It’s the 1960s. You’re at The Copa. Bobby Darin is doing what he was born to do. The Circle In The Square Theater is filled with swinging brass on songs that are part of our DNA (if you’re a certain age). When Gracie Lawrence—in her first Broadway role—sings “Who’s Sorry Now” as Connie Francis, you could see why Darin fell in love with her. But Connie’s dad refused for his daughter to take up with a show biz ruffian like Darin, even pulling out his gun at one point. The romance was short-lived. And Connie sorta disappears until the end.  But Jonathan Groff is stunningly spectacular as Darin. The two share a lust to be on a stage.

In 2023, the plight of a fictional Jersey Girl won five Tony Awards. ‘Kimberly Akimbo’—set in Bergen County—is the odd story of a teenager in a dysfunctional New Jersey family with a rare genetic condition that causes her to age prematurely. So despite being 16, she looks 72.