By Katrina “Kat” Reynolds
BOOP! The Musical presented by Broadway in Cincinnati through October 25th. I attended the Opening Night performance.
Aliya Grace as Betty Boop. Photo by Matthew Murphy.
In a limited run, Broadway in Cincinnati is presenting BOOP! The Musical with book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin, music by GRAMMY winner David Foster, and Lyrics by Tony Award nominee Susan Birkenhead. In BOOP!. we find Betty, who dreams of an ordinary day off from the fame of her very own black-and-white world, thrust into the complicated world of colour.
While Broadway Direction & Choreography was originated by Jerry Mitchell, re-creation credit of this production is given to DB Bonds (Direction) and Rachelle Rak (Choreography). Both Mr. Bonds and Ms. Rak do an exceptional job with pacing, use of the playing space, and highlighting featured as well as ensemble members. While the story and songs are very strong, this is a dream show for an accomplished and versatile dancer. Euphonious melodies fill the stage thanks to Music Director/Conductor Braden Chudzik; he clearly has a solid understanding of several musical genres.
Highest of praise to Scenic Designer David Rockwell whose conceptions create an additional character (or characters) with stunning stage pictures and rich visuals. In addition, beautiful work by Costume Designer Gregg Barnes (so many gorgeous and tailored lewks!), Lighting Design by Philip S. Rosenberg, and Projection Design by Finn Ross complement the vision seamlessly. Use of both black-and-white and colour are important to the story and they meet this goal without issue.
I am hard-pressed to choose individual performing artists to highlight as this is a cast chain which does not have a weak link. However, I will do my best to give out some flowers. The ensemble of dancers are particularly the underdog heroes in this sparkling production. We are gifted with movers who crush a little jazz, a little hip-hop, a little tap, and a whole lot of energy and coordination – bravx to each of you!
Joshua Woodie is wonderfully cringey as “real world” villain, Raymond Demarest – he has charisma with a capital “C”. Mason Ballard is extremely affable as Dwayne – you will find yourself rooting for him throughout. Adam Clarke as Pudgy is marvelously expressive as sweet Pudgy – and now I want a Pudgy. Michelle Jennings and Dan Mason have ineffable chemistry together as Valentina and Grampy, respectively. Finally, Aliya Grace is utterly delightful as the complicated Betty Boop. Ms. Grace embodies the essence of the cartoon character flawlessly while making her a 3-dimensional person. Of course, she has the voice, manner, and aesthetics down pat – but she somehow makes it easy to believe this entity could exist in our timeline.
There is something refreshing and wonderfully pure about the story of a classic cartoon character coming into the modern age “real world” and making an impact on those around her. The homage to Ms. Boop’s origins (she was inspired by “Baby Esther” Jones, a Black jazz singer from 1920s Harlem) are just the cherry on the proverbial sundae. The character of Betty Boop was constantly evolving over the years which is why this story is entirely apropos. Young or old, sentimental or logical, I defy you to leave this pleasing musical without a smile on your face or a pep in your step.
Click here for more information about the production.
