Boop!

For a musical named after a provocative male fantasy, it sure is wholesome.

Boop!, a new musical inspired by Max Fleischer’s curvaceous cartoon character of Betty Boop, has arrived on Broadway. With music by David Foster, book by Bob Martin and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, the well-intentioned by slightly muddled musical delivers possibly the most family-friendly story to open on Broadway in years – curves and all.

We are introduced to Betty in a sensational opening number that features Betty’s various and numerous talents as a movie star of Fleischer Studios animated shorts. “A singer, a dancer, an actress, a star beloved by millions,” she can be a cowgirl, a pilot, and more. But when a reporter asks her, “Who are you, really?” Betty is unable to answer the question. She finally says, “Whoever you want me to be,” but the question sends her into an existential crisis. Deciding she needs a break from showbiz and fame, Betty uses her Gramp’s trans-dimensional tempus locus actuating electro-ambulator” to take a trip to the real world.

What follows is the standard good-hearted out-of-towner befriends locals, improves all of their lives and finds true love. After landing smack in the middle of Comic-Con, mistaken for a cosplayer, Betty befriends ardent fan Trisha (Angelica Hale) and her friend or possibly family member jazz musician Dwayne (Ainsley Melham).

Slightly melancholy, lonely child? Check. Charming, non-threatening love interest? Check. The final plot requirement – of solving some kind of corruption – is met by Trisha’s Aunt Carol (Anastacia McCleskey), the campaign manager for an unscrupulous mayoral candidate (Erich Bergen). But Betty’s trip to the real world poses a threat to her black-and-white one – without her, it has no reason to exist and will cease to unless she returns.

The predictable, if charming, story is enhanced by the stellar comedic charms of the cast. Making a thrilling Broadway debut as Betty, Jasmine Amy Rogers elevates the show with seemingly endless charm. Wig and hair designer Sabana Majeed and costume designer Gregg Barnes have styled her to depict Betty’s simultaneous allure and innocence. Rogers sings and speaks in a cartoonish voice that somehow achieves cuteness without being cloying and performs Jerry Mitchell’s athletic choreography – whether tap or flap(per) with exuberance.

Mitchell, who both directed and choreographed the production, has never been better, as displayed the second-act opener “Where Is Betty?” is a stunning spectacle. He capably maintains the tone of the show, entertaining without striving for it to be deeper than it is. Betty’s inevitable growth as she navigates the real world is sincere without seeming falsely noble. She does decide she is tired of being chased around desks by men, but she does not burst into a feminist song that would have felt obligatory or disingenuous given the tone of the rest of the show. Her romance with Dwayne is sweetly innocent – Melham has a lovely voice and dances with the easy charm reminiscent of Fred Astaire – and their guaranteed happy ending is both relaxing and gratifying.

Enacting a more mature romance is Grampy (DeRosa, absolutely hilarious) and Valentina (Faith Prince, equally funny), a scientist he met decades prior during another trip to the real world. The stage veterans bounce off of each other beautifully as they rekindle their romance.

Bergen easily personifies the smarmy political candidate, and McCleskey brings a cheerful maturity to the story. Also along for the ride is Betty’s pet dog Pudgy, an adorable puppet operated by Phillip Hube, who accompanies Grampy into the real world to find Betty and bring her back to the black-and-white world. Both worlds are brought to life by Philip S. Rosenberg’s lighting and David Rockwell’s set, along with Finn Ross’s projections.

The only character who seems exaggerated is Trish, whose hymn in awe of Betty Boop, “Portrait of Betty,” feels too worshipful to be believable and is out of place amongst the rest of Foster’s score. I could be mistaken; the unfortunately unbalanced sound mixing drowned out many of the lyrics.

Boop! is hardly groundbreaking, but it’s very sweet and undeniably fun. And in today’s world, no one can begrudge someone indulging in that.