Actor and Lancaster County native Jonathan Groff is scheduled to appear as a guest on CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” Monday night, March 31.
Groff, who has appeared on Colbert’s show a few times over the years, will have a lot to talk to the host about. The Tony Award winner has both a new Broadway show and a new rom-com film opening in early April.
Monday, March 31, marks the first preview performance of “Just In Time,” a new musical in which Groff portrays 1960s pop star, actor, songwriter and political activist Bobby Darin. The show opens April 23 at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre in New York.
In this Aug. 21, 2015 file photo, Ronks native Jonathan Groff, left, talks with comedian Stephen Colbert on stage after a performance of “Hamilton” on Broadway. They talked about Colbert’s ancestors having been farmers in Lancaster County. Groff is scheduled to appear on Colbert’s show Monday night, March 31, 2025.
MARY ELLEN WRIGHT | Staff writer file photo
Groff began developing the show in 2018 when he performed Darin’s songs as part of the “Lyrics and Lyricists” series at New York’s 92 Street Y venue — to positive critical reviews.
Groff also co-stars in a new rom-com film titled “A Nice Indian Boy,” which opens in some theaters on April 4. (No screenings are scheduled locally yet.)
In “A Nice Indian Boy,” Groff plays a photographer named Jay Kurundkar, who was adopted by Indian parents, and Karan Soni portrays Naveen Gavaskar, a doctor looking for love. When the two meet and fall in love, Naveen brings Jay home to meet his traditional Indian parents — and eventually expresses a desire to have a big Indian wedding.
READ: Playwright returns to Conestoga Valley to view comedy he wrote in 8th grade [The Scribbler]
Groff won the Tony Award for lead actor in a musical in June 2024 for his role as Franklin Shepard in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Merrily We Roll Along.” He was nominated twice before, for his roles in Broadway’s “Spring Awakening” and “Hamilton.”
Groff won a Grammy as a principal soloist on the “Hamilton” cast album; he portrayed King George III. He was nominated for an Emmy for that role in the Disney+ film version of “Hamilton.”
Groff was nominated for another Grammy earlier this year for his work on the “Merrily …” cast album; the album lost the award to the album of the Alicia Keys musical “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Groff, a Conestoga Valley High School alum, is also known for his TV performances in “Glee,” “Looking” and “Mindhunter,” and film roles including “Knock at the Cabin,” “The Matrix Resurrections” and the Disney “Frozen” films.
Groff appeared in Lancaster in September 2024 at a Lancaster Pride-sponsored drag queen storytime event, and a fundraising gala for the Lancaster Public Library and Lancaster Pride.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” airs on CBS at 11:35 p.m. weeknights and streams on Paramount+.