BOOP! THE MUSICAL Reviews- Page 9

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 10:49am

TellZ: Thank you. But ugh 😑 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 11:51am

CJRochester said: "I saw this last night and very much enjoyed it. The house looked to be full, and everyone near me in the front mezz was having a great time. I pretty much agree with Jarethan's review above. The book is the weakest part of the show, and the leading man has very little charisma. Still, Jasmine's performance makes it worth seeing. I loved all the big, splashy dance numbers.

I don't think much has been said about Angelica Hale as the young Trisha. Normally I hateprecocious kids in musicals, but I thought she was wonderful.

I am a lighting person and was thrilled with the rapid-fire switching between black & white and color.

This is a fun show and a fun staging. I think it will do very well on tour."

Re Angelica Hale, I honestly forgot about her when I wrote my thoughts.  I agree that she was terrific in a silly role.  She has presence with a capital P and sings very well.  I expect that we will be seeing her in the future.

[THDavis]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 12:17pm

MemorableUserName said: "Guess I'm in the minority who thought the male lead was great. He and Jasmine were the main/only things keeping the show afloat for me, and his songs are the ones I've been listening to. "Why Look Around the Corner?" is terrific."

I also felt Ainsley Melham was fantastic and incredibly charming. I’d suggest any perceived lack of charisma is possibly the fault of the weak writing for his role/the book, but respect everyone’s thoughts on his performance. 

[Dolly80]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 12:27pm

Jarethan said: "CJRochester said: "I saw this last night and very much enjoyed it. The house looked to be full, and everyone near me in the front mezz was having a great time. I pretty much agree with Jarethan's review above. The book is the weakest part of the show, and the leading man has very little charisma. Still, Jasmine's performance makes it worth seeing. I loved all the big, splashy dance numbers.

I don't think much has been said about Angelica Hale as the young Trisha. Normally I hateprecocious kids in musicals, but I thought she was wonderful.

I am a lighting person and was thrilled with the rapid-fire switching between black & white and color.

This is a fun show and a fun staging. I think it will do very well on tour."

Re Angelica Hale, I honestly forgot about her when I wrote my thoughts. I agree that she was terrific in a silly role. She has presence with a capital P and sings very well. I expect that we will be seeing her in the future."

She has precocious with a capital P 😂

[Dolly80]

Posted: 6/7/25 at 12:29pm

MemorableUserName said: "Guess I'm in the minority who thought the male lead was great. He and Jasmine were the main/only things keeping the show afloat for me, and his songs are the ones I've been listening to. "Why Look Around the Corner?" is terrific."

The younger male lead was terrific. And Bergen IMO

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 11:44am

This was one of the biggest flaming piles of dog mess I've seen on Broadway in a long time.

It was like someone asked Siri to write a musical stealing the plot of Roman Holiday but "in the style" of Barbie, only tackier. It's incredibly long and subplots and supporting characters just kept spawning up out of nowhere. The Comic-Con, Times Square, and "political" scenes were particularly humiliating.

Jasmine is fully committed and that is admirable but now that I've seen the show her ever having a chance at the Tony is absolutely laughable. She should be given a special award just for having to perform this drivel eight times a week.

Faith Prince was just there to collect her coins and hit it.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 2:56pm

TotallyEffed said: "This was one of the biggest flaming piles of dog mess I've seen on Broadway in a long time.

It was like someone asked Siri to write a musical stealingthe plot of Roman Holiday but "in the style" of Barbie, only tackier. It's incrediblylong and subplots and supporting characters just kept spawning up out of nowhere. The Comic-Con, Times Square, and "political" scenes were particularly humiliating.

Jasmine is fully committed and that is admirable but now that I've seen the show her ever having a chance atthe Tony is absolutely laughable. She should be given a special award just for having to perform this drivel eight times a week.

Faith Prince was just there to collect her coins and hit it."

I agree with most of this. I really think ChatGPT could’ve done better. It’s a big song and dance show, and yes, Jasmine is great, so people around me seemed to be enjoying it, but the songs were SO subpar and there were literally no stakes at intermission that made me want to stick around for act two. It was not acknowledged at all that anyone had spotted Betty. No stares, no gasps, no nothing. Also, we discussed the fact that Faith Prince is basically singing a poor man’s version of “Adelaide’s Lament”? It’s actually insane.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 2:59pm

THDavis said: "MemorableUserName said: "Guess I'm in the minority who thought the male lead was great. He and Jasmine were the main/only things keeping the show afloat for me, and his songs are the ones I've been listening to. "Why Look Around the Corner?" is terrific."

I also felt Ainsley Melham was fantastic and incredibly charming. I’d suggest any perceived lack of charisma is possibly the fault of the weak writing for his role/the book, but respect everyone’s thoughts on his performance."

I loved Ainsley too and thought “She Knocks Me Out” was a highlight.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 4:13pm

Also, why is Faith Prince, a scientist, dressed in a Times Square character costume when we first meet her? One of many mysteries. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 4:32pm

TheQuibbler said: "Also, why is Faith Prince, a scientist, dressed in a Times Square character costume when we first meet her? One of many mysteries."

 

I had no idea who she was, where she came from, how she knew the old man, or why he was sick with a cold.

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 4:48pm

TotallyEffed said: "

Jasmine is fully committed and that is admirable but now that I've seen the show her ever having a chance atthe Tony is absolutely laughable. She should be given a special award just for having to perform this drivel eight times a week.."

An entire month of people being like SHE HAS CHANCE....sure!

In the last few days some even said the race was likely between her and Audra LOL

[itsahopi]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 4:50pm

iluvtheatertrash said: "THDavis said: "MemorableUserName said: "Guess I'm in the minority who thought the male lead was great. He and Jasmine were the main/only things keeping the show afloat for me, and his songs are the ones I've been listening to. "Why Look Around the Corner?" is terrific."

I also felt Ainsley Melham was fantastic and incredibly charming. I’d suggest any perceived lack of charisma is possibly the fault of the weak writing for his role/the book, but respect everyone’s thoughts on his performance."

I loved Ainsley too and thought “She Knocks Me Out” was a highlight."

This is a core problem of the show to me. His music shouldn’t be the highlight. He has more good music than Betty and that’s because Betty doesn’t sing in act one after she gets to NYC until Where I Wanna Be outside of part of the color song. She also barely sings in act two. This vanilla man role does too much in a show called BOOP. And while I agree he’s talented, he felt disinterested in Betty no matter how well Jasmine acted to make it seem like they had chemistry. A very isolated and bland performance in a bland role given far too much attention by the bland writers. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 5:04pm

It was also clear from the book that their intentions were to paint the skin of the black and white characters. I remember there was a rumor that Young Frankenstein would do the same. Multiple references were made to Betty painting her skin and yet she looked like a totally normal skinned person. Talk about lazy writing. No one thought to remove these references from the script?

[Skip23]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 6:13pm

 

Was it my imagination but during previews did Ainsley have a bigger number in the Second Act.   One with several dancers?

 

 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/16/25 at 6:47pm

itsahopi said: "iluvtheatertrash said: "THDavis said: "MemorableUserName said: "Guess I'm in the minority who thought the male lead was great. He and Jasmine were the main/only things keeping the show afloat for me, and his songs are the ones I've been listening to. "Why Look Around the Corner?" is terrific."

I also felt Ainsley Melham was fantastic and incredibly charming. I’d suggest any perceived lack of charisma is possibly the fault of the weak writing for his role/the book, but respect everyone’s thoughts on his performance."

I loved Ainsley too and thought “She Knocks Me Out” was a highlight."

This is a core problem of the show to me. His music shouldn’t be the highlight. He has more good music than Betty and that’s because Betty doesn’t sing in act one after she gets to NYC until Where I Wanna Be outside of part of the color song. She also barely sings in act two.This vanilla man role does too much in a show called BOOP. And while I agree he’s talented, he felt disinterested in Betty no matter how well Jasmine acted to make it seem like they had chemistry. A very isolated and blandperformance in a bland role given far too much attention by the bland writers."

I thought their chemistry was on fire the night I went… but I do agree with you about his songs being a problem for that reason.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 10:37am

TotallyEffed said: "TheQuibbler said: "Also, why is Faith Prince, a scientist, dressed in a Times Square character costume when we first meet her? One of many mysteries."



I had no idea who she was, where she came from, how she knew the old man, or why he was sick with a cold."

 

God, maybe I do need to see this

 

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 11:52am

...I'd recommend it, is the thing. Boop is a badly written show, yes, but unlike most shows of which this is true it is bad in a fascinating way. Most shows, when they are bad, engender questions like "Why did they think this joke was funny? Why does this character do something illogical? Why would a Broadway producer make a huge speech about representation as a way to fire a star and then get stopped immediately from firing said star by way of contractual obligation that she absolutely would have known about, and in fact that wouldn't that contract  be considered void given that said star deliberately missed an invited dress rehearsal for no reason? ...sorry, I really didn't like SMASH.  

But BOOP is bad in a way that kind of defies convention. It's badness is weird bad. It's panache bad. It's badness engenders questions like "if this is a show about Betty Boop why are we focused on the mayoral race for New York City?" Or "Okay they had to KNOWINGLY cast Faith Prince in a role that required her to sing about psychomatic cold symptoms caused by love, right?" or "Wait, does this take place in some kind of alternate universe where everyone has incredible nostalgia for Betty Boop or is my lived experience that neither I nor anyone I know has ever seen a Betty Boop cartoon wildly and mystifyingly limited?"

On top of that, the show is wildly and genuinely entertaining despite it's badness. Jasmine Rogers is incredibly talented - I wish her a long and storied career. Erich Bergen steals every second of stage time he has. Philip Huber is one of the greatest puppeteers working today. Ainsley Melham is an incredible singer and performer; I'm looking forward to seeing more for him. And while Buena Vista Social Club had my vote for choreography, Jerry Mitchell is providing the best jazz and tap work currently on Broadway. The opening number is genuinely great and the act two opener is, for all of the clunkiness of it's songwriting, an instant classic because of the clever staging. 

I sometimes like to compare Broadway shows to dining experience. I have been known, for example, to call Moulin Rogue the theatrical equivalent of a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos. Maybe Happy Ending would be a perfectly delicious, filling, warming, bowl of soup. Death Becomes Her a pizza and wings combo from your favorite neighborhood place that is a little greasy but improves with every bite. Smash is dining at the  Olive Garden - you'd rather be at a real restaurant but hey, free breadsticks. Gypsy is a steak at a fine restuarant where something about the dish is slightly off - maybe the wine pairing isn't great, maybe the sides are overcooked, but the steak itself is wonderful. Sunset Blvd is a tasting menu at a gastropub in the Meatpacking District where half of the menu is absolutely delicious and the other half makes you realize the chef hates you, the concept of eating, and thinks anyone who enjoys food is a dithering moron. Boop is like one of those trendy milkshakes you see on Instagram that is covered in so many toppings and desert items (sprinkles, chocolate drizzle, a full Belgian waffle sticking out of the top) that it is almost impossible to actually consume, but it is sugary and tasty even if it makes you crash 20 minutes later.

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 12:24pm

Boop is fine. It sends its love. 

[itsahopi]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 12:31pm

ChairinMain said: "And while Buena Vista Social Club had my vote for choreography, Jerry Mitchell is providing the best jazz and tap work currently on Broadway. The opening number is genuinely great and the act two opener is, for all of the clunkiness of it's songwriting, an instant classic because of the clever staging.”

I agree with most of what you’re saying but the tap choreography is offensively bad. So bad they piped in an horrifically mixed canned tap click track. Perhaps because it’s maybe the only tap that’s new this season, it’s somehow wow-ing people, but Boop desperately needed a tap choreographer consultant for this number because it wouldn’t get placement at a youth dance competition. Broadway has lost its eye for tap with so few tap shows. This was not good tap, sorry.

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 12:36pm

Sunset Blvd is a tasting menu at a gastropub in the Meatpacking District where half of the menu is absolutely delicious and the other half makes you realize the chef hates you, the concept of eating, and thinks anyone who enjoys food is a dithering moron. Boop is like one of those trendy milkshakes you see on Instagram that is covered in so many toppings and desert items (sprinkles, chocolate drizzle, a full Belgian waffle sticking out of the top) that it is almost impossible to actually consume, but it is sugary and tasty even if it makes you crash 20 minutes later.

How is this so accurate.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 12:37pm

The opening number looked bafflingly amateur and sloppy from the front row of the mezz.

[merle57]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 12:53pm

I enjoyed the post about the show being like a smoothie -- delicious surprising flavors, but not a good meal in itself. I think that does sum up the show with many wonderful performances and dance parts, but there is no meal, no protein, only wasted calories. I think that may have been built into the subject matter.  

We have had too many musicals since The Producers and 42nd Street  that have the lead or second lead wanting to be in a musical, even Oh Mary steals that plot point. The self-reverential let's re-do old fashioned tap dancing Hollywood style 1930s musicals is a worn out trope. That's why I don't think Smash or Boop or New York, New York, or Some Like It Hot have worked -- we have seen the tricks and heard those kinds of scores too often in recent years. . Even Spamalot stole played off of that. We have juke box junk musicals, with a Wikipedia plot about the composer or plot  points from weak movies put into a blender screaming out  female empowerment. The 11 o'clock Screamgirl pop ballad  has become campy and predictable.  Now we  have a new revival  genre with a black, white, grey world of  slips and undershirts, with mandatory  blood spattered by the end - a lazy artist's Brechtian imitation diva belting the longest possible high note bathed in 50 backlighted spots.   What we are not seeing enough of  musicals .that touch our hearts and stimulates our minds or challenges our assumptions - Maybe Happy Ending , Cabaret (not the current revival, past productions, Chicago, Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hanse,  Company,  Sweeney Todd, Outsiders, Great Gatsby, even Wicked all do this. These shows ask for an emotional by in for a challenging journey. Musicals can be fun and satirical, like Avenue Q, but those shows are infrequent. 

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 12:57pm

merle57 said: "I enjoyed the post about the show being like a smoothie -- delicious surprising flavors, but not a good meal in itself. I think that does sum up the show with many wonderful performances and dance parts, but there is no meal, no protein, only wasted calories. I think that may have been built into the subject matter.

We have had too many musicals since The Producers and 42nd Streetthat have the lead or second lead wanting to be in a musical, even Oh Mary steals that plot point. The self-reverential let's re-doold fashioned tap dancing Hollywood style 1930s musicals is a worn out trope. That's why I don't think Smash or Boop or New York, New York, or Some Like It Hot have worked -- we have seen the tricks and heard those kinds of scores too often in recent years. . Even Spamalot stole played off of that. We have juke box junk musicals, with a Wikipedia plot about the composer orplot pointsfrom weak movies put into a blender screaming outfemale empowerment. The 11 o'clock Screamgirl pop balladhas become campy and predictable. Now wehave a new revivalgenre with a black, white, grey world ofslips and undershirts, with mandatoryblood spattered by the end - a lazy artist's Brechtian imitation diva belting the longest possible high notebathed in 50 backlighted spots. What we are not seeing enough of musicals .that touchour hearts and stimulates our minds or challenges our assumptions- Maybe Happy Ending , Cabaret (not the current revival, past productions, Chicago, Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hanse,Company,Sweeney Todd, Outsiders, Great Gatsby, even Wicked all do this. These shows ask for an emotional by in for a challenging journey. Musicals can be fun and satirical, like Avenue Q, but those shows are infrequent."

Mary Todd Lincoln didn't want to be in a musical. She wanted to be a cabaret performer.

[Owen22]

Posted: 6/17/25 at 5:08pm

I certainly wish this was closing instead Real Women. Not only because I don't want known Trumper David Foster to make any more money on us.

[Dreamboy3]

Posted: 6/22/25 at 9:21am

Late to the game here but boy was this bad. I’ve seen every new musical this season except Swept Away and this was by far the worst. Rogers was out, but her understudy was the best thing about the show. While the second act opening number in black and white was very good (though a pale imitation of what Tommy Tune did in his heyday) most of the dancing was sloppy and boring. Mitchel repeated the Timeless to me number with a second act number with Prince and DeRosa that was just embarrassing. The male lead had no charisma and oof was the book horrible- nonsensical and not funny. And the worst thing is that the entire premise of the show is that contemporary New Yorkers are obsessed with Betty Boop.