00063: BOOP! BROADWAY MUSICAL

Theatre historians considered the musical Oklahoma! (1943) as the work that epitomized the "book musical." In fact, it is often said that the history of musical theatre is divided into everything before Oklahoma! and everything after Oklahoma! Although, enough time has passed to have other musicals as breakpoints in history, Oklahoma! is also the musical that marks the beginning of the "Golden age of Musical Theatre." 

Fast forward to the 2000s, where Broadway musical creators are experimenting with new musical theatre structural forms and approaches while utilizing different music genres that may or may not work or may or may not be accepted by the audience (think Hamilton, for example.) Now let's jump to the present, 2025, where a new musical at the Broadhurst Theatre is playing, BOOP! The Musical. 

This new musical based on the beloved Betty Boop cartoon, uses a traditional musical classic structure that works perfectly. Opening and closing with big showstopper musical numbers in its two acts, BOOP! follows a linear plot structure as the story jumps back and forth from Betty Boop's cartoon world in the 1930s and our "real" world in New York City in 2025. 

BOOP! The Musical combines two different separate looks: black and white in the 1930s and color in the present time. And while in Betty's world the look is black and white and the costumes sparkle, in our world the look is in color and the costumes standout because, well, it is New York City, and no other city in the country can give the weird of Times Square, like theatre does. Yet, no matter the colorful strangeness of the Big Apple or the lack of color in Betty's world, the show offers elaborate (and magical) props, set pieces combined with AI projections, and non-stop tap dance numbers to satisfy your musical theatre thirst. 

With a modern look but following a classical musical theatre structure, BOOP! The Musical gives us exactly what is expected, a linear story line, a leading couple, a supporting couple, an antagonist (in the form of a modern politician), a goal for the main character (Betty) to achieve, and of course, a love story. And as Betty tries to find herself and achieve her goal, she has the opportunity to inspire and help others along the way. Yes, this musical is a traditional musical in every sense of the word, but this doesn't mean it is boring or uninterested. On the contrary. It is entertaining, and funny, and energetic, and filled with surprises and comedy from start to finish. 

The star of the story is Betty Boop, and the star of this show is its leading lady Jasmine Amy Rogers, who has, deservedly so, been nominated for a TONY as Best Actress in a Musical. She embodies the look, the voice, the sensuality, the cartoonish body look, and the spirit of Betty Boop. It is amazing to see how Ms. Rogers behaves, moves, and talks like the Betty Boop cartoon among a world full of mostly humans. In fact, after seeing her performance, she deserves that Tony Award above one of my favorite actresses, Audra MacDonald, who is also nominated in the same category. 

Another great performance comes from Stephen DeRosa who plays Grampy. His comedic timing and body language is just on point, and his character is written with some of the best nerdy scientific lines, remind us of Doc from "Back to the Future." Perhaps this is the reason why he didn't get a Tony nomination. But both Jerry Mitchell and Gregg Barnes received nominations for Best Choreography and Best Costumes respectively. 

An outstanding performance comes from Angelica Hale who plays Trisha, a 13-year old girl who sees Betty Boop as her hero but doesn't see herself as one. Her voice is powerful and her acting's strong. Another strong performance is Ainsley Melham who plays Dwayne becoming Betty's love inserts. He has a stage presence you can't ignore and he's definitely a triple threat actor with good acting, singing, and dancing chops. 

Overall, BOOP! The Musical is very entertaining and fun to watch. The opening number, "A Little Versatility," is a classic Broadway tap dance musical number and so is the opening number in Act Two, "Where is Betty?" The same can be said about both the closing number in Act One and Act Two. Both musical numbers get your blood pumping, your energy up, and your spirits way high. But the tour de force here is the 11 o'clock number, "Something to Shut About," sang by no other than Jasmine Amy Rogers, as Betty, standing on stage, by herself in a beautiful sparkling Betty Boop-like dress. 

There are other highlights, of course, even a funny, yet creepy musical number that makes you laugh while keeping you feeling uneasy. This number, "Take It to the Next Level," was hilarious to watch yet unsettling because it is sang by politician Raymond Demarest, play disgustingly good by Erich Bergen. It isn't disgusting because it is sang by a politician but rather due to what the character has in mind toward Betty while singing it. But, it's all good because in a traditional musical comedy fashion the character gets what he deserves. 

At the end, BOOP! The Musical is a gem that I'm sure it will have a commercial success, and once the rights are available, the show will be produced at colleges, universities, and community theaters all over the country, that is, of course, if the government allows the arts to survive. 

Boop! The Musical did not get a "Best Musical" nomination. I am going to assume that the lack of nomination comes from its straight forward and very light bubbly story. As a musical comedy it is good, but I'm sure that what's missing is a little bit of depth in the characters and the story. It is unfortunate I don't get to see all the musicals nominated in the "Best Musical Category." I would have love to see how they're fair when compering to this bubbly and entertaining gem that is Boop! The Musical.

The bows at the end of the show!

00062: BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (Broadway Musical)

I knew that attending a musical about Cuban music was going to be contagiously fun and entertaining. I also knew that the new broadway musical, Buena Vista Social Club was going to be a story about the musical group's history and their songs. What I didn't know was that such musical was going to not only give me a very illuminating lecture on that history, but also carried me through the member's social-economical, racial, cultural, and emotional journeys of this internationally known musical group.

As soon as the musical company members appear on stage, the audience knows we are in for a true musical journey. To start, the orchestra (in this case, the musical "instrument members" of the Buena Vista Social Club) are on stage from start to finish. The band opens and closes the show with two very contagious, very entertaining, and very upbeat songs. And as soon as our narrator appears (Juan de Marcos played by Justin Cunningham) on stage to tell us the story of the music group, we are transported to Havana, Cuba between the years 1958 and 1996.

The musical is about how this group of musicians came together in 1996 to create their now infamous album. But it is through the character, Omara Portuondo (played by two actresses: Youn Omara by Isa Antonetti in 1958 and Omara by Natalie Venetia Belcon in 1996 (nominated for Best Feature Actress in a musical) that we are transported to the days when these musicians were young, energetic, and full of life artists fighting to survive in a Cuba that was about to explode and change the country and its habitants forever. 

If you want to know about the history, how the group came together, and more, watch the 1999 and 2017 documentaries. The album from the club was release in 1997 by 1998 they were an international success. The documentary, titled "Buena Vista Social Club," includes interviews with members of the band as it follows them through their two main lineup concerts, one in Amsterdam and one in NYC at Carnegie Hall. And then, 16 years later, a second documentary titled, "Buena Vista Social Club: Adios," follows five of the original band members from the first film as they go on one final musical proyect, as it recalls their ups and downs over the years. And now that the "history lesson" is over, I must get back and talk why this new Broadway musical received 10 TONY nominations including one for Best Musical.

Whether the story being told on stage, about the musicians and their lives and relationships is true or not, what makes this musical not only engaging but also deeply moving is the book written by Marco Ramirez, nominated for a TONY for Best Book of a Musical. The way he weaves the story and connects it to the characters' lives, their emotional path and decisions is so clear and strong that when a musical number (an original song from the Buena Vista Social Club is performed) that song--sang completely in Spanish--soars in the air with meaning and emotional gravitas. Yes, the music is contagious and uplifting but the meaning behind the songs are far more emotional and weight heavy on us as we connect each musical number to a situation created by the character's lives. 

Through the witnessing of the characters' lives in 1958 and the band reunion in 1996, we not only witness great musical art in the making but we also learn about racism, social class, discrimination, colorism, revolt, and about a Cuba that is about to become what it is today. To me, though, what truly grabbed me from the start and did not let me go, not even after I left the theater, was the choreography by Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck (also nominated for a TONY), which not only combines the sensuality and rhythms of music genres such as son, boleros, and danzón, but also the internal emotional turmoil the characters are experiencing. 

When Young Ibrahim, played by Wesley Wray sings for the first time, the song, "Bruce Maniguá" the music and choreography are combined with rhythms and movements that invoke the harshness of slavery and the realities of being a black person, who might be "free" but still is oppressed because of their skin color. It is here, in this song, with a choreographed dance filled with sensuality and raw, sharp movements, where without noticing, tears ran down my face. From then on, I completely surrendered my entire being to the musical experience and storytelling. All this is due because the story is very moving, emotional, and palpable, and because of the characters' struggles and situations grab you from the start and do not let you go until they are done with their stories, their dancing, and their singing. 

But the story, the singing, the acting, and the dancing are not the only stars of this musical. There is also lighting, costumes, sound, and set design. All of these technical elements come cohesively together to highlight the musical's themes and messages, and to create the mood, the atmosphere, and focus needed within each scene and throughout the story. Every technical element is not only designed with clarity and purpose but it is also executed with exactitude, enhancing the power of the music, underlining the beauty of the story, and highlighting the poetry of the songs. 

The musical received 10 very well-deserved TONY nominations that also include, best director, best orchestration, best scenic design, best costume design, best lighting design, best sound design, and of course, best musical. I have not had the opportunity to see all the musicals that were nominated for best musical category. Unfortunately, I won't see them all, but I can comfortably say that Buena Vista Social Club is in fact, a very strong contender in the Best Musical Tony Award category. As a side note, the musicians who make up the musical's band "Buena Vista Social Club" will receive a Special Tony Award for their work. 

Whether the musical receives the big prize or not, what it is needed now is a pro-shot recording of this production. There is so a lot to learn and discuss from its music, songs, characters, story, and from these great Cuban artists, as well as from the creators of the show and the artistic team, that seeing the show once is not enough. And because of its importance and influence in the music world, the musical needs to be accessible to every one around the world. "Every Cuban Song has a Story to Tell" is a caption found in an program's insert that contains a letter from Juan de Marcos and explanations of the songs. As a Broadway musical, Buena Vista Social Club, like the album from 1996 and the documentaries from 1999 and 2017, deserved to be recorded and preserved for future generations to witness, to enjoy, but overall, to understand how these wonderful musical artists created music that connects with the world. 

A taste of the energy of the show! 

00061: SMASH, BROADWAY MUSICAL

Another visit to NYC and another round of Broadway musicals to enjoy, well, at least that is the hope. The first show to see this week was the musical SMASH, which is based or inspired, or whatever, on the hit TV series with the same name. It is being produced at the Imperial Theatre on 45th Street.

SMASH is a musical about the making of a musical, in this case, the making of "Bombshell: The Marylin Monroe Story." Unfortunately for "Bombshell," the music composer and the lyricist, a married couple with a long list of flops, aren't writing very good songs and/or scenes. Or maybe they are writing very good songs and/or scenes but the director of "Bombshell" and the leading actress in it don't think the songs and/or scenes are that good. Or maybe everything is good but only the closing number is not good. Or maybe the bad thing is the director who has no guts to do his job, or the leading actress with a diva complex, or the choreographer who is also a great singer and ends up taking over the main role, despite the fact they have an understudy, or maybe the fault lands on the composer and lyricist who are fighting all the time because they are frustrated and one of them is going to therapy and becoming an alcoholic. Or maybe... but their show is "almost there. Almost." 

Unfortunately for SMASH, it is exactly the mess and frustration found within the making of "Bombshell" that makes this TV series turned musical into an underwhelming experience that still feels as if it was in out-of-town tryouts. To be cleared, I am not comparing the TV series to the musical and I wasn't expecting the musical to even be like the TV series. These are two different medias and they need to be approached differently.

Within the plot of "Bombshell," mostly everyone complains about the "speaking scenes" not being funny, and "why are there speaking scenes in a musical when no one expects anyone to talk?," but ironically though, it is precisely these scenes within "Bombshell" that make the musical SMASH entertaining, not the songs or the dance numbers, either found within "Bombshell" or out of it. 

There were times when I felt that SMASH could had been better as a spoof/satire about the making of a musical. And by this I mean, that instead of an actual musical, it would have been better to create a satire about making a musical because believe me, the only fun part in SMASH as a musical, where the scenes within "Bombshell." Those "speaking scenes" within the musical were entertaining and laugh out loud funny. But the rest? The musical numbers? The ones within "Bombshell" and the ones in SMASH, they were underwhelming and quickly forgotten.

Like "Bombshell," SMASH is a real mess, which is also ironic. The song that is supposed to be their big highlight is "Let Me Be Your Star," but honestly it just doesn't do much and it is quickly forgotten. What I remember though is the performance of Caroline Bowman as she sings the song "They Just Keep Moving the Line." That song was a showstopper and the one that should have been the 11 O'Clock number, instead we get Robyn Hurder as Ivy Lynn playing Marilyn Monroe singing 'I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl!" and that song is visually and energetically a flop. 

But just because SMASH is not a good musical--it only received two TONY nominations by the way, it doesn't mean the actors are not good. They all did a fantastic job, especially Brooks Ashmanskas, as Nigel, the director of "Bombshell," (Nominated for Best Actor in a Musical) and I truly thought Caroline Bowman deserved a nomination too. Instead, while the choreography wasn't that spectacular and it felt boring an flat, Joshua Bergasse received the nomination.

Overall, SMAH isn't a smash and I don't think it will ever become one either. It had the potential to become a great hit, but like the composer and lyricist in "Bombshell," the composer and lyricist in SMASH did what they had to do, with what they got. The book, although it had some funny and entertaining scenes within "Bombshell," wasn't that strong, and that makes SMASH, a wreck.  

00059: GYPSY WITH AUDRA MAcDONALD (BROADWAY)

January 12, 20255

As someone who teaches musical theatre and has dedicated his last 10 years of teaching to centering people of color within the theatre world, I have talked about George C. Wolfe and other African American theatre artist who have tried to break the Broadway mold. Going to see Gypsy was not about seeing the musical but the work of George C. Wolfe as director and the star of the show, Audra McDonald.

During the fall semester, I talked about Shuffle Along (among many other shows), which was done on Broadway in 1921, and how this musical was an influence to many other musicals of the time. I also talked about George C. Wolfe and his reimagining of the musical, giving it a new titled, Shuffle Along or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and all that Followed. And while I never saw the adaptation, I know a few things about it to understand that George C. Wolfe tried to make a statement in regards to African American entertainers and Broadway. And so, with this in mind, I took my seat at the Majestic Theatre to enjoy the greatness of Audra and Wolfe, but I was not ready for what was about to happen. 

To say that the production under George C. Wolf was spectacular is an understatement. To say that Audra was a marvel to watch on stage is diminishing her talent. Both the direction and acting were strong (as expected) and far more emotional and challenging (in a good way) than expected. I also anticipated the director to make settle but very important statements about race with the production. He didn't disappoint. 

The music, the lyrics, and the story are all great, most of us know that. After all, the majority of historians and theatre critics considered Gypsy the best musical ever written. They are not wrong, okay, we are not wrong. The sets, the lights, the costumes, and the makeup, were all, of course, on point. The acting, the singing, and the dancing, as well as the choreography were also all excellent. What I want to concentrate on, instead, is the directorial approach by Wolfe and the interpretation of Rose by McDonald.

To start, when Rose "collects" the different boys that will be part of June's act, all the boys are African American. I expected this because this is George C. Wolfe and he could make that happen. Also, Rose and her two daughters are African American so it made sense to have an ensemble of Black boys. But once the musical number that serves to show the passing of time comes around and the boys "grow up," they are all replaced by White teenagers. And while this switch may not have a significance to many in the audience, it does become a very important choice and statement from the director. It sets up the question: Why make such change? The answer, of course, comes later in the story. 

Second: When June and Louise find themselves waiting for her mother and George to discuss their new vaudeville contract with an influential producer, the two sisters sing the musical number "If Mama was Married." It is here in this number where we clearly see two sisters who, although love their mother, have started to develop a desire to be free from their mother's tight grip. But while Louise (played by Joy Woods) always sings the phrase "if mama was married," in a sweet tone, projecting a hope that she may or may not be able to reach, June sings the same phrase with anger, projecting a very strong resentment towards her mother.

Never before have I seen such interpretation of the song. People, including myself, laughed at some of the commentary the girls made about their mother, and we also start to feel sorry for the young women. With Jordan Tyson in the role of June, you also start to see how this song becomes the moment when June expresses the hate she feels toward her own mother. While both actresses have strong voices, sing with energy, and beautiful harmonies, their interpretation under Wolfe's direction, turns this song into a foreshadowing and a sad reality for the sisters, who, sooner or later will have to be strong enough to disengage from their mother, especially June who is now showing us a life that is horrifying to her rather than filled with joy. Her anger and resentment is real.

Later in the story, Rose finds out that June and one of the boys from the act have gotten married behind her back; they also have eloped. Rose, then decides that Louise will now lead their vaudevillian act but instead of creating a new act for Louise, Rose simply tries to make Louise like June, forceing her to wear June's blonde wig. But Louise isn't happy with Rose's choice so she tells her mother, "I don't want to be blonde; I want to use my own black hair." It is at this moment when we are able to connect the reason why Rose "switched" from having young black boys to white teens. We come to realized that Rose not only wanted June to be successful in show business, but understood that in oder to "make it," June needed to portray the "blonde beauty." This is a very poignant moment in the musical because without changing anything in the musical, in terms of its writing, Mr. Wolfe highlights the difficulty and struggles vaudeville black troupes experienced (and how today Black actors continue to experience) in show business. Rose's decision to replace her black boys for white teenagers is a "smart" career move, and a smart directorial decision to highlight the struggle of Black entertainers. 

Let's move now to Audra's performance. From the start, Audra commands attention, mainly because she is a powerhouse on stage. One cannot help but to cheer and clap the moment she enters. But also because the way she slowly injects little acting choices to Mama Rose. At first, she's just a regular stage mom, with demands about this and that. But soon, we start to see beyond the strong-will woman who wants her daughter June to succeed in show business. We start to see her obsession, her over-powering control over every single detail of those around her, including George (played incredibly strong by Danny Burstein), who slowly and surely figures out that Rose has only one objective: show business. 

As the story develops, Audra's Rose start to show signs of weakness and fear. "Everyone always leaves me," she tells us. And while we all may feel sorry for her, we quickly start to understand that it is her own doing that makes people leave. I was closed enough to see Audra's eyes twitch, her hands tremble, her mind drifting in thought whenever a situation became difficult. When June leaves, Rose only allows her a few seconds in her mind, and you almost see the pain in Audra's face, but, all of the sudden, she hides her pain by deciding to rebuild the vaudeville act with Louise at the front. 

Later, when the day comes for Rose to marry George, we all know is not going to happen because, in  previous scene, when George asked her to marry her, Rose's answer was "yes," but Audra's body language and facial expression was telling us otherwise-the twitching and hand-shaking was there again. The day of the wedding, we see Rose feeling uneasy, and it is Audra's defeated body language and mumbling lines that let us know that not only her show business dream has come to an end, but also that she does not want to marry the man that loves her. Yet there is no escape for she promised George to marry him when their vaudeville act contract ended. And by now, all the members of their vaudeville act have gone, so she must fulfill her promise. Yet, when she suddenly hears that the headliner for the burlesque act is nowhere to be found and that the show is in a bind, Audra's body suddenly perks up, and as if hit by a lightning bolt, Rose is full of energy and decision making, telling the burlesque director that her daughter Louise can fill the lead's spot. It is here where George comes to a realization and decides to leave Rose as she sacrifices her daughter Louise's freedom and happiness, over a burlesque act.

And so, Louise becomes the infamous Gypsy Rose Lee, and even with all her success, she isn't able to make her mother Rose entirely happy. We see a depressed woman now, and, at the same time, a woman who sacrificed everything for her daughters, and who also regrets not being under the spotlight herself. When Audra sing the gut-wrenching last song ("Rose's Turn") we are witnesses to a woman who slowly starts to deteriorate before our very own eyes. The repetition of the lyrics and the inability to sing some of them, suddenly become hunting, shocking, and horrifying as we see Rose loosing her composure, her mind, and her spirit. By the end of the song, we are devastated because Mrs. McDonald delivers one of the most powerful interpretations of the song ever done before. The Rose we met at the top of the show is no more. Yes, many actresses before Mrs. MacDonal have belted the song to stratosphere levels, Audra doesn't need to do that, all she needs to do is deliver a powerful interpretive performance, which she does as no one ever before. And that brought not only chills but tears to Louise, who is watching her mother from the sidelines, and also to the eyes of many audience members, including me. 

At the end of the song, the audience stood up on their feet, given Mrs. McDonald an almost five-minute ovation that was only stopped by Louise's first line in the last scene, and while in prior performances Louise has walked off stage, leaving her mother behind, or has walked off stage and has signaled Rose to join her, in this production, Louise gives her mother her expensive lush fur shoulder boa and a very strong heart-felt hug. Then, showing her compassion, offers Rose her hand, and slowly both, mother and daughter walk off into the sunset. And the tears continue. 

GYPSY BOWS

This musicals gets four very emotional snaps!

00057: SUNSET BOULEVARD (BROADWAY)

January 13, 2025

Before I start my review on this Broadway revival, let me be very transparent about one thing: I DO NOT LIKE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S MUSIC. I find it simplistic, repetitive (read boring), and from a whole musical theatre composition one or two song are good and the rest are just noise. And while I will never be able to compose a single musical group of two notes myself, I believe his musical theatre compositions are to theatre what pop music is to music in general: catering to the simplistic mind. You may agree or disagree with me. That isn't important.

Now that such thing is out of the way, allow me to talk about the Broadway production of SUNSET BLVD's revival. This production was excellent, not because of the music and/or lyrics, but because of its directorial concept and approach. 

The musical is based on the 1950's film of the same name, a film that was done in black and white and received an OSCAR for its art direction (being filmed in black and white.) The revival's director, Jamie Lloyd, took note of such achievement and follow on such steps by presenting the musical as a black and white cinematic concept. Such approach paid off. 

The actors wear black costumes with touches of white here and there, a white t-shirt, a white tank top, or white socks, or a hint of white in some of the costumes. The lighting is stark, harsh, and white, and coming from all directions, projecting giant shadow on the standing walls found in front of the proscenium arch. There is no set, just an empty stage where actors are free to move as slow as possible, or a fast as needed, and in configurations where the choreography at times is dance moves, at times is interpretive dancing, and at times is simply artistic movement. Add to that movie cameras manipulated by different chorus members, projecting the actors on stage and/or close ups of specific actors on a giant moveable screen that appears and disappears, and you have a musical that is being done not only onstage but also on the screen as a black and white movie. The result, a cinematic feast on a live stage. Pure art!

Mandy Gonzalez

The original actress playing Norma Desmond is Nicole Scherzinger, which according to reviews and word of mouth is fantastic in the role. I, however got to see Mandy Gonzalez and I couldn't be happier because as a Latinx Theatre artists, seeing another Latinx Theatre artist in such a role brings personal pride. I only mention this fact because in the show I saw, all the original cast, but one of the actor, performed on stage, and all of them did a wonderful job. 

This review is not about the music or the lyrics or the musical composition, trust me, it is not. There are a couple of songs that stand out ("Sunset Boulevard" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye"), but nothing else. does This review is about the directorial concept and the technical aspects of the show, which make the musical bearable to watch. Honestly, I was bored with the music but the lighting, the choreography, and the camera work kept me paying attention, even when I wanted to leave. 

As I said before, all the actors did a wonderful job in their roles as actors and singers. The chorus also played an incredible role in this production and they all did an excellent job. It is the music that doesn't really convince me. Several times I heard short snipes from other shows: CATS, Evita, Phantom. And like in the other musicals, in Sunset Blvd, only a couple of songs become a highlight. But the visual creation on stage and the camera work, brought the scenes to life and gave them new perspective. 

Before the Show

There is one particular scenes when two characters are confessing their love for each other, even though they are dating other people. During this scene we see one of the other people on stage (Norma), in the background, hovering like a menacing shadow (and it does makes sense), while the other character being talked about is seen on the screen, crying, and as audience members we understand what is going on and how their heart is being or will be broken when learning that the women he loves is actually in love with someone else. This is an emotional moment that stays with us for a while. It is, because like in a film, the camera help us focus our attention on who is being affected by the scene being performed. It is scenes like this that makes this on stage musical, feel like a film. And for this reason, along with all the excellent technical work and directorial choices that Sunset Blvd is a good piece of theatre, as long as you are able to put up with the musical mediocrity of its composer. 

This Broadway revival gets two artistic snaps.