It's time to bet on Betty Boop! BOOP! The Musical is currently running at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City and for Betty Boop fans of the past, present and future, the show looks to be a vibrant modern-day phenomenon on Broadway right now!
The show revolves around the iconic Betty Boop leaving the black-and-white world and being brought to modern day as she travels through a funky-looking time machine created by her Grampy, to New York City aka 'The Big Apple' after longing for a break from her celebrity life. There, she embarks on colorful adventures, finds romance, friendship, and rediscovers who she is outside of how people view her on-camera persona since Betty has been a symbol of beauty, style, and grace for over 9 decades!
BOOP! The Musical comes from a book by Bob Martin, with music and arrangements by David Foster, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. Direction and choreography are by Jerry Mitchell, with Daryl Waters serving as music supervisor and providing additional arrangements. Orchestrations are by Doug Besterman, and music direction is by Rick Fox. Scenic design is by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, and wig and hair design by Sabana Majeed. DB Bonds serves as associate director, with Jon Rua and Rachelle Rak as associate choreographers. Zane Mark also contributes dance arrangements.
The musical had its premiere in Chicago at the CIBC Theatre from Nov. to Dec. 2023 and began preview performances on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on Mar. 11, 2025. Boop! officially opened officially on Apr. 5. The Broadway principal cast includes Jasmine Amy Rogers as Betty Boop, Tony Award winner Faith Prince as Valentina, Ainsley Melham as Dwayne, Erich Bergen as Raymond, Stephen DeRosa as Grampy, Anastacia McCleskey as Carol, Angelica Haleas Trisha, puppeteer Phillip Huber as Pudgy the Dog, and Aubie Merrylees as Oscar. On May 1, it was announced that the show has earned three Tony Award nominations: Rogers for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Mitchell for Best Choreography, and Barnes for Best Costume Design of a Musical. The 78th Annual Tony Awards will be broadcasted on CBS live on Sunday Jun. 8, 2025.
Culturess sat down with Hale, who you may recognize from America's Got Talent, when the singer blew audiences away with her renditions of popular songs such as 'Rise Up' by Andra Day, 'Fight Song' by Rachel Platten, and 'Girl on Fire' by Alicia Keys. Now, you can see her on stage as Trisha, the young girl who is empowered by Betty and becomes instant friends with her as they both have their own journeys of self-discovery in the show. Read on to learn more about Hale and what you can expect from the show!
Culturess: I knew the show was going to be high energy and fun, but I didn't realize how much fun I was going to have! A lot of it came from watching you perform, honestly. I know you were a part of the pre-Broadway run in Chicago, so how was to even get the role that you have in the show.
Angelica Hale: Gosh, I'm gonna be so real, I didn't think I was gonna get it at all. I had done the workshop as well, and then I re-auditioned for the role, and there were so many talented girls there. I also can't dance either. Well, I guess you should say I couldn't dance until I learned to dance, but I was like, 'Oh, my gosh!' When I got the role in Chicago, I was like, 'Wait, is this really happening?' I thought it was a joke at first so that was pretty cool! I really enjoyed that. Chicago was so fun. That was the first taste of consistent shows that I've ever really had. That was really, really exciting. Obviously, now we're on Broadway, which is even crazier because it's literally, exactly a year later. So much has changed since then, and I feel like it's only changed for the better. As you saw in the show, I'm so glad that you thought it was so high energy and fun, because that was really what we were aiming for.
The legacy of Betty Boop extends to different generations. In the musical, Betty Boop comes to life! It really does show how impactful she is. Your character, specifically, has an interesting story due to her unforeseen circumstances and family life. How did you process playing those emotions?
AH: It was very...because, in a way, I grew up with Trisha. We grew together, and it's so fun to see how her character has evolved over the course of being a part of this show. I definitely think that she's sort of like a part of me. She's sort of how your younger self is still 'you' in a way, and so it's sort of tapping into that side of me that I'm still even becoming comfortable with. Just playing her has helped me grow as a person. Her family life and her as a person, it's so special to see. She's gone through a lot, and she's very young. In a way, Betty Boop has helped her get through those hard times and being able to talk to her and hear these encouraging words from her, as she's like a huge fan of her, has changed and impacted her a lot. She's trying to get through life, just like me. I relate to that.
What I loved about the show is it talks about subverting beauty expectations and thinking about how a symbol of beauty in the past can translate to today's [view on beauty] and showcasing how individuality is so important for a young person. When it comes to interactions you've had with people who have seen the show, what have they said to you about that?
AH: Oh, my gosh. Yes! I love talking to people and then talking to me about my character and how they were like, oh, my gosh. Like, oh, like when you were. I remember someone said to me, oh, when you were jumping on the bed, it felt like I was like, I can't again, like, watching my kids self. I was like, 'Oh, that's so cute.' and one day I got a letter from this lady. She watched the show and she was so sweet because she had been following me for a while. On the back of the letter, it was like, 'I'm Trisha and you're my Betty Boop! I was like, 'Oh, that's so cute! and I cried. It's really, really nice to see how my character has impacted people my age and even people who are much older than me to be able to tap into their younger self. That's really what it feels like for me, playing that role every night. It's really special!
How is it like working opposite Jasmine, who made her debut as well, and even the other cast members who have experience; Are you learning anything from them?
AH: I feel like I'm still learning things. Even into opening. It's working alongside these people who have so much passion for what they do, and they're well trained and they really know what they're doing. You have this motivation to work twice as hard because so are they. That's what's really special about being part of this community: Everyone is putting on their 'A game' and it's clear to see. It's so nice because everyone really has this idea of they really want to tell a certain story and especially working with Jasmine, gosh, she's just, an incredible dancer, an incredible singer, but also just an incredible actress and storyteller. Working with her has been so enlightening to me. It's allowed me to delve deeper into my own character, seeing the work that she's done with Betty and just with everyone in general. Everyone has their, you know, has this process of really getting into the zone. I've grown really close with Anastasia [McCleskey], who plays my Aunt Carol. I love to see how she delves into becoming [Carol] and portrays her own story.
Again, everyone has a story to tell, and it's really awesome to see when people can really discern what's going on. Something that someone said to me while we were performing. Oh, my gosh, not just 'someone', Jenifer Lewis! [She] came to see the show. The Jenifer Lewis. She was like, 'you have layers and you have you'. That's so important to me because there's so much character building that I've tried to do for Trisha. It's really awesome to see that people actually see that. Like, wow, that's really nice. Like, 'Oh, my gosh, you noticed!' Yay!
Yes! There's so much work that goes into it, and you're saying everybody has to bring their A-game. [With] Broadway and theater, in general, you have to literally see it to believe it. Word of mouth can only do so much. You and Jasmine have incredible standout moments in this show. There's so many to choose from! Do you have a favorite of your own and of somebody else that's in the show?
AH: One of my favorite moments for Trisha is, obviously, the rooftop scene. That’s the biggest moment for her in the show—when she’s talking to Betty not just as her idol, but as someone on her level. She’s really speaking to her like, “Hey, you have no idea what you’re made of. This is who you are, and I see that in you.”
I feel like Trisha didn’t really grow up with that kind of nurturing presence. Sure, Carol was her aunt, but she didn’t quite have that strong maternal figure. I think that’s how she sees Betty—and honestly, how I see Betty too. That rooftop scene is one of my favorite moments in the show. It really marks her peak character growth. Another one of my favorite moments—oh my gosh—is seeing Betty with Dwayne.
I think every audience member, whenever they were on stage together, cheered. [Laughs]
AH: Such good chemistry! It's so incredible. They really are perfect. I love them so much. That's why one of my favorite moments is their duet together, because there's so many different ways that love has been portrayed throughout this show, whether it's, me and Betty's platonic love, sisterly, motherly love. My love for Carol, my love for Dwayne, and Grampy and Valentina's love, who are finding love even as they're much older. Finally, we get romantic love: Betty and Dwayne at the end, and it's a nice little bow, and then everything's ripped apart and everyone leaves, and she starts crying, and then we get [the song] 'Something to Shout About'. [Laughs]
And then, to tie it all together, an incredible curtain call. I just was in awe of everything that was happening!
AH: I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
You were on America's Got Talent at a very young age, and you've done incredible work [since then]. As a young performer on Broadway, what are you hoping people can kind of from you in order to follow in your footsteps?
AH: Absolutely. When I was on America's Got Talent, it was crazy. It felt surreal because I got such a huge jumpstart to my career at such a young age—more than I could have ever dreamed of. I had already overcome so much. I mean, I was sick when I was younger, and then finally, I got the chance to really sing and do what I love.
When people say this, it's like, 'Oh, okay' but I really mean it when I say: if you really put your mind to something, you can do anything. Listen, I did not know that I could really dance like that. I had no confidence in myself in terms of that. I'm a singer and an actress. Don't ask me about dancing. Then, when learning the choreography and really doing this, I built so much confidence in myself throughout doing the show because it's just something I really, really wanted to do. I had so much passion for it, and I worked my butt off in order to really do that.
I still do that every night because there's still so much to learn and so much to grow from in the show. This is something I've been wanting to do for so long. It's really nice seeing how I'm actually here now. It's like, 'Wow, it's really special! You really can do it if you put your mind to it.' That's the main thing. Also, one other thing is there's no way around it, only through it. I've been living by that the past few months just for everything that I do. There's no easy way to do something that big. You really have to sit down and really work and cry and suffer, but it'll all be worth it. It has been very, very worth it. I'm very happy!
You can follow Angelica on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! If you're in or planning to be in NYC, you can buy tickets for BOOP! The Musical here.