Credit: ITMMany pop culture fans would think the first animated film to feature a fair-skinned damsel with seven dwarf companions, and an evil queen would be Walt Disney’s famous adaptation. Yet, the first animated retelling of Snow White premiered four years beforehand, starring the now legendary cherub-faced flapper Betty Boop.
She was a creation of the Fleischer brothers who were inspired by the sultry jazz singers of the 1920s. Betty Boop would initially make her first appearance in a series of shorts throughout the Great Depression in the 1930s. She would become a surprise hit with audiences as she was seen as a dramatization of the famous starlet Greta Garbo.
Betty Boop had an iconic, distinctive look with her flapper-style minidress, short hair, big eyes, and cheeky leg garter located above her knee. While many popular female animated characters functioned solely as sidekicks or love interests, Betty was the leading character in her shorts.
She would later become a feminist icon because even though she was drawn to represent the ultimate “sexy woman,” she would use her femininity to her advantage. Betty would serve as a precursor to Barbie as she took on a series of different roles. Her occupations would vary from racecar driver to circus performer to even a presidential candidate.
The character would eventually fade from popularity, but she would have a reemergence in the 1950s when Paramount acquired the rights to her shorts. This nostalgia comeback would lead to hot-selling merchandise as she would finally become a permanent fixture within pop culture history in tandem with Felix the Cat, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.
This classic animated star has now been turned into a Broadway musical. “BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical” will finally make its debut this year. The journey to cast the star to sell this character would be daunting, but Tony Award-winning choreographer, Jerry Mitchell chose the rising songstress Jasmine Amy Rogers.
Rogers received her breakout performance as Gretchen Wieners in the national tour of “Mean Girls.” Mitchell stated that, “From the moment Jasmine walked into a room and shared that magnificent smile and her contagious laugh, you know you are in the presence of Betty Boop.” He continued, “Jasmine could do everything – acting, singing, dancing. I know her performance will capture the hearts of audiences of all ages.” Despite the confidence in his choice, some fans of the character have still given mixed feedback about Rogers’ casting.
THERE IS GOING TO BE A BETTY BOOP MUSICAL AND SHE LOOKS STUNNING pic.twitter.com/GMMsKyEwZm
— Toony Loony II (@TLoonatic) September 27, 2023
“BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical” is set to have a pre-Broadway run at Chicago’s CIBC Theatre from November 19, 2023 to December 24, 2023.
Are you excited for this musical? Is Betty Boop still relevant? What do you think of the casting choice?