Jasmine Amy Rogers Says Boop! Has Taught Her to Trust in Herself

Jasmine Amy Rogers said she burst into tears when she watched the announcement of the 2025 Tony nominations and realized she had been nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.

"I'm crying right now as we speak," an emotional Rogers—a former Jimmy Awards finalist—told �뵺�� May 1 the morning the nominations were announced. "It's amazing. Oh, my goodness!"

The triple threat, nominated for her ebullient performance in the title role of the feel-good BOOP! The Musical, said the nomination "means everything. It's something that I've always dreamt of. It's one of those things that you always dream, but you're not sure if anything will ever be that amazing in your life, if you'll have the honor to get to do something like this. The fact that it's happening—it doesn't feel real—it feels impossible, and it is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me."

The nomination is especially meaningful for the Broadway newbie—the role of iconic cartoon character Betty Boop marks her Main Stem debut—since she was initially turned down for the role due to an audition that didn't unfurl as she had hoped.

"It feels like my soul is in [this role] in a way, that my soul was in it before I even got it," Rogers explained, "which is why the first time, when I got turned down initially, it killed me. It destroyed me. It felt just so wrong. The fact that I'm getting to do this, and I'm getting to bring Jasmine to the world in this way, in the way that I've always been—I've been a cartoon character my whole life! Sometimes, that wasn't always what people wanted, but I just couldn't help but be myself. And so the fact that I'm getting to do this in such a joyous way, in such a celebratory way, as a Black woman playing such a joyous, iconic character, it's a dream come true. I don't think I could ask for anything better."

For her joyful, heartwarming performance, Rogers has also picked up a Theatre World Award, the Outer Circle Award for Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical, a Chita Rivera Award nomination for Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show, and a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical. Boop!, it should be noted, also earned 2025 Tony nominations for Best Costume Design of a Musical for Gregg Barnes and Best Choreography for Jerry Mitchell, who also directed the musical penned by Bob Martin, David Foster, and Susan Birkenhead.

When asked the biggest challenge of playing Betty Boop, which requires her to belt, tap, and charm her way into audiences' hearts for nearly three hours, Rogers paused and answered, "Well, it's a huge thing. It's a huge character arc that she goes on. There's a heaviness that comes with playing someone so iconic, someone that people love, someone that people care about. And so, there's that pressure to deliver something that they are going to resonate with. That's the hardest part about it, but it still feels magical.

"What's beautiful is I've gained this trust in myself that I didn't have before," Rogers continued. "And maybe I won't have it later, but right now, I've learned to trust the work that I'm doing and trust that what I'm doing is right and worthy. It feels so amazing. And I have [director and choreographer] Jerry [Mitchell] and DB Bonds, our associate [director], and [associate choreographer] Rachelle Rak to thank for that, because they believed in me so much that it forced me to believe in myself."

Ainsley Melham and Jasmine Amy Rogers in *Boop! The Musical* Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Rogers gets to share the stage with a host of Broadway favorites at the Broadhurst, including Tony winner Faith Prince and Stephen DeRosa. But she says it's a scene with Australian actor Ainsley Melham, who plays love interest Dwayne, that is her favorite.

"It's a scene right before the song 'Why Look Around the Corner,' and I just get to sit with him," Rogers explained. "And it's a very, very vulnerable moment between the two of them. It's my favorite scene ever. Going into that song, it's the best moment ever. I just get to be with him on stage, and we get to dance together and sing together. He's become like a brother to me and my best friend. Getting to share that moment with him is my favorite.…I said when we met, I was like, 'I think this man has a piece of my soul with him.' He's perfect."

Rogers also thinks Boop! is the perfect show for audiences to see during these difficult times. "Right now, we're in a time where the world is scary," Rogers admitted. "Everywhere you look, there's something happening every day. We have to remember to find joy. At the heart of human existence is love and happiness and joy and connection. That is all this show has to offer. That's what we need. When people come in, they leave smiling. I want people to have those moments. We have to find those moments. And if we can give people one of those moments, you have to see it."

And, what does Rogers think she has learned about herself playing Betty Boop?

"I've learned that I'm capable of so much more than I thought I was, and that the limitations I had put on myself are not real. I can do so much more than I ever imagined, and that if I just fight for it, that the sky is the limit. I think I'm starting to finally allow myself to fight for that. And it's really, really exciting. It's scary, but it's so exciting!"