Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively transformed a Broadway evening into a charitable occasion during Jonathan Groff’s closing performance in the musical Just in Time on Sunday, March 29. The celebrity couple attended the show at New York City’s Circle in the Square Theatre, where Reynolds actively participated in a live auction for the legendary hat worn by Groff portraying music icon Bobby Darin.
The auction proceeds supported the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS campaign. Beginning with a $10,000 bid from his seat, Reynolds progressively increased his offers to $15,000, $17,000, and then $20,000. A cast member leading the auction encouraged higher bids, emphasizing the hat’s historic significance and its uniqueness, noting it would never be sold again. The bidding then moved to $11,000 and $12,000, but Reynolds ultimately committed to an impressive $25,000 contribution.
He humorously remarked, “$25,000 – no kicks. Maybe just, like, something else,” alluding to the cast’s tradition of performing high kicks with each bid. After the auction, Groff personally presented Reynolds with the iconic hat, followed by a warm celebratory embrace between the two.
This event marked Jonathan Groff’s final appearance in Just in Time, a critically praised musical that traces Darin’s rise from a teenage idol to a global superstar.
