It’s hard to imagine who was clamoring for a Broadway musical based on Betty Boop. Not to be ageist, but it’s safe to say that most fans of the venerable cartoon character who made her debut in 1930 are now facing severe mobility issues. But here it is anyway in the form of the new show featuring an impressive pedigree, including a book by Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom, Elf), a score by pop music veteran David Foster (16 Grammy awards) and lyricist Susan Birkenhead (Jelly’s Last Jam, The Secret Life of Bees), and direction/choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray). Unfortunately, Boop! suffers from myriad problems, including a clunky book, generally unmemorable score, and cheap-looking production values.
But you know what? You’ll have a hell of a good time anyway.
Much of the credit for that goes to Jasmine Amy Rogers, making a Broadway debut that rivals Peggy Sawyer’s in 42nd Street. Playing the title character, this winsome performer is so talented, so appealing, so utterly adorable, that if you’re not thoroughly enchanted by her you need to check your pulse. She’s single-handedly responsible for that fourth star you see in the box above this review.
[Read Bob Verini’s ★★★☆☆ review here.]
To say that she has to do some heavy lifting is an understatement. The conceit of the show is that Barbie, I mean Giselle, I mean Betty, is miraculously transported from her cartoon black & white world to a full color if equally cartoonish modern-day New York City. As was the case with Buddy the Elf, our jaded citizenry doesn’t know quite what to make of her at first. But it doesn’t take long for her to win our hearts while bringing down a corrupt mayoral candidate in the process.
Wait, what, you’re asking. Why is Eric Adams a character? Well, he’s not, but the subplot, one of far too many cluttering up the proceedings, proves equally annoying. Martin is an undeniably talented writer, and there are plenty of fun gags, of both the verbal and visual variety, in the musical, including a sly joke about the 1934 Production Code that sanitized Betty’s more lascivious leanings.
But the storyline, to use a technical phrase, is from hunger, including Betty’s burgeoning friendship with Trisha (Angelica Hale), a teenager she meets at Comic-Con who worships all things Boop; Betty’s flirtation with Dwayne (Ainslem Melham, charming), Trisha’s adoptive brother who, in one of the show’s most realistic elements, has no idea who she is; and the silly romance between Grampy (a very funny Stephen DeRosa), the wacky inventor who creates the machine that transports Betty, and modern-day scientist Valentina (Faith Prince, back on Broadway after too long an absence). Other characters include Trisha’s guardian Carol (Anastacia McCleskey), who works as a campaign manager for the smarmy Raymond Demarest (Erich Bergen, making a lot out of little), whose former job as sanitation commissioner provides the opportunity for such literally crappy jokes as his campaign slogan, “Let’s doo-doo this!”
The overall narrative clutter threatens to make poor Betty a supporting character in her own show, which is a shame because Rogers is such a powerhouse comedian/singer/dancer that the evening sparkles every moment she’s onstage. The production does feature many clever touches, such as the animated credits at the opening and the contrast between Betty’s monochrome world and our full color one, brilliantly spotlighted in the production number that opens the second act (Gregg Barnes’ costume designs are award-worthy). And Mitchell handles everything with his usual slick, Broadway-style flair, filling the stage with so much energy that you get caught up in the sheer giddiness of it all.
Foster’s score sounds good while you’re listening to it, even if it ultimately doesn’t stick in your head. But there are several numbers that really give the performers a chance to shine, from Melham’s rapturous “She Knocks Me Out” to Prince and De Rosa’s amusing love duet “Whatever It Takes” to Rogers’ big act-closing numbers “Where I Wanna Be” and “Something to Shout About.”
And as far as cuteness goes, Betty has some serious competition in the form of Pudgy, an adorable canine puppet manipulated by master marionette artist Phillip Huber. It’s no slight to the human performers to say that Pudgy proves the most expressive non-human character since Milky White in Into the Woods and that he steals every scene in which he appears.
Boop! opened April 5, 2025 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Tickets and information: boopthemusical.com
