BOOP! The Musical is many things: a romantic comedy, a feminist manifesto, a sci-fi journey through time and space, and an over-the-top sensory experience (a week after seeing it, I’m still digging bright red confetti out of my purse). Erich Bergen couldn’t quite make sense of it all when he first heard the premise. “Obviously, Betty Boop is as iconic as grilled cheese, the ultimate Americana,” the actor tells W shortly before one of his performances as the Broadway show’s vile yet charismatic villain. “But I didn’t understand why anyone would want to see a Betty Boop show.”

It didn’t take the 39-year-old, whose extensive theater credits include Jersey Boys, Chicago, and Waitress, too long to come around. (You may have also spotted him on TV shows like Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives). A native New Yorker raised on ’80s pop music—and therefore a lifelong fan of Grammy-winning producer David Foster, who wrote the music for BOOP!—Bergen was sold after seeing an industry preview of the show. The production involves a Barbie-esque plot where Betty (played by powerhouse Jasmine Amy Rogers) leaves black-and-white cartoon land for technicolor, modern-day New York City. She befriends a young girl (a stellar Angelica Hale), falls in love, and learns that society has only slightly evolved from the hyper-misogynistic 1920s world from which she emerged.

Bergen plays Raymond, a lecherous politician who latches onto Betty for personal gain, first as a pawn in his campaign for mayor, and later when he makes a pass at her in his office. In classic cartoon style, Betty knocks him out cold by hitting him over the head with a lamp. It’s a cathartic moment in the show’s funny second act, one that Bergen credits as the crux of why this particular tap-dance-filled musical is landing so well with audiences right now. “When Betty knocks me out with a lamp, it’s exactly what the audience was hoping she would do,” he says.

During a stacked Broadway season that includes some of Hollywood’s biggest names, BOOP! stands out as pure, unadulterated fun. It helps that there’s a Tony-winning team behind it, including choreography by Jerry Mitchell, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and a book by Bob Martin. But Bergen thinks there’s an even simpler reason for the show’s success. “A lot of people have called our show fluff, but some of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in my life involve eating cotton candy on a roller coaster,” he says. “That’s where memories are made.”

Below, the actor and producer, who says he has seen every Broadway show since 1996, shares why he thinks BOOP! is such a hit and his hopes for the future of the theater industry:

You initially didn’t see yourself in the role of Raymond. Why?

I never see myself in roles that I end up playing. When I was 19 years old, I went to see Jersey Boys on Broadway before it became such a big sensation. I brought my dad, and midway through the show, he pointed to Bob Gaudio and said, ‘That’d be a great role for you.” I was like, “What are you talking about?” At that age, I saw my six-foot-three height as a burden, because I was tall, skinny, and lanky. But six months later, I got cast in the national tour and ended up playing that role in Clint Eastwood’s movie. I’d be my own worst agent.

As Raymond, you have one of the funniest numbers in the show. What was your approach to playing him?

As an actor, I’m very confident on stage. But when it comes to comedy, if you’re too confident, you can tend to ham it up and do too much. When the audience is approving of what you do, you get addicted to the laughter, and you try to go after another laugh. I found that all of Raymond’s best laughs were on the page. I didn’t have to work that hard. So, I tried to self-edit and bring my natural self to what was already written. People really come to see Betty Boop. Anything I do as Raymond isn’t funny without Betty’s reactions.

What’s it like playing the villain in a show about female empowerment?

It’s really hard because this is sensitive material. It’s not something to joke about. It’s a tightrope. I have to be gross and off-putting, but I still have to deliver a really good song. If the audience hates me too much, they’re not going to laugh. Raymond can’t just be “ew” in passing. He has to be gross in a way that’s familiar: “I know this guy. I’ve worked with this guy.” It’s very, very hard to do, especially in this climate, and I don’t always nail it. When Betty is talking about women getting paid less in New York City, it’s a very empowering scene. Some nights, it gets applause, some nights it gets cheers, and some nights, there’s no reaction at all. So we have this conversation with the audience every single night.

Why do you think the show is resonating with audiences the way it is? It’s a great show for families, but it’s also gaining a kind of cult status among the girls and the gays.

One, we have not seen a performance like Jasmine’s in eons. It’s one of those things where the audience is going to be able to say, “I saw her when.” I know every Broadway show, every performance. I’ve never seen one like this. The other thing is, Betty Boop is a symbol. She means different things to different people. So our ability to deliver on that and give every single person what they’re looking for and more is part of it. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of entertainment. There’s plenty of dark stuff out there. This is the antidote to that.

Broadway is having a buzzy moment right now, with so many big stars cast in shows. As a producer and an actor, what do you make of that?

The industry is in flux, including TV and film. We haven’t figured out the new norm, but everyone’s still just trying to pay their mortgage. Last month in New York, you could go see Jake Gyllenhaal, Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, and George Clooney on stage—all of these big Hollywood names. It’s very exciting in one regard, and there’s room for everyone. But something about $900 to go see Othello seems wrong to me. As a producer, I understand money and dynamic pricing, and I totally get it. But I’m scared of what the outcome in the long run is. Theater is an art form like any other; it’s not meant to be a circus attraction. On the positive side, how wonderful for New York City theater, after what we’ve been through with the pandemic. So I’m also quite grateful to those names for coming in and bringing people back to the theater.

What’s next for you?

I’m the executive producer of my first ever network television special on NBC: Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute. It’s Chelsea Handler, Nikki Glaser, Patton Oswald, and all these amazing people paying tribute to Joan, co-created with her daughter Melissa. I’m really excited about that. I love creating entertainment, whether I’m behind-the-scenes or in front of the camera. I love putting on a show, as long as I can be involved in some way. I’ll sell t-shirts. I don’t care. I just want to be a part of it.