Aliya Grace
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Boop-Oop-a-Doop! Aliya Grace will star as Betty Boop in the North American tour of BOOP! The Musical. The 50-week tour will launch on October 3 at the West Herr Auditorium in Rochester, New York. Additional tour stops and complete casting will be announced at a later date.

"From the moment Aliya walked into the room, she embodied everything we were looking for in Betty Boop,” said BOOP! The Musical's director and choreographer, Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. “She has extraordinary talent, infectious joy, incredible heart and the perfect blend of charm and charisma to bring the spirit of Betty Boop to a new generation. I can't wait for audiences across the country to fall in love with Aliya the way we did."

Grace’s regional credits include Kiss Me, Kate, Sweet Charity and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical. She was a finalist on ABC's American Idol Season 2.

With music and arrangements by Grammy Award winner David Foster, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead and a book by Tony winner Bob Martin, BOOP! The Musical follows Betty Boop, the character created by animation pioneer Max Fleischer. As Betty steps away from her black and white world for one colorful day in New York City, her adventure brings music, romance and a reminder that everyone is capable of amazing things.