BOOP last night...
An assault on the senses.
BOOP! The Musical steamrolls onto Broadway like a high-speed Bullet train! With such ferocity, one would think the cast would be fired if not giving 125%. Director Jerry Mitchell’s frenetic direction comes at you fast and furious.
This cast is working at warp speed to give life to a sometimes funny, sometimes not book by Bob Martin.
Kudos to Jasmine Amy Rogers (Boop) for navigating the difficult balance between character, caricature and cartoon. She’s a real find and terrific here. A true triple threat! If only she was given more stage time and something better to work with, especially in a meandering 2nd Act.
A big disappointment is the lack of chemistry between Rogers and Ainsley Melham as love interest Dwayne. In spite of Melham's talent (he can sing and dance), he's a bit of a bore, and drags down every scene he is in. When Erich Bergen, who plays a sleazy mayoral candidate has more stage presence and pizazz than your leading man, you may want to reconsider your casting choice. Playing opposite Rogers’ larger than life star turn is a big assignment. Big!
Tony-winner Faith Prince and supporting players Stephen DeRosa, Angelica Hale, and Anastacia McCleskey are fine, and each have their moment to shine.
Rogers deliciously delivers on composer David Foster’s “Where I Want To Be’ and “Something to Shout About,” yet the rest of the score is merely serviceable. The orchestra is led by Rick Fox and is terrific.
The production numbers look like they were choreographed by different people, resulting in a mash-up of slapdash movement performed with community theatre-like gusto by the NYC denizens. Showcasing the Red Stairs in Times Square and not utilizing them to better effect was an epic fail in the choreography department. The old idiom “too many cooks…” applies here.
Scenic design by David Rockwell and lighting by Philip S. Rosenberg add zest to the colorful palette of this cartoon short in search of a feature film.
Updated On: 3/15/25 at 06:56 PM
