Tony nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers on finding the ‘color' in 'Boop! The Musical'
One year after getting rejected for the role, Jasmine Amy Rogers is now Tony-nominated for 'Boop! The Musical.' She and co-star Ainsley Melham join Morning Joe to talk about tap dancing, time travel, and why the show's joyful message—'life isn't full of color until it's filled with love'—is resonating with Broadway crowds.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Patti LuPone Apologizes for Interview Comments About Kecia Lewis, Audra McDonald: 'I Am Devastated'
Patti LuPone is apologizing for the recent comments she made in a New Yorker profile about Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis that's had the theater world buzzing. 'For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today. I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful,' she wrote on Instagram on Saturday. 'I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community. I hope to have the chance to speak to Audra and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Audra McDonald Says She Didn't Know About "Rift" Between Her and Patti LuPone 'Gypsy' Theater Review: Audra McDonald Climbs the Mountain of One of the All-Time Greatest Musicals and Plants a Triumphant Flag Kecia Lewis Says Patti LuPone Calling 'Hell's Kitchen' "Too Loud" Is "Racially Microaggresive," Requests Apology 'I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday. From middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don't belong anywhere else,' LuPone continued. 'I made a mistake, I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theatre community deserves better.' The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Lewis and McDonald's reps for comment. On Friday, Playbill reported that there was a letter that over 500 Broadway performers signed reprimanding LuPone's behavior. The letter, in part, read that her comments were a 'persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behavior — especially when they are powerful or well-known.' Tony winners Wendell Pierce, James Monroe Iglehart and Maleah Joi Moon signed it, as well as Courtney Love. Last fall, while LuPone was starring in The Roommate, she complained about the musical next door, Hell's Kitchen, which Lewis was in, being 'too loud.' After that, Lewis took to Instagram to say that LuPone was 'bullying,' 'racially microaggressive' and 'rooted in privilege.' In the New Yorker interview, LuPone responded by saying, 'Here's the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about,' she said. 'Don't call yourself a vet, bitch.' LuPone also said McDonald was 'not a friend' and that they had a rift years ago. However, on Thursday, McDonald appeared on CBS Mornings to promote Gypsy and her 11th Tony nomination and said she was surprised by LuPone's comments. 'If there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is. That's something you'd have to ask Patti about,' she said. 'I haven't seen her in about 11 years because I've been busy with life and stuff.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
an hour ago
‘John Proctor Is the Villain' flips script on literary classic
ABC News' Will Ganss sits down with Kimberly Belflower and Danya Taymor, the writer and director of the most Tony Award-nominated play of the 2025 Broadway season. June 3, 2025
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Broadway star Audra McDonald on "emotional dive" into her latest role
When Audra McDonald won her first Tony Award at 23, it was just the beginning of a record-breaking Broadway career. Earlier this month, she received her 11th Tony nomination, making her the most Tony-nominated actor of all time. McDonald received the nomination for her portrayal of Mama Rose in the latest Broadway revival of "Gypsy." If she wins this Sunday, she'll make history as the performer with the most Tonys ever. Before she discovered the stage, McDonald described herself as a hyperactive kid who would express her emotions frequently. "I had big feelings. I had music in my heart. And so once I found theater, it was like I have a place to put my big feelings now," she said. Those emotions are on full display as Mama Rose, a character based on the real-life mother of famed burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee. It is currently being shown at the Majestic Theatre. In the musical, Mama Rose is an intense stage mom. McDonald first stepped into the role during a concert at Carnegie Hall in 2022, performing the musical's emotional climax "Rose's Turn." "It was the same time of year that I was getting ready to send my daughter off to college. And I was dealing with all this rage I was having at my sweet, wonderful daughter," McDonald said. "And I burst into tears and I realized it's because my baby's leaving and I'm sad. So then that was my first sort, like, emotional dive into Rose." McDonald is the first Black woman to portray Mama Rose on Broadway. Director George C. Wolfe guided her interpretation of what Rose would be experiencing in the 1920s and 30s, with not one word of the original script changed. "George talks a lot about Rose's obsession with the kids becoming stars is because being a star protects you in some way. You got star money, you could eat. You got star money, maybe you won't be lynched," McDonald explained. "And so she as a single woman at this time, abandoned three times by her husbands, abandoned by her mother, not really treated all that well by her father, she's tryin' to protect these babies." Behind the Curtain The "CBS Mornings" interview went backstage to find out what happens when the curtain closes. McDonald and her co-star Danny Burstein are "of a certain age," she laughed, noting they don't run up the stairs after performances. McDonald showed how she warms up to take on the demanding role. "One thing that a lotta singers do is humming. Just like (humming), you're doing things like that just to sort of and people do that, whether you're singing or not. It's good just to sort of make sure that everything's sort of moving and healthy. And you know, to do it eight times a week," she said. Inspiring the next generation Despite her countless accolades, McDonald still struggles with being called a legend. "If it can mean something to some little Black girl somewhere who says 'She did it and she looks like me so I can do it,' great," she said. "But I can't really comprehend what that means to me about me. You know what I mean? 'Cause I can't, you know, as I see how dirty my closet is, and the fact that I have not done laundry in four weeks." When asked about her own legends, McDonald became emotional while naming the likes of Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee and Lena Horne. "They're not here. And they meant a lot to me. I could see them. They were doing it. They looked like me," she said. The 78th Annual Tony Awards will take place this Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. You can watch the on CBS and stream live on Paramount+
