[WHERE I WANNA BE from BOOP! THE MUSICAL plays with Jasmine Amy Rogers singing]
Jasmine Amy Rogers: Oh gee I don’t know. I’m feeling kind of shy. Ok fellas! Key of G. Wait you’re saying, who is she? Hey There New York Town.
When you think of Broadway leading ladies, your mind might go to Dolly Levi from Hello Dolly, Effie White from Dreamgirls, or Tracey Turnblad from Hairspray. Well this roster’s about to be joined by a fresh face: None other than Betty Boop.
Boop! The Musical featuring this iconic character is set to make its premiere in Chicago beginning Sunday, November 19th. Featuring a murder’s row of a creative team including direction and choreography by Tony winner Jerry Mitchell of Kinky Boots fame, a book by Tony winner Bob Martin, music by Grammy winner David Foster, marionettes by Phillip Huber and lyrics by Tony nominee Susan Birkenhead. Birkenhead recalls the moment she first heard about the project:
Susan Birkenhead: The phone rang, and it was Bill Haber.
Bill Haber is a producer behind broadway musicals like the Scarlet Pimpernel and the 1997 revival of the musical 1776
SB: He said, I have a project for you. And he said, It’s Betty Boop. And for a minute, I stopped and I thought Betty Boop. And then I thought about the cartoons, which are extraordinary
The love of the cartoons and the character was enough to get Birkenhead and others on board. But there was a creative challenge presented by this project that intrigued them: how do you transform Betty Boop into a medium like a musical and make it interesting?
Ainsley Anthony Melham: We meet her in her world, the black and white world of Fleisher studios. And she goes on an amazing journey that brings her into our world.
That’s actor Aisnley Anthony Melham an actor best known for his run as the title role in Aladdin both on Broadway and in Sydney, Australia. Here, he plays Dwayne, a down on his luck jazz musician who Betty meets in present day New York City. Dwayne’s jazz background compliments the golden age stylings of the tunes David Foster created. Yet even with such a killer cast and crew, as is typical with new work, the musical has been in development for several decades. For Birkenhead, she’s been on the project for a while now.
SB: It was probably 2010
And even before she was brought on, the show had worked with other directors, lyricists, book writers, and composers. And even though the process is long and arduous, Birkenhead finds a lot of value in the process of creating new work.
SB: A funny thing happens when an actor takes the lyric and sings it. And actors sometimes unconsciously, sometimes consciously, discover something in it that even I didn’t realize was there. They can find some brilliant, really brilliant actors can find laughs where they never were laughs.
These revelations then lead book writers, composers, and lyricists to rework and polish the show to account for these changes
SB: It’s a never ending process. And it will go on, as I said, until practically the morning of opening night.
And while there is a stressful aspect to that, it’s also a testament to how malleable new work is and the creativity it affords actors and other creators when compared to an established piece.
And of course, it’s impossible to discuss Boop! The Musical without discussing Betty herself.
SB: The role of Betty, needless to say, took endless, endless, endless auditions.
But it was all worth it in the end when the team decided on Jasmine Amy Rogers, a young actress best known for her role as Gretchen Weiners in the tour of Mean Girls The Musical. Fellow cast member , Ainsley Anthony Melham sings her praises.
AAM: She really just sort of embodies Betty Boop in such a beautiful way. Her voice is incredible and comic timing is spot on. And she has a great heart. So I’m excited for people to see her.
As of now, the musical has only a limited run, begging the question: is there a life for Boop outside of Chicago?
AAM: I think this show has aspirations to move beyond Chicago, maybe to Broadway. I would hope for the show, because I think it’s really special. I think it has a really wonderful message. And I think there’s not really much happening that’s quite like the show at the moment.
BOOP! The Musical runs November 19th to December 24th at the CIBC theater.
For WNUR News, I’m Sophia Casa
[The end of WHERE I WANNA BE from BOOP! THE MUSICAL plays]
