Broadway is always looking for a family friendly musical, one with kid and tourist appeal, and this season the musical is “Boop! The Musical.”
Few young people know Betty Boop, the animated character from the 1930’s. Her look is distinctive: she’s a flapper with a signature hairdo and spit curls on each side, a short red dress and kewpie doll eyes. Betty even has a catch phrase - ‘Boop-Oop-a-Doop.’

Even those of us who are familiar with her might not know that she began as a hybrid drawing and was actually part poodle. Later the dog ears became earrings. She was featured in 90 theatrical cartoons between 1930 and 1939.

In the “Boop! The Musical” with a book by Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone", "Elf” and “The Prom”) Betty Boop is tired of the spotlight and wants a break where no one knows her. On the Broadway stage, magic can happen and thanks to Grampy (Stephen DeRosa) there’s a special chair that can transport her. So, she leaves her black and white animated world and comes ‘alive’ in New York in 2025 (which gives Martin room to make a few NYC jokes.)

Ironically, she appears at Comic Con where she attracts little attention, surrounded by weirdly-costumed participants. However, she meets Trisha who idolizes the character Betty Boop for her independence and personality. Throughout most of the show, Trisha wears clothing bearing Betty’s logo. As fun and colorful as it was, it is totally unrealistic to accept that Betty would be her role model, given how few young people would know of the character,

Of course, Trisha brings Betty home where she renews her acquaintance with Dwayne, who she met briefly at the convention. Naturally he becomes the love interest. Ainsley Melham, as Dwayne, is a musician who gets Betty to a jazz club and the opportunity for yet another song.

Jasmine Amy Rogers is ‘cute as a button” as the iconic cartoon character. She works hard, singing, dancing and falling in love. She is so perky and bouncy that it is easy to fall for her. Betty is in awe of New York, its colors and its vibrancy.

In the meantime, Betty's black and white world is in a panic since it has been created around her. So, without her, there is no world. Will they find her? Will she return? What about Duane? Will the selfish politician (Erich Bergin) win the mayor’s race, or will Trisha’s Aunt Carol (played by Anastacia McCleskey) step up and run against him?

Trisha is played by 17-year-old Angelica Hale, who was the youngest runner-up on “America’s Got Talent.” As Trisha, she's the one who takes care of Betty, bringing her home, and introducing her around. Hale has a strong voice and delights the audience with her power.

Director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell has an impressive list of credits and gets the most from his talented cast. The large ensemble is supported by a couple of familiar faces, Faith Prince as Valentina, Grampy’s old girlfriend and Erich Bergen as the self-serving politician. Betty’s dog Pudgy even appears in the show, ‘manned’ by a marionette artist Phillip Huber with no attempt to hide his presence.

The show has a lot of music and dancing. A couple of songs (music by David Foster and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead) are memorable. The love song “Why Look Around the Corner” and the upbeat “The Color of Love” stand out.

Visually “Boop!” is spectacular. The costumes by Gregg Barnes are amazing. The ensemble appears in several numbers requiring different and imaginative costume changes. The most creative are the ones the cast members wear for the song “Where is Betty?” Both the cartoon world and the real world are searching for her. So, the cast wears colors in front, but when they turn around, their costumes are black, white and grey. You could hear murmurs of approval from the audience throughout the number.

The musical is a feast for the senses, especially with superb use of the colors and video effects of both the cartoons as well as New York. (Lighting Design by Philip S. Rosenberg and Projection Design by Finn Ross.)

If I were to recommend a show for visitors to the city, bringing their children, “Boop! The Musical” might be the one the season. The story line is simple, albeit a bit silly and predictable. It’s hard to create a meaningful story for an animated cartoon when it doesn't exist. So, the viewers must keep their cynicism in bay and just accept the very weak premise. If they focus on the talent of the performers, the incredible costuming and special effects, then a good time will be had by all.

Boop is unprovocative. It merely wants to entertain and delight. And it does that. The good guys win, the lovers unite, the young girl finds her own strengths, and everyone will live happily ever after in both worlds: the black and white and the real one.

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