Oscar E Moore

There’s a new girl in town.  A fascinating girl.  Talent oozing out of every single pore.  Sweetly singing or confidently belting with tip-top tapping and stealing our hearts along the way with her spectacular debut on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre.  It is finally a cause for celebration.

A much-needed tonic for all the awful news we are bombarded with day after day.  There are no tariffs on having a good time.  Yet.

Her name is JASMINE AMY ROGERS as BOOP! As in Betty Boop! Cartoon character of days gone by.  Resurrected by this happy-go-lucky musical.

Catchy tunes courtesy of David Foster.  Lyrics and clever hooks by Susan Birkenhead.  And a scattered yet uplifting and often very funny book by Bob Martin.

All brought to vivid life by the extraordinary talents of director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell who has magically bridged the gap between the traditional and the new.  The young and the not so young.

Betty Boop needs a vacation from her drab black and white existence.  So, she disappears via a wild magical armchair without her dog Pudgy (a marionette/operated by Phillip Huber) who has a delayed arrival – at the wildly colorful New York City where she meets up with teenage and ardent fan/artist Trisha (Angelica Hale) and her soon to be love interest Dwayne (Ainsley Melham) jazz musician and soon to be running for Mayor Carol Evans (Anastacia McCleskey) where they all help each another on their way to the joyous happy ending SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT.

Also running for Mayor is the smarmy Raymond Demarest an excellent Erich Bergen (above) who just about steals the stage every time he appears and almost stops the show with his TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL – which he most certainly does!

In between all this busy-ness Faith Prince arrives as Valentina (entrance applause) who reunites with her lost love Grampy (Stephen DeRosa) and shares a schmaltzy dance/duet WHATEVER IT TAKES.

Boop is reunited with her adorable dog.

The tip-top-tapping is top-notch.  Including a terrific rap-tap and a nostalgic Busby Berkeley inspired black and white, grey scale silver besequinned ensemble.

Costumes by Greg Barnes – who should absolutely be Tony awarded for his inspired two-sided stunning costumes.  Front black and white.  Reverse in color.  Beautifully bridging Boop’s black and white and technicolor worlds together.  Bravo!

If this sounds confusing do not let that bother you.  You will eventually understand and LOVE it all!  Two and a half hours (one intermission) whiz by despite a somewhat slow and over the top vaudevillian beginning.

You will feel rejuvenated and happy and thankful to have witnessed the emergence of a brand-new shining star – JASMINE AMY ROGERS.  A star with heart!

Just go!

PHOTOS: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

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