BOOP! The Musical began its Broadway run March 11 ahead of an April 5 opening night at the Broadhurst Theatre, and the show's team has found a new way to bring the classic character of Betty Boop (and her dog) to life. Meet the company in the video above.
"[A] Betty Boop [musical] is something that's been in development for a long time, and they could never really find an angle, and Jerry brought me in and we just sort of discussed a way to approach it all," Book writer Bob Martin says. "Because, you know, [Betty] Boop...she's known all over the world, but people only really know about her as a graphic. She doesn't have a narrative, like Annie, Little Orphan Annie, or something like that. So we had to create a story that sort of introduces Betty to the world."
Tony winner Jerry Mitchell is directing and choreographing the new musical, which is playing the Broadhurst Theatre. The work also features music by David Foster and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. The show follows Betty as her dream of an ordinary day off from being a super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an adventure of color, music, and love in New York City—one that reminds her and the world, “You are capable of amazing things."
Leading the cast in the title role is Jasmine Amy Rogers, opposite Tony winner Faith Prince as Valentina, Ainsley Melham as Dwayne, Erich Bergen as Raymond Demarest, Stephen DeRosa as Grampy, Anastacia McCleskey as Carol Evans, Angelica Hale as Trisha, puppeteer Phillip Huber as Pudgy the Dog, and Aubie Merrylees as Oscar Delacorte.
Rogers has been starring in the title role since its 2023 Chicago run. "My Betty Boop is tough and loving and fun and quirky, because thats how I am," Rogers says. "She just loves a good time, a good smile and caring for the people around her."
The entirety of the principal cast, aside from Huber and Merrylees, are also reprising their performances from the world premiere engagement, and Bergen says the process has been a dream come true. "I forgot that this is what I wanted to do with my life, I forgot that this is what I always aimed to do," he says. "And then you get the call, it's going to Chicago, then you get the call, it's going to Broadway and they want to bring you with it. And you start to go, 'Wait a minute, I'm originating a role on Broadway, finally. This is the thing I always aimed to do.'"
READ: How the Boop! Team Took the Retro Betty Boop Cartoon and Created an Original, Modern Musical
The cast also includes Lawrence Alexander, Colin Bradbury, Tristen Buettel, Joshua Michael Burrage, Victoria Byrd, Dan Castiglione, Rebecca Corrigan, RJ Higton, Nina Lafarga, Morgan McGhee, Ryah Nixon, Christian Probst, Ricky Schroeder, Gabriella Sorrentino, Derek Jordan Taylor, and Lizzy Tucker. Swings Courtney Arango, Ian Gallagher Fitzgerald, Amy Van Norstrand, Damani Van Rensalier, and David Wright Jr. round out the company. Casting is by Tara Rubin and Kevin Metzger-Timson.
Introduced in 1930, Betty Boop initially appeared as a dog-like stage performer who sang and danced with another dog-like character, Bimbo. Inspired by the Jazz Age flappers and entertainers of the 1920s, Betty evolved into a full-fledged human character, and by 1932 she was the only female animated screen star in the world. Voiced by Mae Questel, Betty starred in more than 100 cartoons, 90 of which are included in the official Betty Boop series, which ended in 1939.
The creative team also includes scenic designer David Rockwell, costume designer Gregg Barnes, lighting designer Philip S. Rosenberg, sound designer Gareth Owen, projection designer Finn Ross, hair and wig designer Sabana Majeed, makeup designer Michael Clifton, illusion designer Skylar Fox, marionette designer The Huber Marionettes, music supervisor and arranger Daryl Waters, music director Rick Fox, orchestrator Doug Besterman, and dance music arranger Zane Mark. Broadway vets Rachelle Rak and Jon Rua serve as associate choreographers, with DB Bonds as associate director.
Visit BoopTheMusical.com for tickets.
