Boop! The Musical is a 2023 musical based on the animated character Betty Boop, with music by David Foster, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and a book by Bob Martin.[1] Betty leaves the black-and-white world and finds adventures in present-day New York City.
The musical's original run in Chicago began with previews on November 19 and closed on December 24, 2023, with Jasmine Amy Rogers starring in the title role.[2]Boop! is expected to play on Broadway, with performances at the Broadhurst Theatre beginning on March 11, 2025, and an official opening on April 5.[3]
Synopsis
Act One
In the animated black-and-white cartoon world, the star of "ToonTown", Betty Boop, performs one of her shorts ("A Little Versatility"). After the performance has wrapped, an interviewer asks Betty a question that makes her reflect: "Who is the real Betty Boop?" Betty replies, "Whoever you want me to be!" At Betty’s house, Grampy is cooking dinner in one of his great inventions. Another of Grampy's inventions is a teleporter to the real world. Betty wishes to go there, but Grampy refuses to send her. After Grampy falls asleep, Betty wishes for a world where no one would recognize her ("Ordinary Day"). Betty uses Grampy's invention to travel to the real world and ends up at New York City's Comic Con.
She meets Dwayne, commenting on his bright blue eyes. Betty, confused by all the colors, starts to learn ("In Color"). She next meets Trisha, a Betty Boop superfan, dressed in Betty's style. Betty is confused because she thought that no one would know her but finds that she is as famous here as at home. Betty takes on the name Betsy Crampwhiler to disguise her true identity. Back in ToonTown, Grampy discovers that Betty is gone and has used his invention. He laments about what will happen to ToonTown without Betty ("Get Her Back!"). Grampy and Pudgy use the invention to follow Betty to the real world to search for her.
At Trisha's house, Betty reunites with Dwayne, who lives with Trisha. Betty reveals that she is a jazz singer, and Dwayne demonstrates that he "speaks in jazz" ("I Speak Jazz")'. Meanwhile, Raymond Demarest is running for mayor of New York with his slogan, "You can DoDo it!" In Trisha's room, Betty asks why Trisha likes Betty so much. Trisha says that she wishes she could be as confident as Betty ("Portrait of Betty"). Betty then confides that she is the real Betty Boop, not Betsy.
Alternating between ToonTown and New York, The Director, Assistant Director and Dwayne explain that Betty (Dwayne still knows her as Betsy) is the sunlight in their lives ("Sunlight"). Betty and Trisha meet Dwayne at the red steps in Times Square; Dwayne shares the story of his life in New York ("My New York"). Grampy reunites with Valentina, a NASA scientist who had an affair with Grampy. Grampy gets a "Love Sneeze" and refuses to believe he still loves her, but Valentina knows that there is no cure for love ("A Cure for Love"). Nelly's place, a club where Dwayne wishes to perform, invites Betty (as Betsy) to sing onstage. Betty shocks everyone with how much she sounds and looks like Betty Boop! Everyone chants "Thats Betty Boop!" Betty says she is right where she wants to be ("Where I Wanna Be!").
Act Two
Now that Betty has revealed that she is alive and in New York, she wishes she had kept it to herself. The people in ToonTown hope she will come back to them ("She’s Here/She’s Gone"). Raymond uses Betty as his campaign manager but refuses to let her speak ("Win with Betty"). At Nelly’s, Dwayne laments that he loves Betty so much, but she is not a real person ("She Knocks Me Out"). Trisha thinks she is not good enough and has to dress up as Boop to feel confident. Betty tells her that she doesn't have to be Betty to be confident and that Trisha is her hero ("My Hero").
At Valentina's apartment, Grampy and Valentina realize that they are meant for each other ("Together You and Me"). At Raymond's office, Raymond hits on Betty and tries to take advantage of her, so she hits him in the face with a lamp ("Take It to the Next Level"). Betty, realizing what a jerk Raymond is, declares that Cheryl, Raymond's campaign manager and Trisha's foster mom, should run for mayor. Cheryl agrees ("The Campaign").
Dwayne and Betty comment that we shouldn't think and wish for the future, but instead focus on the present. Betty starts to fall in love ("Why Look Around the Corner"). Suddenly, Grampy bursts in and declares that Betty must return to ToonTown or it will disappear. Betty, while traveling, laments that she has nothing left to amuse her. She almost knew what she wanted, but now it is gone ("Something to Shout About"). Back in ToonTown, Betty declares she is done running away from men. Grampy, Valentina, Trisha, and Dwayne appear in Toontown because Valentina figured out a way to travel to both dimensions safely. Dwayne and Betty share a kiss and the world starts to turn to color ("Color of Love").
Development and production
The idea for a Betty Boop musical first arose in 2004.[4]
The musical premiered at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago with previews from November 19 and closed on December 24, 2023, starring Jasmine Amy Rogers in the title role.[2] The production was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.[1] It featured set designs by David Rockwell, costumes by Gregg Barnes, lighting by Philip S. Rosenberg, sound by Gareth Owen, and projections by Finn Ross; The show's musical arrangements were by Daryl Waters.[5]
The show expects to begin previews at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre on March 11 and to open on April 5, 2025; Mitchell will again direct and choreograph, with the Chicago creative team on board.[3]
Reviews for the Chicago production praised the show's music, choreography, and cast, Rogers in particular, but thought the story and characters needed additional development.[6][7][8]
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