Who would have believed that at last a musical comedy called BOOP would arrive on Broadway late in the season (April 6) just in time to deliver an Easter gift that saves us from the doom and disaster that seem to be the prevalent themes attracting writers and directors of musicals lately. Now curvy Betty Boop pops up with a knowing wink to assure us it’s all right to have a laugh at ourselves as the world seems to self destruct off stage.
Betty Boop began in the 1930s in animated cartoon form and later appeared in newspaper comic strips. Movies on the big screen later made way for the television sitcoms that gave us I Love Lucy and then The Golden Girls, Archie and Edith Bunker and others that an audience was happy to have in their living rooms even on smaller screens which are now giant plasma ones. Broadway, through all those changes, remained the main outlet for those people hungry for melody and mirth on a sophisticated and live level.
Now along comes Boop as a lighthearted and warmhearted musical comedy with nothing on its mind but A-1 entertainment served up under the direction and with the dazzling choreography of Jerry Mitchell whose staging is not only entertaining but even manages to move us emotionally as the simple tale unfolds to his precise and lively tap and dance combinations.Time and again, roars of approval greet the final moments of one number after another. The dancers who perform them are blazingly attractive and talented, and they are big time contributors to the show’s overall success. The show’s book by Bob Martin may be slight, but it’s not inconsequential. All it asks of us is that we look into our own resources for keys to happiness and not waste time in “looking around the corner”.
Jasmine Amy Rogers plays Betty Boop engagingly throughout. Her song and dance and her pretty face all help to supply us with a Betty Boop of star quality while remarkably marking her Broadway debut. Her romantic leading man is a very attractive Ainsley Melham. He sings with assurance and dances his part as well.
Erich Bergen as Raymond Demarest running for mayor has a chance to use his robust baritone to advantage. Faith Prince is an attractive asset as Valentina who brings a very distinctive maturity and charm along with her grace as a dance partner. All of their contributions enhance the book and the score, but the evening is in Jasmine Rogers’ triple talented hands, and she begins her career as a crowd-pleasing winner. Welcome to you, Ms Rogers — hopefully this will just be for you the start of something big.