathan spent 10 weeks together training for Just in Time. What was that process like?
Jonathan’s a unicorn talent. I’ll scream it from the rooftops. And he really wanted the proper dance training. He was very dedicated to honoring and respecting what it is to be a dancer eight shows a week on Broadway. We really focused on technique, and then halfway through that 10-week period, we started to tune in to musicality, shapes, dynamics, and timing, and having him find his dance personality on top of it. We wanted to hold hands with the past—what Bobby Darin did—but then also make it Jonathan’s, and make it mine. 

How is he maintaining that training now?
I taught him the 30-minute warm-up that I teach in my professional classes. Now he does it every day at half-hour, before the show.

What were some of the dance inspirations for Just in Time, particularly for the choreography performed by the “sirens,” the show’s three backup singer-dancers?
I looked at all of the different eras that we cover—especially television shows like “Hullabaloo” and “The Ed Sullivan Show.” But I also have my own clear style as a choreographer, which has a jazz foundation, inspired by Jack Cole and Bob Fosse. The sirens—Christine Cornish, Julia Grondin, and Valeria Yamin, and then swings Khori Michelle Petinaud and Larkin Reilly—are all incredible pros. They’re kicking their faces and doing incredible technical dancing, but there’s also an understanding of minimalism and simplicity. They can just do a shoulder roll or a wink and it means the world.

How have you and Jonathan reacted to the Chita Rivera Awards nominations?
Jonathan has always put dance on a pedestal, and he’s just honored and thrilled to be included. He’s also excited to go to the awards and see his favorite dancers—he gets very starstruck by them. I’m so proud of the work we did together, to have people involved see that he’s truly dancing up there, that we’re not watering it down for him. It’s my choreography, but he’s dancing it full-out every night, eight shows a week. That’s very satisfying for me.