Original Broadway Cast, 2025 (Melody Place Theatrical) (3 / 5)  Boop! invites listeners into a vibrant and whimsical world, guided by music from 16-time Grammy Award winner David Foster and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. The premise of the show, with a book by Bob Martin, is appealing: Betty Boop, the iconic black-and-white cartoon star of the 1930s, yearns for an “Ordinary Day” away from her celebrity life. Through a fantastical leap, she finds herself in the colorful streets of modern-day New York City. This fish-out-of-water scenario provided ample opportunity for humor and spectacle onstage, and much of that aesthetic is captured on the recording. Foster’s compositions are, as expected, tuneful and expertly orchestrated with a polished sheen; but the songs, while pleasant, feel more functional than distinctive within the narrative, and Birkenhead’s lyrics, though well-crafted, are padded with some on-the-nose moral platitudes. All of that said, the team does deliver at least one classic-sounding Broadway tune in “Why Look Around the Corner.” Jasmine Amy Rogers, in the demanding role of Betty Boop, offers a vocally powerful and captivating performance. Her interpretation is imbued with both the character’s signature innocence and a surprising dynamism, especially evident in her first act finale number, “Where I Wanna Be.” The plot of the show has Betty becoming close to new friends in 21st century NYC, most notably Dwayne (Ainsley Melham), a jazz musician whose artistic dreams she helps to ignite, and Trisha (Angelica Hale), a 17-year-old fan whose situation serves as a youthful counterpoint to Betty’s own self-discovery. Melham brings warmth and a strong voice to Dwayne, notably in “I Speak Jazz,” and Hale shines in her two songs, “Portrait of Betty” and “My Hero.” Betty inspires both Dwayne and Trisha to pursue their dreams, offering a message that’s uplifting and heartfelt even as Boop! rarely deviates from established musical theater tropes. Veteran performers Stephen DeRosa as Grampy and Faith Prince as Valentina fit right into the universe of this show, though both roles are rather thankless and under-written. Overall, Boop! and its cast recording have an undeniable charm. — Forrest Hutchinson