5 Reasons to See Boop! The Musical On Broadway

If you've noticed things looking just a bit more colorful than before, it's because BOOP! The Musical opened April 5 at the Broadhurst Theatre, bringing the beloved cartoon character to Broadway at last!

The new show—which features a book by Bob Martin, music by David Foster, and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead—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. It's an unforgettable adventure that reminds her, and a bunch of formerly jaded New Yorkers, “You are capable of amazing things."

Besides being a heartwarming good time, BOOP! also boasts some of the most stunning visuals, vocals, and tap dances of the season. Here's five reasons why BOOP! might just be your new favorite Broadway show.

Company of *Boop! The Musical* Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

1. Jerry Mitchell Dance Numbers Galore!

If you've seen the work of director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell, you know the three-time Tony honoree knows how to deliver when it comes to Broadway opulence. From Hairspray's "You Can't Stop the Beat" to Kinky Boots' "Everybody Say Yeah" and Legally Blonde's "Bend and Snap," Mitchell has a reputation for creating some the best, most infectious, most entertaining big dance numbers ever seen on a Broadway stage. And you'll be happy to know that BOOP! is no exception.

Here joined by associate choreographers (and Broadway favorites) Rachelle Rak and Jon Rua, Mitchell has turned in maybe his danciest musical yet. I haven't done the math, but it feels like there's more dance numbers than non dance numbers and I'm not complaining! For Boop, Mitchell has devised ways to stage splashy dances at ComicCon, the red steps of the Times Square TKTS booth, and lots of other fun locales. And as is Mitchell's trademark, they are immaculately designed to entertain while still always keeping an eye on storytelling. It's musical theatre staging at its finest!

If you're a Mitchell superfan, you might even notice some homages to some of his most iconic work, including a new take on the Dynamites from "Welcome to the '60s." You may be sitting down while watching BOOP!, but you'll be tapping your toes the entire time.

2. A Broadway Star Is Born

It's not often that an actor makes their Broadway debut leading a big Broadway musical in the title role. But when you see Jasmine Amy Rogers as Betty Boop, you'll know why this creative team was confident that this newcomer could lead a musical. A former Jimmy Awards finalist and former student at Manhattan School of Music, Rogers is a true triple threat. In a role that has her taking on a cutesie, '30s-style cartoon voice, Rogers is so genuine, so charismatic, so lovable—everything you want in a leading lady. She's got pipes that let her sing to the stratosphere like a modern Broadway belter. At the same time, her voice also has a base and a heart that evokes some of the greatest Broadway voices in history, while somehow still being entirely unique and singular.

Not to mention, Rogers is a dancer, too, fully holding her own and leading giant ensemble dance numbers throughout the show. The stamina is amazing to see, and Mitchell did not give her any simplified star choreography! Seeing a relative unknown burst onto the scene and be this spectacular is truly one of the most exciting things one can witness on Broadway. I definitely think we'll be seeing lots more of Rogers in the future, but don't you want to be in the room to see the birth of a new Broadway star?

Stephen DeRosa and Faith Prince in *Boop! The Musical* Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

3. Faith Prince is Back On Broadway

You know her. You love her. She's back on Broadway. You should be thrilled. Tony winner Faith Prince has been given a plum role in this musical, that of Grampy's (Stephen DeRosa) sassy love interest, Valentina. A no-nonsense New Yorker, the performance might remind you of some of Prince's most beloved roles, chief amongst them her Tony-winning turn as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. She's got jokes, she's got songs, she even gets a surprisingly involved dance number—again, Jerry Mitchell dance numbers galore! It's been almost a decade since we had Prince starring in a Broadway musical, and seeing her in Boop! one realizes that's been far, far too long.

4. A Spectacularly Colorful Design

One of the recurring themes of Boop! is that Betty, hailing from the black-and-white cartoon world of yore, discovers color when she is transported to modern New York City. Mitchell has gotten his entire production design team—including scenic designer David Rockwell, costume designer Gregg Barnes, lighting designer Philip S. Rosenberg, and projection design Finn Ross—together to create some truly dazzling visuals. Of particular note is a show-stopping act two opener called "Where is Betty?" that sees the entire company switching from black and white, to color, and back again in the blink of an eye. It's a soon-to-be iconic number that displays one of the more eye-popping images we've gotten on Broadway as of late.

Some special extra mention also has to go to Barnes' finale costumes for Betty and her beau Dwayne (Ainsley Melham). I'm not going to spoil the surprise, but make no mistake—you'll be awestruck!

Jasmine Amy Rogers and Phillip Huber in *Boop! The Musical* Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

5. The Cutest Dog Puppet

Betty's cute little canine companion Pudgy comes to this musical version as a marionette puppet, designed by The Huber Marionettes and operated by Phillip Huber. Now, I like dogs. But I also like puppets, and this one is so cute, I'm more than allowing the lack of actual dog. Huber is a world-class puppet artist, so it's no surprise that his work here both as a designer and operator is just stellar. It's incredible how much emotion and character can be gotten from a well-designed and well-executed puppet, and Pudgy is an excellent showcase of that.

The pup was a real audience favorite at the performance I saw, and it surprised me zero percent to notice as I left the theatre that they were selling stuffed Pudgys at the merch stands. I almost took one home myself!