For “Boop! The Musical” star Jasmine Amy Rogers, Betty Boop was “always in the background of my life somewhere,” says the dynamic Broadway lead. “I always knew who she was because she’s in our pop culture,” she adds. “But I definitely didn’t know her the way I do now.”
Rogers explored almost a century of Betty Boop lexicon, from the character’s catchphrases to signature poses and coquettish red-lipped pout, while working to bring the character to life onstage in “Boop! The Musical.” The ubiquitous character, who first appeared in 1930, has gone through several cultural resurgences throughout the decades.
“I just fell in love with her so deeply because I think she is — at least for me, and I think for a lot of people — the embodiment of everything that a woman is capable of,” says Rogers, who originated the role during the show’s world debut in Chicago. “She believes in a strong right and wrong, and her moral compass is unwavering, and I love that about her. It encourages me to be brave in my daily life.”
Jasmine Amy Rogers onstage in “Boop!”
Courtesy of Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
The musical opens with Betty Boop starring in her own fictionalized gray-toned world, frozen in time. Looking for a break from her unwavering fame, Betty travels (with the help of a gadget invented by supporting character Grampy) to the current day “real world” of New York City, landing in a technicolor Comic-Con where Betty Boop discovers that she is still popular there too, just as cosplay lore. In New York she quickly befriends a teen girl, stepping into the role of personal coach-slash-cheerleader.
The show, which features a splashy ensemble cast, opens with a large tap dance routine that almost stood in the way of Rogers getting the role — her first dance audition fell flat.
“The hardest thing going into it for me was the dance and the physicality,” says the 25-year-old actress, who ended up getting a second shot at the part. “I was really intimidated for a while, but once I decided that I really wanted it, I just had to take it into gear. I went to tap classes and I just got myself back into shape to do what was being asked of me,” she adds. “Betty is a cartoon, but she’s also drawn in such a specific way. So the way she moves, the way she walks, the way she stands, it all matters. And that was something that was really, really nerve-wracking to me when I started out.”
Jasmine Amy Rogers onstage in “Boop!”
Courtesy of Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Less intimidating, but still nerve-racking, was the character’s high-pitched voice, which has since become second-nature for Rogers. “When I was figuring it out, I was so nervous about it that I didn’t wanna practice it even by myself at home because I was almost embarrassed,” she says, adding that she leaned on her childhood aptitude for cartoon impersonations.
“It’s always been ingrained in me to kind of be a character. I’ve spent most of my life being that cartoon character, and trying to cool it down to go through my everyday life so I’m not so out of whack,” she says. “I think a lot of theater kids come from a place like that.”
Rogers, who grew up in Texas, began dancing and singing at a young age, and fell in love with musical theater after auditioning for a local community theater performance of “Peter Pan.”
“I ended up getting a role in Tiger Lily’s tribe, in the ensemble. But it was really an eye-opening moment for me where I was like, I’m getting to sing, I’m getting to dance, I’m getting to have fun,” says Rogers. “I’m getting to do all these things that I really, really love, and I’m getting to do it on stage and I’m obsessed. From that moment on, I just was hooked on it. And I’ve been doing it since.”
After high school, Rogers moved to New York to attend the Manhattan School of Music, and after graduation starred in several regional musical productions and as Gretchen Weiners in a national tour of the “Mean Girls” musical in 2022.
With the “Boop!” opening night behind her — and Tonys Awards season still ahead — Rogers is looking forward to finding new aspects of Betty Boop to explore onstage, and continuing to connect with cross-generational audiences in what’s already proved to be a life-changing role.
“[Betty] has changed the way that I move through the world,” adds Rogers. “I’m just a little bit more of a positive person lately, because I’m so full of joy and love.”
Jasmine Amy Rogers
Courtesy of Nicole Wilson
