Arielle Jacobs and Curt Hansen to Star in World Premiere of BETWEEN THE LINES at Kansas City Rep

Kansas City Repertory Theatre will open its 2017/18 season with BETWEEN THE LINES, a new musical based on the best-selling book by New York Times bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer that features music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, book by Timothy Allen McDonald and be directed by Tony Award-nominated director Jeff Calhoun.

BETWEEN THE LINES will be produced by Kansas City Repertory Theatre by special arrangement with Tony Award-winning Producer Daryl Roth who has shepherded this project since its inception. It runs September 8 through October 1, 2017, at Spencer Theatre on the UMKC campus.

What happens when the line between fiction and fantasy becomes blurred with reality? When the handsome hero in her favorite book literally starts speaking to her, seventeen-year-old Delilah thinks she has found the perfect escape from the challenges of her life. Is it possible to live the story you want, if it's not the story you're in? Filled with romance, adventure, and humor, BETWEEN THE LINES, also explores another popular theme in a teen's life - what happens when happily ever after, isn't?

"BETWEEN THE LINES continues KCRep's love of the Broadway-aspiring new musical. Much like A CHRISTMAS STORY and VENICE, this funny, moving new musical is both joyful and innovative, employing the talents of some of our best musical theater talent," says Artistic Director Eric Rosen. "A production like this has the ability to achieve great artistic success now and in the future, giving KCRep audiences a front row seat in the thrilling journey of an incredible new musical. We are thrilled to be working with the multiple Tony Award-winning Daryl Roth Productions, one of the most acclaimed Broadway producers, and some of the finest creative talent in our industry on BETWEEN THE LINES."

The cast for the World Premiere of BETWEEN THE LINES features Arielle Jacobs (Aladdin, In the Heights, Wicked) as the high school protagonist, Delilah, and Curt Hansen (Hairspray, Wicked, Next to Normal) as Prince Oliver.

The design team includes Tobin Ost (Set Designer), Lindsay W. Davis (Costume Designer), Brad Peterson (Projections Designer) and Daniel Green (Music Supervisor).

KCRep's continues its 2017/18 season with August Wilson's seminal play, FENCES, winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, running October 13 - November 17; A new adaptation by Artistic Director Eric Rosen of the Charles Dickins classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL from November 17 - December 24; THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, the Tony Award-Winning play adapted from the New York Times Bestselling novel by Mark Haddon, on January 26 - February 18, 2018; Laura Eason's provocative hit SEX WITH STRANGERS running March 2 - 25; and the mainstage season closes with the Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical thriller SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which runs March 23 - April 15.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre is currently celebrating the end of their 2017/18 season with the third annual OriginKC: New Works Festival. Dates for the New Works Festival are April 27-May 27, 2018, with a more detailed schedule to follow at a later date.

The New Works Festival features readings of new plays, workshops, panel discussions, and two mainstage World Premiere productions, BROTHER TOAD by KCRep's Playwright-in-Residence Nathan Louis Jackson and Kara Lee Corthron's WELCOME TO FEAR CITY, both of which had their first full reading at the 2017 OriginKC: New Works Festival.

The 2016/17season is underwritten by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, ArtsKC, Ford Motor Company Fund, Hall Family Foundation, Hallmark Corporate Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Missouri Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.