Between the Lines- Page 2

[sweetepy389]

Posted: 6/30/22 at 10:38am

Saw this last night (got a rush ticket through TodayTix) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think my expectations were pretty low because it sounded so cheesy/corny, but I ended up having a good time. I enjoyed the score - it wasn't anything ground breaking, but the songs were fun and catchy.

My main issue with it was that it didn't feel like it had quite figured out what they wanted the tone to be and/or who they're targeting in terms of audience. It feels like they were aiming for something along the lines of Dear Evan Hansen or Mean Girls where it was aiming for high schoolers but could also be viewable by adults, but some of Between the Lines felt like it was a bit too juvenile for high schoolers/teens, but then there was also a strong strain of bite/edge to it (I assume to appeal to the adults) so it was a bit strange to me. Like it kind of felt like a mashup (in terms of tone) between Frozen and Mean Girls.

Still - there were moments I enjoyed so much much - the mermaids, Inner Thoughts, the Mr Darcy librarian, were a few. I kind of found myself much more interested in the side characters and their moments/plot points than the "love story" between two main characters. 

I thought the production quality was really high - the set, costumes and the projections, etc were really strong. I agree with the person is that they really put money into this and it shows.

Overall - I enjoyed this show. I think with some tweaks it could be something really special and cool.

[itsshowtime2]

Posted: 6/30/22 at 11:17am

What is the run time?

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 6/30/22 at 11:49am

itsshowtime2 said: "What is the run time?"

Well, when I saw it, the start time was supposed to be 7PM, but it didn't "begin" until at least 10 minutes after 7, and when I say "begin", I mean that Jodi Picoult got up in front of the stage with a microphone and talked for ten minutes. So, let's say the show probably started at around 7:20. With a pretty long intermission, I was on the street by about 9:40, so let's say the actual running time of the show itself was probably around two hours and twenty minutes, including intermission. 

[Rakesh Natarajan]

Posted: 7/2/22 at 9:15am

I saw the show yesterday. It started at (roughly) 8:10 and let out at 10:30. I got the tickets through the TodayTix digital rush (seats were J3-4). I thought it was a really entertaining show and better than at least a couple of shows currently running on Broadway. Having said that, I think it still has a lot of room for improvement and is just a fairly good (but not great) show at the moment. 

 

The set and projection design (especially the way they used the scrim) was incredible. I thought (potentially with the exception of 2 moments) that the projection design seemed to add a TON to the overall show… and I usually HATE shows that use a lot of projections. Like others mentioned, the production quality (costumes, set, projection, etc.) was really high.

 

I also echo a lot of the spotlight concerns. Almost anytime a character was moving, the spotlight moved either too early or too late . It seemed better in act 2, but it was still a problem.

 

I feel like the score is pretty good, though not groundbreaking. I honestly can’t remember a lot of the melodies so I’m not sure if the score is super-memorable (I did have them stuck in my head while walking out of the theater though). Still, I would love to listen to the songs again and would definitely buy a cast recording. The book could use a bit of tightening. The first act felt like it was a little long (at least if you consider the amount of the plot covered in it). The ending of act 2 felt a little rushed too (though its not that bad). Some songs didn’t really contribute to the main plot of the story and seemed like an unnecessary detour; as hilarious as they were, the “inner thought” songs fell into this category. The “inner thought” song (and its reprise) developed the side characters for essentially no reason; the songs/development didn’t really explain their motivations and didn’t contribute to the main character’s arc either. The side teen characters didn’t really have any sort of character arc, despite being fairly interesting. The mom’s relationship with the main character (Delilah) was ok, though imperfect. Like someone in this thread mentioned, it’s like a less impactful version of Dear Evan Hansen (or the arc told through Anybody Have a Map, Good for you, So Big/So Small).

 

I’m pretty sure that I saw the first performance with Arielle Jacobs since she recovered from COVID. She nailed the role and was phenomenal (both acting and vocally). I saw her in Aladdin a few years ago and remember really liking her performance in that too (even though I never found Jasmine to be the most developed character in the musical). This show gives her more to work with and is probably a lot more challenging than Jasmine from Aladdin (Delilah is on stage for at least 70% of the show). In general, I find Jacobs to be an incredibly likable performer, regardless of what show she’s in… and that’s true here. Her portrayal of Delilah made the character seem likable and (to me) felt very relatable. Her mannerisms (as well as the costumes) actually made her look like a 17 year old girl, and not like a fully-grown adult playing a girl (which I’ll admit is what most of the cast of Mean Girls looked like to me). The rest of the cast did a great job as well.

 

Overall, I think the show needs more work and if the goal is Broadway, the show could benefit from doing another out-of-town tryout with a tightened/rewritten book. I liked it a lot. However, it isn’t perfect and could be improved a bit. 

Updated On: 7/2/22 at 09:15 AM

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 7/3/22 at 4:30pm

I saw this yesterday with the full cast in and really loved this. I was already a fan of Samsel/Anderson going in so I did love the music they produced for this as well. I thought many of the songs were very catchy. Jodi Picoult did a talkback afterwards and then she did meet/greets in the lobby. She told the person in front of me on line that a full cast recording is coming--I thought she said next month but I could have misheard that part.

I thought the book was in great shape for such a new musical but there were a couple parts that were a bit slow. I might even cut the songs from those parts as well. But the overall flow was really good and got me to a satisfying conclusion. I really liked the sets and projections and how they used them to tell the story. The casting is really good and Arielle and Jake have good chemistry. Jake was the standout for me as was Vicki Lewis. I wasn't a big fan of some of the Act 2 costumes--I thought Arielle's ballgown wasn't the most flattering style on her and I also saw visible wrinkles in a couple of the gowns even though I was seated in the rear of the theater. I also caught the spotlight issues as well. Hopefully, those things can be rectified with more time and budget.

At the talkback, Jodi said that they were trying to address issues in mother/daughter relationships and I think they did that very well. A good show to take teens and tweens to but there is also no shortage of adult humor either. I'll definitely be back before the run ends. I'm not sure if they do this after every show but they were also handing out free BTL pins at the exit which I thought was very nice. The box office also has free bookmarks. But the merch was also really nice and high quality as well so I purchased a few items. The line was so long that I wasn't able to take a good picture of it. If this does ultimately transfer to Broadway, I hope it finds a home in a smaller house.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/11/22 at 10:13pm

Tonight was opening night at the Tony Kiser Theater. 

Theatermania: "Who needs brutal realism when you can escape into a moment of fantasy?"

https://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/reviews/review-between-the-lines-second-stage_94021.html

Updated On: 7/11/22 at 10:13 PM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 7/12/22 at 1:20pm

Saw this over the weekend, and thought it was a cute, energetic, well-designed YA show that should satisfy its intended audience. A pleasant diversion.

 

[musicaltheatrechick]

Posted: 7/22/22 at 11:37pm

Is it necessary to read the book before seeing the show? 

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/23/22 at 12:40am

I'm going tomorrow and have not read the book, so I'll let you know.

[raddersons]

Posted: 7/23/22 at 12:57am

Absolutely not required to read the book first. I went in completely blind and came out a fan. Enjoyed this one a lot, it’s quite cute and really sticks the landing with its message. Wish they gave Julia Murney better songs to sing. I’ve been hyping it up to my friends. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/23/22 at 1:15am

On a different note, I got to hear Arielle (and others) sing with the Broadway Sinfonietta tonight in Bryant Park. Thus, Aubrey Matalon was on for Delilah a block away. 

I will say once again Jacobs really is incredible, especially when she lets her voice just flutter for a split second sometimes. Irresistible vibrato. 

[Jilani]

Posted: 7/23/22 at 3:11pm

Saw this last night on a total whim knowing nothing about it, and enjoyed it overall.  I wish I'd known Arielle Jacobs was otherwise engaged.  Aubrey Matalon was very good, but I suspect Jacobs gives a better performance.  Vicki Lewis was also out.  Jake David Smith was by far the standout of the production in terms of the cast.  Otherwise, would echo a lot of what's already been said - the production values are very high (costumes and projections - though Aubrey's ballgown looked terrible and wasn't the same as the one you see Jacobs wearing in the promo video).  I noticed the same spotlight problems that others have mentioned (and I had not read this thread before seeing the show).  Act One could do with some trimming.  I also am not sure how I feel about the ending, which feels a bit like a cheat from a plot perspective.  Won't say more for fear of spoiling.  I agree with others' comments about the tone of the show being a bit all over the place.  Jodi Picoult also talked after the performance I saw - talked about the history of the development of the show and did Q&A.

Overall, I'm glad I saw it, and there were a lot of sweet, funny, and whimsical aspects to the production.  If it's going to transfer to Broadway, it still needs significant work.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/24/22 at 12:31am

As others have said, it's an enjoyable, delightful couple of hours at the theatre. I adored Arielle Jacobs, and Julia Murney is hilarious and amazing as usual though severely underused (please give her better material). I found the mother/daughter relationship to be the most interesting by far. Heather Ayers was on for Vicki Lewis this afternoon and Jodi did a talkback at the performance as well. Seems she is doing a lot of them. I was surprised to hear of the push for Broadway as I'm not sure how well I think it will do there, but would love to see it continue with some work.

[smokeline2]

Posted: 7/24/22 at 10:05am

I thought this was a cute show with a good score. I've seen it twice and still get the music stuck in my head. I agree with others that it could use some fine tuning, though. 

The first time I saw it, Aubrey Matalon was on for Delilah. Now that I've seen Arielle Jacobs, I honestly prefer Aubrey. Arielle is a great actress and can really sing, but I couldn't get past that she's double Delilah's age. I think she's miscast.

The rest of the cast is uniformly great. Though some of the other teenagers don't read as teenagers either, it's less jarring since their parts are so much smaller.

I know they want to transfer, but it doesn't seem to be selling well off-Broadway. I'm not really sure why, because I think it's a better show than its ticket sales suggest. I wonder if they're just getting caught up in the bad luck of opening during this run of inflation when people have less discretionary money to spend. I doubt they'd do well on Broadway unless something really changes with their momentum.

[BwayinVan]

Posted: 7/24/22 at 11:54pm

I just used the code BTLMP20 and all seats are $80. Looks like code valid till October 

[BJR]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 7:55am

It's interesting the shows that get trashed on here and the ones people praise, or give passes to.

Let me just say I disagreed. I think they could cut an hour out of this and even then...

[Melissa25]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 11:12am

Between the Lines
FLASH SALE discount unlocked! 
$55 ALL seats (Regular $55-$150). All performances through August 7, 2022 ONLY. Pricing valid through July 31, 2022. Blackout dates may apply. All sales are final - no refunds or exchanges. Offer subject to availability. Not valid in combination with any other offers. Normal service charges apply to phone and internet orders. All prices include a $2 facility fee. Performance schedule subject to change. Offer may be revoked or modified at any time without notice.
 

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 7/25/22 at 11:25am

BJR said: "It's interesting the shows that get trashed on here and the ones people praise, or give passes to.

Let me just say I disagreed. I think they could cut an hour out of this and even then..."

I think a lot of it is expectation. I had low expectations for this and was surprised I was entertained for much of it. Also, I felt like the intentions of this were good and the piece had a lot of heart, even if it is imperfect. It didn’t just feel like a hollow cash grab like some shows do these days. 

[DaveCSparty]

Posted: 8/15/22 at 10:10pm

I really enjoyed it.  I hope it gets more interest from word of mouth so that they can re-work some bits and make a transfer to Broadway, or at least stick around a bit.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/15/22 at 10:40pm

DaveCSparty said: "I really enjoyed it. I hope it gets more interest from word of mouth so that they can re-work some bits and make a transfer to Broadway, or at least stick around a bit."

It’s not coming to Broadway. Various reasons, but mainly mixed reviews and no “names” / unfamiliar source material to the masses. MTI has also acquired the licensing rights. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 8/17/22 at 11:45am

Closing September 11 Daughter just bought 4 tickets for after that date two days ago.  Sigh. She's disappointed. 

[forfivemoreminutes]

Posted: 8/17/22 at 1:32pm

Are there any active discount codes for this? Hoping to see it one more time before it closes.

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 8/17/22 at 5:06pm

Thread from Jodi Picoult with some show history and why they're closing early:

https://twitter.com/jodipicoult/status/1559908905077071873

I was disappointed to hear the news this morning. Glad I already had a ticket purchased to see the show one more time.

[Fan123]

Posted: 8/18/22 at 6:18am

That Twitter thread also mentions a potential stream of the show in the future, in addition to the upcoming cast album. So that's good.

[yyys]

Posted: 8/22/22 at 9:42am

Is this a must see?