Broadway Actress

Geoff Bennett: For generations, theater programs have given young people a place to find community and discover their own voices.

For Jasmine Amy Rogers, those experiences helped launch a remarkable career. At just 26 years old, she earned a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut as Betty Boop in "Boop! The Musical."

Here Jasmine shares her Brief But Spectacular take on growing up as a theater kid.

Jasmine Amy Rogers, Actress: So the theater kids definitely had a reputation, especially more towards high school, because in middle school we kind of all did theater at some point, but as you get older in high school, it's a choice.

(Laughter)

Jasmine Amy Rogers: And I was definitely one of those louder, more outspoken kids, but I was definitely known for being myself.

(Laughter)

Jasmine Amy Rogers: Last year, I was making my Broadway debut as Betty Boop in "Boop! The Musical" on Broadway.

It was basically a story about Betty Boop, as we all know and love, coming to the real world for the first time and finding friendship and love in a way that she never had before, and it brings color and meaning and joy to her life.

My mother always tells a story about when she realized that this was kind of my thing. I would just sing in my bedroom to my Disney princess soundtrack, and she tells this story about how she says: "I could hear her singing in her room, and I thought it was the recording playing, but it was her singing."

And I guess that's how she knew that I could sing. I think there's a sensitivity that you have to have to even try to do something like theater. It takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable like that in front of other people. And to watch other children go through that and experience that and express the thing that they love so much creates just this connection between people in a very sensitive way that sometimes you don't get in other activities.

I did go to Manhattan School of Music. And I went there for two years, and then I decided to drop out, and I had basically just gotten to a point where I felt like the next step in my journey had to be physically doing it outside of college.

And I knew that I just needed to take a leap, and I did, and it paid off. I think being involved in youth theater, the first thing that I'm thinking of is that it taught me to be brave and go for things. There's nobody else like you. We can't replicate you. And so when you walk into a room, claim the space as you. And I think it goes a long, long way.

I am still so in touch with that love of theater that I had as a kid. And I will have these moments on stage, even though I may be having a hard time or a hard day -- and I'm getting emotional thinking about it because I have these moments where I'm like, this is the thing that I love more than anything else.

It's crazy that people are looking up to me. It's a really great honor that I get to be one of those people.

My name is Jasmine Amy Rogers, and this is my Brief But Spectacular take on growing up a theater kid.

Geoff Bennett: And you can watch more Brief But Spectacular videos online at PBS.org/NewsHour/Brief.