A musical adaptation of Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer’s Between the Lines is headed to an off-Broadway theater.
Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun (Newsies) is directing a musical based on the 2012 young adult novel, written by bestselling novelist Picoult and her daughter. It follows a 15-year-old girl who falls for a young prince from a fairy tale that’s come to life. A critic for Kirkus called the book “fizzy fairy-tale fun.”
The musical will star Arielle Jacobs (In the Heights, Aladdin), Jake David Smith (Frozen), and Vicki Lewis (Chicago). The book is written by Timothy Allen McDonald (Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka), and features music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, the team behind the animated musical sitcom Central Park.
The musical debuted at Kansas City Rep in 2017, and drew praise from critics, including Alan Portner of Broadway World, who wrote, “It moves seamlessly from scene to scene, never takes its audience for granted, and manages to entertain while still making a point.”
On Twitter, Picoult said that she will host a series of “meet the author” nights in June and July after the play opens, where she’ll discuss the adaptation of the novel.
Take a peek behind the curtain of @btlmusical! Join me for a talkback after select performances this summer to learn more about bringing BETWEEN THE LINES from the page to the stage. pic.twitter.com/L8xevNYw9t
— Jodi Picoult (@jodipicoult) March 21, 2022
Between the Lines is scheduled to open at the Tony Kiser Theater on June 14.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.