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[0:00] Jeff Malone: Welcome to Half Hour with Jeff & Richie, the podcast where we explore the latest shows we see, sharing our insights and opinions on the performances, storylines, and everything in between. In today's episode, we're discussing the Broadway play BOOP! THE MUSICAL, playing at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. Whether you cannot catch the show in person or you want to expand your thoughts after seeing it, this episode is for you. And as always, we want to inform you that this episode will contain spoilers, so if you're ready to dive into this production, stick around with us. I'm Jeff.

[0:29] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie, and we're thrilled to be your hosts for this episode. But before we start the conversation about BOOP! THE MUSICAL, here are a few words from our advertisers. Welcome, everyone, to a new episode of Half Hour with Jeff & Richie. Today, we're discussing BOOP! THE MUSICAL. Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell brings Fleischer Studios' Queen of the Screen to the theatre with celebrated multiple-time Grammy-winning composer David Foster, Tony-nominated lyricist Susan Birkenhead, and Tony-winning book writer Bob Martin. For almost a century, Betty Boop has won hearts and inspired fans around the world with her trademark looks, voice, and style. Now in BOOP!, Betty's dream of an ordinary day off from the super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an extraordinary adventure of colour, music, and love in New York City. One that reminds her and the world you are capable of amazing things. BOOP! BOOP! THE DEAL! All right, let's start with our hot take on BOOP! THE MUSICAL. Go for it.

[1:16] Jeff Malone: Hot take on here is that Jasmine Amy Rogers is a huge stars-born moment this season. That is all I'm going to say right there other than this was so much fun.

[1:32] Richie Grasso: Correct. Agreed. Jasmine Amy Rogers, a star, and blown away by her performance as Betty Boop in BOOP! Not to mention the fact that I was thoroughly surprised with how this whole piece came together. I was loving it. I was laughing. I was maybe tearing up a little bit at the end. Maybe. Because I found the whole thing to be just so well done. Costumes, choreo, acting, singing. I was very impressed with this. I didn't know what to expect, and I really, really, really enjoyed this show. I'm looking forward to talking about this more.

[2:08] Jeff Malone: All right, so then let's get into our thoughts on the plot and concept here of this day in the life of Betty Boop musical. Let me ask you this question, Jeff. When you say, okay, we're going to bring this famous cartoon, and they even say at some point in the show later on, you know, oh, and Popeye, but you always wonder, like, is Popeye the next one to come? As these cartoons are entering public domain, it's kind of anything goes when it comes to that. So when I see, when someone says to you, Jeff, they're going to make the Betty Boop musical, and this is the plot, do you look at this plot and say, oh, yeah, makes sense, it worked, or do you say, no, it doesn't? Because what could be the plot? It could be like Stranger Things, an episode, like you felt like you were, you know, we didn't quite, or like SpongeBob, where it felt like an episode.

[3:01] Richie Grasso: I think they kind of took an episode-esque feeling here, but they also developed her outside of her cartoon world and gave her a different life. What do you think about that?

[3:10] Jeff Malone: I think they went with that approach, though, with the concept here, that it was still an episode, and she just went into the real world. We've seen things like that before, especially like in actual TV shows, whether things, cartoons go into the real world, like SpongeBob has gone into the real world. Or even like with Disney's Enchanted that has done that.

[3:25] Richie Grasso: Enchanted. Even Elf, in a way, when Elf goes to the city.

[3:29] Jeff Malone: Yeah. A Buddy the Elf, something like that. I would probably relate this most to Enchanted, you know, the cartoon, princess leaving, going to the city, wanting to learn things from that, you know, and this is kind of similar to that. So if you were going to compare it to anything, I would probably say that. But we've also had cartoons that have crossed over where you have Family Guy that goes into the Simpsons or Simpsons into the Family Guy, or like that episode where Stewie and Brian go into all the different cartoons on the Disney one. So it's like, I think it's fine. Like, guess what, if it's not broken, you don't really need to come up with something completely different and new. I think like, yes, cartoon episode idea works perfect day in the life. She's going to learn something and she stumbles upon and falls into the world of Comic Con. I mean, perfect. It made complete sense. That's where she landed when she got here, right?

[4:19] Richie Grasso: But there was this beautiful-esque style of when we're going to be in black and white, we're going to treat that seriously. And we're going to kind of cartoon it up and make it feel, it didn't feel clunky. It didn't, it felt like you were in a cartoon with her. And then when we went to the real world in color, the vibrancy of that, the lighting alone of that was just so impressive. Right? And then in terms of story though, like, did you feel like there was anything kind of, that didn't make sense?

[4:42] Jeff Malone: No, everything, you know, what I love the most about the plot, and this is where I kind of teared up at the end was, you had a girl who idolized her. Right. And loved her. Right. And while we're at Comic Con, what was everyone else obsessed with? The superheroes or the Pikachus or these other big mainstream ones? She was there in Betty Boop attire. Yeah. And that world or any, how many times do you see people say they love this singer or this actor and you've never heard of that, or it's an older actor or a singer. There's still a love for that person generations later. Yeah. And so I thought that was really special. And then when she got to know her so well, she, you know, Betty Boop told her to kind of become your own person, and really feel like you need to only live through me.

And so then when she was leaving to go back, the little girl was so sad. And she was like, please don't leave me here. And she's like, no, I'm going to remember you because I'm going to take what I learned here back to my own.

[5:35] Richie Grasso: And I think what was most impressive to me was that she didn't stay. Yeah. You would have thought, I'm going to stay here. This is where I found love and where I'm going to be happy. But when she was reminded that there's a world at home that relies on her, I think it was smart for Betty to say, you know, I'm going to go back. I'm going to keep doing what I did, but I'm going to do it differently. I'm going to bring change. I am a strong woman in my town, and I'm going to bring progressive change to this. And I'm not going to keep bopping people on my head and letting men chase after me. And so that was what was so smart to me about the plot. And then when her love interest came to that world with her, I loved that.

I just thought it was so smart that she didn't have to just go to the new world and stay. Listen, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz is a similar thing too. She goes and learns things and she comes home. So there's something about going back home and bringing that change that I really enjoyed about the plot the most.

[6:21] Jeff Malone: I don't think the book here is perfect. I do think there's a few scenes that seem a little laggy to me. If there's anything about this that I think is maybe not the most perfect thing, it is this book a little bit. It's a little, it was just okay for me. I wasn't blown away by it like I was with the costumes and the choreography and the singing. But it was still fine. Bob Martin has been writing a lot of things similar to this with Drowsy Chaperone and Elf and some of these things he's written the book for. So it worked. I thought it totally worked though.

[6:47] Richie Grasso: Yeah. I thought with the concept here, you know, yes, when you think about a child and like what they see and what they aspire to be, we start with cartoons. So to see this and like, listen, it's Betty Boop. So like how often does a kid today really hear about Betty Boop? But this could be their introduction to Betty Boop. And, you know, it's always interesting too, because you're always like, oh, is she really like a role model for kids? Because she's kind of like drawn a little like pinup kind of girl, but like always cutesy. I know like a lot of like older people have like grown up with Betty Boop and love Betty Boop and do have that idolized moment. So actually to see someone young in this musical that's still obsessed with Betty Boop, I think like that's where the idea is fun.

Like, okay, we drop her in. She's with someone who's young. I want to say the girl's more like in high school versus like being in elementary school, because she's like out and about and she's at Comic Con.

[7:46] Jeff Malone: Her character talks about the struggle she's going through with her family. And I also say, when you idolize someone from a long time ago, I connected with her because I am someone who does idolize people from way past. I'm a huge Julie Andrews fan and always have been. I look at Barbra Streisand, I look at some of the older performers of mine. In eighth grade, I wrote an English paper, no joke, all about Robert Preston. Who in eighth grade knew who Robert Preston was, but that was who the music man was. And I played Harold Hill in my eighth grade production of the music man. And I had to watch the movie and research the music man. And I was blown away by who Robert Preston was, the original music man.

And I wrote, I'll never forget in English, I wrote a paper about it. I did a research paper on Robert Preston. And everyone was, who was everyone else in eighth grade obsessed over? Britney Spears and NSYNC and Backstreet Boys and all these pop people. And I was, not me. So I understood what that girl was with idolizing someone that maybe the majority of people of her age had no idea who it was or didn't know much of.

[8:44] Richie Grasso: Right. But it's also like, but it's idolizing a comic, you know, and I think it's a cartoon, which is like, we don't really get that often. So to see this and, you know, as a kid, I think you look at it and you say, oh, that cartoon's real. Like we don't kind of comprehend or understand yet that it's not real. Right. So to kind of give life to this, it's like going to Disney World and you see your life size favorite character and you're like, oh my God, that's them. Right. It's a different, right. And we know it's not. So, but for a kid that is their belief that it is. So for this, you know, and this is getting, I think the big stamp of like family musical for sure. Splashy, golden age feeling and all that. And I definitely want to get into some of this design and these actual performances and direction as well. So let's kind of jump over there now. But before we do, here's a few messages from those that make the show possible.

[9:37] Jeff Malone: Okay. First with direction and choreo, I think what Jerry's doing here is very Jerry. It's very splashy, big dance production numbers. I think he knows exactly how to move people on a stage. He works with designers very well, clearly. And I'm very impressed with the direction and the choreo here.

[9:53] Richie Grasso: Yeah. Especially since when you just look at the choreo alone, we start with this big Busby Berkeley-esque vaudevillian black and white. I feel like I'm at the Follies and I'm watching this and I'm like, wow, this is an impressive, huge, big tap number. And they're all in black and white and they look like they're from a hundred years ago. And that was smart because it's like in an episode and you're putting this big number right there. Why wouldn't you start a show like that? It totally made sense. And I think that they're giving us like textbook musical theater, like flow.

[10:31] Jeff Malone: Yes. Grand slam opening number with the choreo. It's splashy. It's fun. It's setting the story up. I think even act one finale, it's already the hit. But do you notice how there was like the vaudevillian tap dance number, but then we had the jazz number at the end of act one, but then there was modern movements throughout, like in the Comic-Con stuff, there was all this modern musical theater. So it was like, we had different eras of musical theater throughout the piece. Then you get to act two and I'm going to say this, I think that was one of the best openings of act two I have maybe ever seen.

[11:01] Richie Grasso: Ever.

[11:01] Jeff Malone: No, I think that's top five. I'm watching this and I'm like, oh, they're looking for Betty. Okay. Where is Betty? And I'm like, why are some of them walking backwards? Like, I'm like, this is interesting. When they flip and they're in the color and then they flip and they're in the black. I'm like, but I imagine, let me ask you this. Imagine being a swing in that number.

[11:24] Richie Grasso: Oh, you, I pray for the swing when you have to go on and maybe you cover multiple tracks and you have to make sure you're not, if you are the one person accidentally facing the wrong way, unfortunately, the whole number could be ruined because it is so specific.

[11:38] Jeff Malone: I think Faith might've been it.

[11:40] Richie Grasso: Oh no, she was, she was trying a couple of times. We'll talk about Faith in a second. We're going to talk about Faith. But I was, I was like, wait, this is an amazing act two opener. You don't always get good act two openers in shows.

[11:52] Jeff Malone: No, it was really great and fun. And I think when you're looking at it, you're like, oh wait. And what they're actually talking about is smart. Like both worlds want her right now. So it's like the cartoon is like drowning and needing her. And then like the real world is like, they're like obsessed and she's saving the day.

[12:08] Richie Grasso: Yeah. And then we go on and we see all the, there was a light element of politics in here and how she was influential on that and the love and all that. But you then you had like, you had the beautiful, like dream sequence of Faith and the Grampy character together and all that. And then you get to the end and it was just that big. Everyone's in color with the top hats and the steps of New York City. And it just felt splashy in the best way.

[12:33] Jeff Malone: You, you have so many of these moments though. Like, yeah. Is it checklist for things? Of course.

[12:38] Richie Grasso: But I'll give it its credit where it's due. Because I think that really, when you look at this, they're giving us what we want in terms of a score. Like, yeah, they're really giving us that old school, modern musical theater, not modern, because we're not getting that poppy musical theater sound that everyone's doing right now. We're getting a full sounding score up on that stage, you know, and from the opening to even the act one finale to the opening to act two, the 11 o'clock number to the grand finale, they gave you everything that we don't get from musicals a lot right now.

[13:17] Jeff Malone: The bouncing ball with the lyrics singing about love and friendship. That was so like warming and wonderful. You know, I think you had said this when we left, Jeff. I think one of the reasons why I think we think this show works so well is because it knows what it wants to be.

[13:32] Richie Grasso: Yes.

[13:32] Jeff Malone: And you may not like this as like, okay, it's corny, it's cheesy, it's a little like tourist choppy, but it knows what it wants to be.

[13:39] Richie Grasso: Right.

[13:40] Jeff Malone: We are seeing so many shows that are like, what did that want to be? Did that want to be comedic? Did that want to be serious? This knows what it wants to be, which is why I'm praising it, because I will praise when shows are understood. And then I can make a decision and say, you know what, I know what you want to be, I don't like it. Or I know what you want to be, I like it. When I was talking about Operation Mincemeat, that knows what it wants to be.

[14:30] Jeff Malone: Welcome back to "Half Hour with Jeff & Richie." Today, we're diving into "Boop! The Musical," which is now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway.

[15:00] Richie Grasso: That's right! This show is such a fascinating blend of nostalgia and modernity, especially with its take on the iconic Betty Boop character.

[15:30] Jeff Malone: Absolutely! The themes of identity and self-discovery really resonate throughout the musical.

[16:00] Richie Grasso: And let's not forget the performances! Jasmine Amy Rogers as Betty is simply outstanding.

[16:30] Jeff Malone: She really brings that character to life, doesn’t she? The energy she brings to the stage is infectious.

[17:00] Richie Grasso: Plus, the choreography is vibrant and really complements the overall aesthetic of the show.

[17:24] Jeff Malone: The production design is stunning as well. It captures the essence of the original Betty Boop cartoons while giving it a fresh twist.

[17:48] Richie Grasso: I think that’s what makes this musical a must-see. It appeals to both longtime fans of Betty Boop and new audiences alike.

[18:12] Jeff Malone: And speaking of appeal, we should discuss its potential for Tony nominations.

[18:36] Richie Grasso: Definitely! With such strong performances and creative direction, I think it has a good shot.

[19:00] Jeff Malone: It’s exciting to see how it resonates with different generations.

[19:24] Richie Grasso: Right? The themes of self-discovery are universal, and they really hit home.

[19:48] Jeff Malone: I also loved the way the musical integrates humor with deeper messages.

[20:12] Richie Grasso: Yes! It balances lighthearted moments with more serious undertones beautifully.

[20:36] Jeff Malone: And the music itself is catchy and memorable, which is essential for a Broadway show.

[21:00] Richie Grasso: Absolutely! The score really enhances the storytelling and keeps the audience engaged.

[21:24] Jeff Malone: I think we can both agree that "Boop! The Musical" is a delightful experience.

[21:54] Richie Grasso: For sure! If you haven't seen it yet, make it a priority.

[22:04] Jeff Malone: And for our listeners, we want to hear your thoughts on the show!

[22:14] Richie Grasso: Yes! Connect with us on Instagram and share your experiences with "Boop! The Musical."

[22:38] Jeff Malone: We love hearing from you, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

[23:02] Richie Grasso: And stay tuned for more exciting discussions in our upcoming episodes.

[23:30] Jeff Malone: Thanks for joining us today, and we’ll see you next time on "Half Hour with Jeff & Richie."

[24:00] Richie Grasso: Bye for now!

[24:28] Jeff Malone: Take care!

[24:56] Richie Grasso: Until next time!

[25:24] Jeff Malone: Bye!

[25:52] Richie Grasso: See you soon!

[26:20] Jeff Malone: Don’t forget to check out "Boop! The Musical."

[26:48] Richie Grasso: It’s a show you won’t want to miss!

[27:16] Jeff Malone: Absolutely!

[27:44] Richie Grasso: Bye!