RJ Higton. Photo Credit: Josh Drake.
Actor, singer, dancer, and performer RJ Higton (“The Outsiders” musical alum) chatted about being a part of “Boop! The Musical” on Broadway.
The synopsis is: For almost a century, Betty Boop has won hearts and inspired fans around the world with her trademark looks, voice, and style.
Now, in “Boop! The Musical,” Betty’s (Jasmine Amy Rogers) dream of an ordinary day off from the super-celebrity in her black-and-white world leads to an extraordinary adventure of color, music, and love in New York City—one that reminds her and the world, “You are capable of amazing things.” Boop-oop-a-doop!
2025 Chita Rivera Award nomination for the ‘Boop!’ ensemble
Higton is nominated for a 2025 Chita Rivera Award for “Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show” for his work in “Boop! The Musical.”
“It feels spectacular to be back with this community,” Higton noted. “I feel very fortunate, and I am filled with gratitude, especially to be a part of this community and to be invited back to socialize and celebrate the Broadway dance community in New York City. It is really special.”
Lessons learned from ‘Boop! The Musical’
On the lessons learned from “Boop! The Musical,” Higton said, “It taught me what it means to be on this contract again. Every time you take on a new Broadway show, you take what you learned from the last one and you bring it into the next show.”
“There were so many things that I learned in my Broadway debut in ‘The Outsiders’,” he admitted. “It taught me to take care of myself and how to manage my health throughout eight shows a week, and how to pace myself.”
Higton continued, “It is so easy to blow your whole energy for the week on a Tuesday night show, and at the end of the day, you need to show back up on Wednesday and do two shows. That lesson of teaching yourself how to pace yourself and how to have grace for yourself is a constant battle.”
“Every show is different, every track is different and figuring that out for ‘Boop!’ is such a joy,” he said.
“Working with this group of people has been great. I’ve learned so many lessons on taking care of myself and being able to have longevity,” Higton added.
‘My Stoner Girlfriend’ music video
Higton recalled being a part of Jason Schmidt’s “My Stoner Girlfriend” music video along with fellow dancer and choreographer Tilly Evans-Krueger. It was a true “Outsiders” reunion.
“Tilly and I had so much fun,” he admitted. “Jason had written that song a while ago, and he had asked Tilly and I to choreograph a little duet for it. We originally had no intention of filming it.”
“Getting to work with Jason and Tilly, who were two of my best friends from that show, was so great. They are incredible artists and incredible people,” he admitted. “I hope I get to work with them forever.”
Working with Erich Bergen, and understudying him in the show
On working with Erich Bergen and serving as his understudy, Higton said, “Erich Bergen is great. The ‘Jersey Boys’ movie is my favorite movie as well as my mom’s favorite film. When it came out in 2014, I was about 14 or 15 years old then, and we saw it together, and it is one of our favorite movies ever since it came out.”
“So, getting to work with Erich is such a joy, especially to watch an experienced actor who has been doing this for a while. His talent is unreal,” Higton noted.
“For this to be the first Broadway role that he originates is really special. To get the chance to understudy Erich feels like a full-circle moment,” he explained.
“Being an understudy is all about being on your toes, and your phone starts ringing when the worst happens in some ways. Overall, it has been a joy and I’ve been filled with gratitude for the opportunity,” he acknowledged.
Closing thoughts on ‘Boop! The Musical’
For fans and viewers, Higton remarked about “Boop! The Musical,” “I want people to take away that it’s a fun and joyous show filled with love and escapism. You get to walk into this theater and watch a young woman coming into her power.”
“You get to watch characters fall in love with each other. It’s incredible to watch someone as humble and kind as Jasmine Amy Rogers, who is filled with more gratitude than anyone I know,” he expressed.
“People are also taking away that this kind of musical theatre isn’t dead. ‘Boop!’ is an original show with an original story with an original score is a blessing,” Higton acknowledged.
“Musical comedy is alive, and it is spectacular to be working with this team and this cast. I am filled with gratitude,” he concluded.
To learn more about multihyphenate artist RJ Higton, follow him on Instagram.
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