Betty Boop never really went away.
The iconic Depression-era cartoon character — who remained omnipresent for much of the 20th century — is back once again. This time, the chirpy, high-pitched flapper with the unmistakable bob serves as the inspiration and jumping-off point for the new, fish-out-of-water musical comedy “Boop” at NYC’s Broadhurst Theatre.
Gifted newcomer Jasmine Amy Rogers makes her Broadway debut as the titular Betty Boop who is accidentally sent from a stylish art deco black-and-white set to modern technicolor Comic Con times by her kooky inventor grandfather, Grampy (played by “Boardwalk Empire” vet Stephen DeRosa plays the character with a real comic verve). And, yes, hijinks, a star-crossed love story and a dastardly political plot by a corrupt mayoral candidate ensue.
Basically, think “Barbie” meets Chaplin’s “Modern Times” with a dash of “Back To The Future” and you have the recipe for the madcap “Boop.”
Yet, what makes this self-referential, family-friendly production so special isn’t just its inventive story. The large-scale, candy-colored sets (which are switched out at a rapid-fire clip), exactingly choreographed dance numbers and brassy big band jazz and swing music all wow and remind us why the live theater experience is so vital. There’s no edits or cuts in “Boop” — just gifted performers and craftsmen operating at the height of their powers.
To learn more about the spectacularly silly yet ambitious production that endlessly pokes fun at its source material, The New York Post spoke with composer David Foster about his multi-genre score, the cartoony yet cinematic meta show and his ongoing co-headlining tour with his wife, Katharine McPhee.
How did you choose “Boop”?
I didn’t choose “Boop.” 15 years ago, nobody was asking me to do a Broadway musical. Nobody had ever suggested it. [This show] was the first thing to come along asking “would you like to try this?” and I was like “of course I’d love to try it.” I was ready for a new challenge but had never been a huge fan of the character.
Back in the day, I worked quite a bit with Dolly Parton, and I always saw similarities between Betty and Dolly. Everything that comes out of Dolly’s mouths is in some way a lesson. She doesn’t necessarily mean to do that but she’s just built that way.
I feel the same about Betty. Everything that comes out of her mouth is sort of a lesson. I’m not trying to scare anybody away from the musical because it’s not heavy. She just shares common sense stuff that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
What was your main inspiration for the score?
I took piano lessons as a kid but my father was a really talented amateur piano player and played stride piano, which is like honky-tonk 1930s music. God bless him, he patiently taught me how to play when I was seven, so I had a good foundation for “Boop.”
When composing the score, I tried to make music that couldn’t be pinned down to a time period. I wanted it to sound like it could have been written today or a hundred years ago.
On a more practical level, there’s a story to be told here and sometimes the creative team has certain needs for songs. For example, an uptempo song has to be fun, needs to have a dance break, etc. I just tried to remember where she was from, remember what my father had taught me about that period of music and apply my pop writing skills.
I actually got a lot of encouragement the first day, 15 years ago, when the producers said “toward the end of the show, we have a real bouncy number” and, without thinking, I went over to the piano and the song “Why Look Around the Corner” fell out of me in real time. Lo and behold, that song survived after coming to me right away in the first five minutes of the first meeting.
Which ‘Boop’ song is your favorite?
There’s a song early in the show called “Ordinary Day.” In it, Betty sings “I wish just for one day I could be ordinary, just be me, just be miss nobody from nowhere and have normal friends” and I like this one because it’s unusual. I get a lot of flak in my life for writing soft stuff but this song is a little edgy in its presentation.
How has the show changed since you first got involved in the project?
I’ve probably seen the show 50 times and it’s changed drastically from Chicago, where it debuted. Jerry Mitchell’s a brilliant director and choreographer, and the team really delivered a really fun two and a half hour show.
Still, it’s different in chunks. In particular, Grampy and Valentina’s story changed a lot. I’m at a lot of the rehearsals, so I see the changes in real time. Jerry approaches the show the way I approach making music.
When I’m recording I try to fix every detail knowing full-well that if I let one or two details go like an out-of-tune note, no one’s really going to care but making everything perfect makes for a better song.
Jerry does the same thing with his direction, There are some things he catches I would never notice and I think the culmination of all those details makes for a much better show.
How was working with the cast?
The cast is incredible. They get worked to the bone every day. They work all day, every day, in the theater and then do a show after that. It’s remarkable.
I think Jasmine Amy Rogers just becomes Betty from the first to the last frame. More importantly, if you watch her face at any time during the two plus hours, she’s never out of character, not for one second. I think she’s going to become a star.
What’s next for you?
This is my first Broadway show, but I’m actually working on another one right now called “Lucky Us” based on a novel by an author named Amy Bloom. We just did a read with an incredible director named Michael Grace. My writing partner on that is AnnMarie Milazzo, and she’s amazing as well.
I may be ensconced in Broadway now for the final chapter of my life.
Are you going on tour this year?
Yes. Katharine [McPhee, Foster’s wife] and I are going to try and mix it up. In addition to my songs, we get away with performing classics we both love. Just a couple of nights ago, I was messing around with the song ‘Impossible Dream,’ which is not mine, but it’s so great and I just know that Kat would sing it really well.
Any favorite shows on Broadway at the moment?
We saw “Death Becomes Her” and loved it. “Othello,” too. I thought Denzel was great, but Jake Gyllenhaal blew me away. I don’t know much about Shakespeare, but he brought the words to 2025.
The two of us also caught “Good Night and Good Luck” with George Clooney, who was great.
Then, we went to “Sunset Boulevard” opening night and loved it. I never saw the original but Nicole Scherzinger is excellent. Her performance is so epic. The music’s great, the set, the design, all phenomenal.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Betty Boop Broadway tickets 2025
Based on our findings, the curtain goes up on “Boop” Tuesdays through Sundays at New York City’s Broadhurst Theatre.
The 2.5-hour show — including one 15-minute intermission — goes dark on Mondays. The one major quirk to “Boop’s” schedule is that there is only a 2 p.m. matinee on Wednesdays, no evening show.
Other matinees take place on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.
To find the show that makes the most sense for your schedule, you can find the complete “Boop” schedule here.
Love the music in “Boop?” The soundtrack hits shelves June 6.
David Foster tour schedule 2025
As noted above, Foster is also embarking on a co-headlining tour with his wife, singer Katharine McPhee (and trumpeter Chris Botti on select dates).
From May through July, the musically-gifted couple (and Botti!) will deliver standards and classics at theaters and opera houses all over North America. If you’d like to see them, here’s where they’ll be these next few months.
Huge musicals on Broadway in 2025
Midtown Manhattan is littered with exciting shows this spring.
In addition to “Boop” and the shows Foster saw, here are just five of our favorite musicals you ought to keep an eye out for these next few months.
• “Smash”
• “Gypsy”
Want to check out a concert, too? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
