One That Got Away: Boop! The Musical

One That Got Away:

Boop! The Musical

As I write this, they probably haven't even started the load out of Boop! The Musical at the Broadhurst yet. But that doesn't mean I'm not already disappointed that I missed it, because I am. I have many reasons why it happened - too many shows opened, not enough time to see everything, etc. Maybe I missed it because I don't know that much about Betty Boop, but that's a flimsy excuse. I knew next to nothing about Buena Vista Social Club or Operation Mincemeat, but I still managed to see them. Perhaps the closest to the truth is because I don't have a good history with comics turned musical - I hate Annie with a passion, and maybe the less I say about Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark the better. (I've seen both of those several times...)

 

But there are many reasons why I regret not paying a visit to see Betty. First, everything I've seen and heard about it looks like a lot of fun, traditional musical at its finest. Second, I am a huge fan of Jerry Mitchell - I've rarely missed one of his shows. His choreography is never less than exceptional. Finally, and probably the biggest regret I have is that I will never be able to say I saw the Broadway debut of star-in-the-making, Jasmine Amy Rogers. I have every intention of seeing everything else she does. 

Boop! The Musical began its 25 previews on March 11, 2025 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it opened on April 5, 2025. It closed on Sunday, July 13, 2025 after 112 performances. The show was nominated for three 2025 Tony Awards: Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Costume Design of a Musical (Gregg Barnes) and Best Actress in a Musical (Jasmine Amy Rogers). Ms. Rogers won a Theatre World Award, an Outer Critic Circle Award, and a Drama Desk Award for her performance.

Friday 5: 5 Iconic Props of the 2024-2025 Season

If I said, "rolling pin and chaste silver razor" or "a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold," you'd probably know right away what Broadway show to which I am referring. These props have become synonymous with their respective productions. 

Over the years there have been many. Heck, just looking over the shows currently playing there are several. The genie's lamp is so iconic it is part of Aladdin's logo. Hadestown goes even farther - that red flower is not only on the Playbill cover, it adorns the outside of the Walter Kerr Theater! Then there's the golden quill from & Juliet, the green elixir from Wicked, Eliza's letter from Hamilton, and Ponyboy's journal from The Outsiders. At least some of those have achieved Sweeney Todd levels of notoriety, right?

Each season, I am always curious to see what will become the latest additions to the "Broadway's Iconic Props" list. Here's what I think they might be from the season just ended:

5 Iconic Props of the 2024-2025 Season

5. John Proctor is the Villain: Copies of The Crucible: Since Arthur Miller's classic figures so prominently in this play (and its title), it would seem odd not to have the scripts appear in the show. Every character in the play has a copy in their hands at least once. Very meta. 

4. Oh, Mary!: The Bucket: Ok, so it is gross, but completely necessary in this zany Tony-winning play. I won't go into details here, but if you know, you know!

3. Sunset Blvd.: The cameras: Everyone in the show had to be ready for their close-up! Given the way this revival is presented, this inclusion shouldn't be a surprise. I'll admit that before I saw it, I was prepared to be annoyed by them getting in the way. Now I can't imagine it without them. 

2. Death Becomes Her: The Potion Vail: This little purple vial is so important to this show, it not only appears in the show, and is part of the show logo, but it later shows up as a big set piece! Did the Wicked vial walk so this one could run?

1. Maybe Happy Ending: The Firefly Jar: That big jar starts out as a money holder, then transforms into a habitat for Claire's beloved fireflies. It is part of one of the most beautiful scenes of the entire season. I love that this is Claire's connection to nature, just as HwaBoon is Oliver's. Even Helperbots need life to make them feel whole.

A Special Note About HwaBoon: I'm betting many of you are thinking, "Jeff, how could you not pick the breakout prop of the year, HwaBoon?" Well, that's because he's come out as a character, NOT a prop. He even posted a pic from his dressing room with his script (left). You may have seen that he's also been getting around town, visiting Audrey II at Little Shop of Horrors, and as recently as last week, he visited the grasslands at The Lion King. I'd like to see Mrs. Lovett's rolling pin do that!

Inside the Playbill: Romance/Romance August 1988

 Inside the Playbill:

Romance/Romance August 1988

Almost 37 years ago, I took a summer trip to the Big Apple, fresh out of college and before putting my new Bachelor's degree to work! Of course, tickets to the biggest new shows - Into the Woods and The Phantom of the Opera - were impossible to get that soon after the Tony Awards, but I did get tickets to another of that season's Best Musical nominees. And really, after seeing their performance on the awards show, I wanted to see it very much. (I was instantly smitten with the very gallant and handsome leading man.) That show was the four-person musical, Romance/Romance, the antithesis of the 1980s mega-musical trend. I loved every minute of it!

Four actors, two one act musicals. Act One: The Little Comedy (turn of the 20th century Vienna). Act Two: Summer Share (modern day Hamptons).

I love when they put production photos in the Playbill. And it's interesting to look at the "At This Theatre" column - so much has happened at the Hayes in the past three and a half decades! (Click to enlarge the photos above.)

It's also a lot of fun to look at the listings - what was playing, who was playing. And it sure is interesting to see what was trending all those years ago, too.

The long-running hits were still going strong - A Chorus Line, Oh! Calcutta! and 42nd Street - and the Mega-musicals were packing them in - Cats, Les Miserables, Starlight Express, and now, The Phantom of the Opera. The artistic musicals also had their place - Sarafina!, Romance/Romance, and the now-classic Into the Woods. There were also some terrific play offerings, including Burn This, Broadway Bound, Speed-the-Plow and the new Tony-winning Best Play, M. Butterfly. Revivals showed theatergoers a great range of possibilities, from Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana, the jazzy Fats Waller revue, Ain't Misbehavin' to the sensation of the season, Lincoln Center's Cole Porter's Anything Goes.

And if you were looking for star power, there was no shortage then, either: Nell Carter, Patti LuPone, Joan Rivers, some guy named Denzel Washington, talk of the town Madonna, and John Lithgow. The once and future Eva Peron trod the boards of Broadway at the same time!

Romance/Romance ran for 15 previews and 297 performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre before closing there on January 15, 1989. It was nominated for 5 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Book (Barry Harman), Best Score (Music by Keith Herrmann, Lyrics by Barry Harman), Best Actor in a Musical (Scott Bakula), and Best Actress in a Musical (Alison Fraser).

Happy Pride 2025

Today is the last day of Pride Month 2025. So why wait until now to recognize it? To remind all of us that the month may end, but the fight continues today and every day.

Happy Pride, friends and allies!

Media Review: Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical on Disney+

Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical. Streaming on Disney+. Starring Samantha Barks, Laura Dawkes, Craig Gallivan, Jammu Kasongo, Oliver Ormson and Richard Frame. Directed for the Stage by Michael Grandage. Directed for film by Brett Sullivan. Filmed live at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End, London. 1 hour, 51 minutes.

Considering that the first pro-shot of a stage musical that played on Disney+ was the beautifully filmed Hamilton, it should be no surprise that their latest, Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical, is equally stunning to watch. While the fuller title certainly sets it apart from the animated version, it is a bit of a misnomer; the show wasn't really a Broadway hit, and the version presented here isn't the Broadway cast, but rather the London company. It is true that the West End production was more successful, though.

Featuring the complete Broadway creative team - designers, writers and direction, the film direction by Brett Sullivan has somehow captured a vision of the piece that seems much more vibrant, lavish and exciting than what I saw at the St. James a few years ago. Sure, some of that can be attributed to deft cutting and choice camera angles, but I have to admit there is just something, well, magical about this version. The best part of it all is that he has used the camera to also capture the feel of a live performance. There are fast glimpses of audience reactions, and there are also a few times that the camera is on stage with the actors, and we can see what they see at each performance. But it is also clear that the staging and some of the effects were upgraded for the London production, and I'm glad they were able to get this version on the record. Notably, the Act Two opener, "Hygge" has been revamped and re-choreographed, thank goodness. And Elsa's ice palace seems much more lavish than ever before. That said, the whole thing still comes off as a rather bland version of the film upon which is based. What worked in New York works here, what didn't work still doesn't.

As on Broadway, the West End version was blessed with a mostly excellent company, and here is proof that Frozen on stage is only as good as the cast that performs it. Solid performances all around come from the supporting cast, including charming turns by Ashley J. Daniels and Jacqui Sanchez as Elsa and Anna's parents, as well as mystical performances from the leaders of the Hidden Folk, Ben Irish (Pabbie) and Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly (Bulda). Jak Skelly does what he can with the role of Oaken, saddled with "Hygge" and mostly sells it. Finally, Richard Frame makes an ideal Wesleton, so perfect is his imperious tone and sneer.

The main cast is also quite good, and I especially enjoyed the care with which the younger versions of Elsa (Elizabeth Lyons) and Anna (Martha Bailey Vine) were directed so as not to be sticky sweet, and to establish physical movements that their later adult counterparts mimicked. It really is the little things when performances are filmed. Sweet reindeer Sven (credited as both Ashley Birchall and Mikayla Jade) is simply adorable and always a welcome presence. I don't think Craig Gallivan's Olaf could be any cuddlier, and he really sells the beloved throw away number, "In Summer."

 

As a lovable, awkward goofball ice man, Kristoff, Jammy Kalongo shines, but really steps up with a nice bit of swagger as he becomes a hero to Anna. Conversely, watching Oliver Ormson strut around the stage with a suave and endearing bravado as Hans; when he reveals his true intentions is is actually chilling to watch (no pun intended)

Of course, the entire thing wouldn't work without solid acting from Elsa and Anna. Let me say straight away that I am a Samantha Barks fan, and had very high expectations for her as Elsa. And she wasn't bad. But I was kind of disappointed over all. I mean there's cold and distant and then there's icing out any connection to the audience. To be fair, you could see her really working at the inner torture she was feeling, and she was really superb in her 11 o'clock number, "Monster." But - and it's a big one - her big number, "Let It Go" was, well, efficient. Efficient, not spectacular. (She will inevitably be compared unfavorably to both Idina and Caissie.) On the other hand, Laura Dawkes' Anna nearly stole the show. An accomplished physical comedienne, and gorgeous character singer, she managed to evoke her animated counterpart and make the role entirely her own. She never overplayed her hand - no mugging, no exaggeration. She was just pure joy from start to finish, save for a few beautifully rendered dramatic moments. I'd love to see her do something on Broadway - I could always use such a jolt of joy.

For me, Frozen will never be what I dreamed it could have been as a stage musical - a different director and more Disney magic could help. But I am glad it was filmed and distributed so that maybe a new generation of theatergoers may be created.

Broadway Quiz: Best Musical Theaters

With its Best Musical Tony win, Maybe Happy Ending became the first Best Musical to open at the Belasco Theatre. You'll note that their ad announcing this achievement qualifies it by saying "Original Musical." That's because the original production of Ain't Misbehavin' played part of its Tony-winning run at the Belasco; it is a revue/jukebox musical. Still, that show didn't start there!

So, where did it open? What about the other Best Musicals? That's the stuff of this week's Broadway Quiz!

Broadway Quiz: Best Musical Theaters

DIRECTIONS: The correct answers are based on the original productions and the theater where they began their runs.

1. A Chorus Line

    A. The Imperial        B. The Schoenfeld    C. The Shubert    D. The Cort

2. Annie

    A. The Alvin    B. The Virginia    C. The Winter Garden    D. The Neil Simon

3. Evita

    A. The Marquis    B. The Winter Garden    C. The Broadway    D. The Broadhurst

4. The Wiz

    A. The Marquis    B. The Majestic    C. The Nederlander    D. The Palace

5. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!

    A. The Al Hirschfeld     B. The 46th Street    C. The Rodgers    D. The Booth

6. All of these Best Musicals opened at the St. James Theatre EXCEPT:

    A. Hello, Dolly!    

    B. Two Gentleman of Verona

    C. The King and I

    D. Sunset Boulevard

7. Which THREE currently running Best Musical and Best Musical from the past pairs below are correct?

    A. Sunset Blvd./The Producers

    B. The Book of Mormon/Big River

    C. Hamilton/Nine

    D. The Outsiders/Once

8. TRUE or FALSE: The entire original Broadway run of Thoroughly Modern Millie played the Marquis Theatre.

9. Two Sondheim Best Musicals opened at the Alvin Theatre (now known as the Neil Simon Theatre). They are:

    A. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

    B. Follies

    C. Passion

    D. Company

10. TRUE or FALSE: To date, the Booth Theatre has had only one Best Musical, Kimberly Akimbo, but it has been home to two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals.

***Ain't Misbehavin' opened at the Longacre Theatre, the first and only Best Musical to play there.

Summer is Closing Time on Broadway

Summer is Closing Time on Broadway

On Sunday, June 8th, Broadway celebrated a very successful season. Attendance was up, grosses were up and a huge number of shows opened. The headlines squawked about "Broadway is Back!" and pre-Covid levels, etc. And analysts talked about grosses being inflated due to certain ticket prices, movie stars, etc. The fact is there are many reasons behind the success of the 2024-2025 season.

Similarly, there are many reasons why there are just as many - if not more - reasons for the inevitable list of failures from the same season. And again, there are many reasons behind them. But it strikes me as interesting that theater fans and pundits alike are lighting up social media with shock and disbelief that there are so many impending closures. After all, this purge happens at the end of every season. For better or worse, that is part and parcel of a Broadway show's life cycle.

Between June 8th and August 31st this year, 16 Broadway shows will have closed, that we know of as of today. Some were never intended to run beyond a set time. Others just couldn't make ends meet long enough:

June 8th Closings:

Othello - Limited engagement

Good Night, and Good Luck - Limited engagement

June 22 Closings:

Floyd Collins - Scheduled closing/economics didn't indicate extension

The Last 5 Years - Limited engagement

SMASH - Economics

June 28 Closing:

Glengarry Glen Ross - Limited engagement

  

June 29 Closings:

Dead Outlaw - Economics

Real Women Have Curves  - Economics

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends - Limited engagement/extended

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Limited engagement

July 13 Closing:

Boop! - Economics

July 20 Closing:

Sunset Blvd. - Limited engagement/twice extended

  

July 27 Closing:

Pirates! The Penzance Musical - Limited engagement/extended

August 17 Closing:

Call Me Izzy - Limited engagement

August 31 Closing:

John Proctor is the Villain - Limited engagement/extended

Purpose - Limited engagement/extended

So if you look at the list, save for four shows, none of these closures should be a surprise. Six of them were even extended! 

Why all the doomsday talk? Is it short term memory - this happens every season? Is it lack of knowledge about scheduled closures? I think it is a little bit of both, but I also think this year's crop is a bit harder to take because most of these shows got excellent reviews and great word of mouth. And most of these shows have loud and proud fan bases, so it probably feels a bit personal. I get it. Whenever a favorite closes, whatever the reason, it hurts.

I won't go into the other factors that cause shows to close so fast. There are many and it is very complicated. But one thing remains true: sometimes, lousy shows will run and great shows will close fast. It has always been that way.

  

But there is a bright side to it all. There's a little show that was rumored to not even be opening at all - Maybe Happy Ending - which just won 6 Tonys, including the coveted Best Musical. And let's not forget Oh, Mary! which opened last summer for a "limited engagement," continues its sold out run, and is currently scheduled to close on January 4, 2026. You never can tell!