Cartoon heroine Betty Boop awakens to new life
The concept of writing a musical about and around a cartoon character may seem strange at first, as the actor or actress having to impersonate that character may not fit the impression it originally left. But one must admit that this exciting take on the 1930s movie star Betty Boop is a splendid exception, thanks largely to Jasmine Amy Rogers making her Broadway debut in the title role. And if anyone had any doubt about what it is all about, the abbreviated title already gives a clue about what the audience might expect – it’s not “Betty Boop” but “Boop!” (with an exclamation point).
Bringing Boop to Broadway must not have been an easy chore. For one thing it seems difficult to expand a storyline when the heroine was mostly seen for many years in short black and white films. But Bob Martin, author of the book, takes her out of her familiar Toon Town and brings her to a milieu that is more realistic than the one she has been living in. As a result, this delightful show, brightly conceived and exuberantly colorful, turns out to be a major addition to the Broadway season, and is meant to entertain its audience just as the Fleischer films did.
Thanks to a teletransporter designed by Grampy, her grandfather, Betty lands in New York where she encounters several people who are a far cry from the various characters who inhabit her films and whose own lives are considerably altered by her presence – Trisha, a young girl who has been a fan since her childhood; Dwayne, her brother, a jazz musician and trumpet player; and Carol Evans, their mother and an assistant to Raymond Demarest, a politician who wants to become the city’s Mayor. When he hires Betty to warm up his campaign and tries to seduce her against her will, Carol runs against her boss and wins the election, Dwayne eventually falls in love with Betty and follows her when she decides to go back to Toon Town. A kiss he gives her makes the place suddenly brilliantly colorful ...
While the story seems relatively simple, it is spiced with many uplifting musical numbers for the entire cast, great solos and duos, all of which enliven the proceedings.
As Betty, Jasmine Amy Rogers has adopted the very qualities, vocal sparks, comedic reactions, animated gestures, that made the character so unique. She is splendid and brings to the stage a vibrant personality that gives the show its own tone and appeal. Also exciting as Trisha is Angelica Hale, a 17-year-old newcomer also making her Broadway debut, who stunned audiences in the television show “America’s Got Talent” and now firmly stands out in her role.
Adding their own presence to a scintillating line-up are Anastacia McCleskey, last seen in “Suffs”, as Carol; Ainsley Melham as Dwayne; Stephen DeRosa as Grampy; and Faith Prince as his lost love of 40 years ago, Valentina. The rest of the cast, an amazing collection of dancers and singers, give the show the spark and vibrancy it needs, under the fast-paced direction and choreography of Jerry Mitchell.
The songs, written by Susan Birkenhead with music by David Foster, are for the most part catchy and solidly anchored in the action, with some like “In Color”, “I Speak Jazz”, “Portrait of Betty”, and “Why Look Around the Corner” particularly standing out. The colorful scenic designs by David Rockwell, the bright lightings by Philip S. Rosenberg, and the great costumes by Gregg Barnes give “Boop!” the accent of an old-fashioned musical and succeed in making it a sensational and vastly entertaining show!
Music Supervision: Daryl Waters • Music Direction: Rick Fox • Direction and Choreography: Jerry Mitchell • Scenic Design: David Rockwell • Costume Design: Gregg Barnes • Lighting Design: Philip S. Rosenberg • Sound Design: Gareth Owen • Projection Design: Finn Ross • Illusions Design: Skylar Fox • Marionette Design: The Huber Marionettes • With: Jasmine Amy Rogers (Betty Boop), Faith Prince (Valentina), Ainsley Melham (Dwayne), Erich Bergen (Raymond), Stephen DeRosa (Grampy), Anastacia McCleskey (Carol), Angelica Hale (Trisha), Phillip Huber (Pudgy), Aubie Merrylees (Oscar) and others
Cover photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman