Broadway's 'Boop!' Calls It Quits Despite Tony-Nominated Star

Mia Reynolds, 6/26/2025"Boop! The Musical" is set to close on July 13 after struggling with low ticket sales despite a Tony-nominated performance by Jasmine Amy Rogers. The production, which reimagined a beloved cartoon character, marks yet another disappointment in a challenging Broadway season filled with early show exits.

The show dared to reimagine Betty Boop's black-and-white world as a technicolor New York City spectacle. And boy, did it have moments that sparkled — none brighter than Jasmine Amy Rogers, whose star-making turn as the iconic flapper earned her both a Tony nod and a shared Drama Desk Award alongside Broadway royalty Audra McDonald.

Here's the thing about Rogers' performance: she didn't just play Betty Boop — she reinvented her for 2025. No small feat, considering the character's been around since your grandparents were doing the Charleston.

The numbers, though? They tell a different story. Weekly grosses barely scratched $600,000, with houses running at 80% capacity on good days. That's tough math for any show, let alone one carrying a $26 million price tag. In today's Broadway landscape, even Tony nominations don't guarantee you'll keep the lights on.

Look, the creative team brought serious firepower. Jerry Mitchell's direction had all the snap and pizzazz you'd expect. David Foster's music, Susan Birkenhead's lyrics, and Bob Martin's book created something genuinely fresh — when's the last time anyone managed that with an almost century-old cartoon character?

But "Boop!" now joins an uncomfortably long list of early exits. It's the fourth show this season — after "Smash," "Real Women Have Curves," and "Dead Outlaw" — to announce its closure following a Tony Awards shutout. Something's gotta give in this economic equation, where astronomical production costs meet sky-high ticket prices in a game of theatrical chicken.

The ensemble deserves a special mention. Faith Prince, Ainsley Melham, and Erich Bergen brought depth to what could've been just another nostalgia cash-grab. Even Pudgy the Dog (puppet master Phillip Huber's creation) managed to steal scenes without saying a word.

When the final curtain falls after 25 previews and 112 performances, "Boop!" will join that bittersweet Broadway club: shows that proved creativity's alive and well, even if the bank account suggests otherwise.

Maybe that's the real story here. Broadway's going through changes — painful ones. When productions with this much talent and creative muscle can't make it work, you've got to wonder what's next for the Great White Way. Theater's always been risky business, but these days? It feels like playing roulette with your life savings.

Broadway's latest casualty hits particularly close to home. "Boop! The Musical" — that plucky adaptation of Max Fleischer's cartoon darling — will dim its lights at the Broadhurst Theatre come July 13, marking yet another premature farewell in what's shaping up to be a brutal year for fresh productions.The show dared to reimagine Betty Boop's black-and-white world as a technicolor New York City spectacle. And boy, did it have moments that sparkled — none brighter than Jasmine Amy Rogers, whose star-making turn as the iconic flapper earned her both a Tony nod and a shared Drama Desk Award alongside Broadway royalty Audra McDonald.Here's the thing about Rogers' performance: she didn't just play Betty Boop — she reinvented her for 2025. No small feat, considering the character's been around since your grandparents were doing the Charleston.The numbers, though? They tell a different story. Weekly grosses barely scratched $600,000, with houses running at 80% capacity on good days. That's tough math for any show, let alone one carrying a $26 million price tag. In today's Broadway landscape, even Tony nominations don't guarantee you'll keep the lights on.Look, the creative team brought serious firepower. Jerry Mitchell's direction had all the snap and pizzazz you'd expect. David Foster's music, Susan Birkenhead's lyrics, and Bob Martin's book created something genuinely fresh — when's the last time anyone managed that with an almost century-old cartoon character?But "Boop!" now joins an uncomfortably long list of early exits. It's the fourth show this season — after "Smash," "Real Women Have Curves," and "Dead Outlaw" — to announce its closure following a Tony Awards shutout. Something's gotta give in this economic equation, where astronomical production costs meet sky-high ticket prices in a game of theatrical chicken.The ensemble deserves a special mention. Faith Prince, Ainsley Melham, and Erich Bergen brought depth to what could've been just another nostalgia cash-grab. Even Pudgy the Dog (puppet master Phillip Huber's creation) managed to steal scenes without saying a word.When the final curtain falls after 25 previews and 112 performances, "Boop!" will join that bittersweet Broadway club: shows that proved creativity's alive and well, even if the bank account suggests otherwise.Maybe that's the real story here. Broadway's going through changes — painful ones. When productions with this much talent and creative muscle can't make it work, you've got to wonder what's next for the Great White Way. Theater's always been risky business, but these days? It feels like playing roulette with your life savings.