Arielle Jacobs and Curt Hansen Star in First Production of KCRep Season BETWEEN THE LINES

Kansas City Repertory Theatre opens 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 choreography by Lorin Latarro, and direction 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.

The two stars of the KCRep World Premiere musical production are no strangers to big musicals as both have toured all over the U.S. and appeared on Broadway.

A native of Wisconsin, Curt Hansen is an actor, singer and dancer. Hansen performed with the National Tour of "Kinky Boots" in the role of Charlie and the First National Tour of "Wicked" in the role of Fiyero. In 2010, Hansen was the 'Gabe' understudy/cover in the Tony award winning Broadway musical Next to Normal and continued in the role of Gabe in the First National Tour of the show through 2010-2011. In December 2012 he starred in the Pasadena Playhouse's A Snow White Christmas with Neil Patrick Harris and Ariana Grande, and in February 2013, he starred as 'Mike' in Todd Almond's musical Girlfriend. Curt was a member of the final cast of Hairspray on Broadway, as well as other Broadway readings and workshops.

Arielle Jacobs is a busy actor, singer and dancer from San Francisco. Jacobs performed on Broadway as Nessarose in the musical Wicked from March 2015 through January 2016. She was also on Broadway in the closing cast of In the Heights, playing the role of Nina Rosario.

She appeared as 'Rosa' in the musical The Rose of Corazon and also originated the role of 'Gabriella Montez' in the original production and national tour of Disney's High School Musical. Jacobs then starred as Nina Rosario in the first national Tour of In the Heights, a role for which she received rave reviews. Her regional theatre credits include Camelot, A Chorus Line, and Ragtime. Jacobs made her Broadway debut when she joined the cast of In the Heights in the role of Nina. She played the role from November 2010, to the show's closing on January 9, 2011. Most recently, Jacobs was cast as Princess Jasmine in the Australian production of Aladdin.

BETWEEN THE LINES asks -- 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?

"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 design team for BETWEEN THE LINES 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.

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