Between the Lines Is the Best Off-Broadway Musical You've Never Seen!

If there was ever a musical that felt like it was written just for me, it's Between the Lines. Never heard of it? That's not surprising. The show had a limited premiere for a few weeks in 2017 and a quiet off-Broadway run for a few months in 2022 before disappearing from the face of the earth. Its fall to obscurity was a crying shame until a pro-shot was released this year on BroadwayHD, the official streaming service for live theater. Based on a novel by Jodi Picoult and her then-teenage daughter, Samantha van Leer, the musical tells the story of a high school book nerd named Delilah who falls in love with a prince from a fairy tale that comes to life. This story is incredibly meaningful to me as both a writer and a reader. Not only have I had many intense crushes on fictional characters, but the plot is nearly identical to the first script I ever wrote for my first screenwriting class in college.

Between the Linse is a love letter for princess fans around the world that is chock full of fairy tale Easter eggs. The protagonist, Delilah, is played by Arielle Jacobs, who was one of the original actresses to star as Princess Jasmine on Broadway in the Aladdin musical. Prince Oliver's first appearance is similar to the moment when Thumbelina met Prince Cornelius by startling her when he popped out of the page of a book in Don Bluth's famous animated classic. There is also a scene where Delilah undergoes a magical dress transformation reminiscent of "Cinderella," and the classic fairy tale theme of true love is prevalent throughout the show despite being discouraged by modern media. Like many Broadway shows such as Wicked and Legally Blonde, the play improves upon the source material, incorporating the main ideas and characters from the book while changing small plot points every here and there to make the themes resonate more with audiences. The show is an absolute treat for princess fans of all ages.

The biggest tragedy of this show is that it will never be able to make its way to Broadway and mainstream media because it doesn't follow the current agenda of fierce princesses and man-hating. Prince Oliver is actually (gasp) a decent and respectable human being who happens to live inside a book. That awful Britney Spears musical from a few years ago thought it was being original by making its Prince Charming a dirty philanderer, but that trope had already been played out with Into the Woods back in the '80s. Between the Lines even pokes fun at the modern misandrist themes that have populated fairy tales from the last decade with its feminist mermaids who have a killer song about their disapproval of men and traditional female roles. However, this show does not encourage its audience to get lost in their fictional crushes and live a life of delusion either. The small but significant changes made to the book's ending teach us that it's better to go out there and write the story you want to live than to sit around dreaming about it. This is the message that the two "Cinderella" musicals that flopped on Broadway last year tried and failed to convey.

Although I wasn't able to watch the show live, the BroadwayHD pro-shot reveals a dazzling combination of practical and special effects to create the fairy tale world that Prince Oliver lives in. It has been a recent concern that many modern shows have been ruined by the overuse of digital projection effects instead of actual set pieces. Between the Lines takes full advantage of both modern and classic effects with working doors that look like giant book pages, shelves upon shelves of library books, and a screen behind the stage to show the audience the illustrations that Delilah talks to when she opens her book. The show looks like it would have been an absolute spectacle to see in person. Even the high school sets look fantastic. It was a clever touch to cast the same actress for the princess from the book as the "mean girl" at Delilah's school, showing us that mean girls see themselves as beautiful princesses when the "ordinary" girl who likes to read and daydream is the one who truly captures the prince's heart.

Between the Lines is a hidden gem of a musical that will captivate princess lovers of all ages. With its relatable protagonist, Delilah, and her fairytale come true romance with Prince Oliver, this show is a love letter to those who grew up loving fairytales. The production's clever use of practical and special effects, Easter eggs, and positive message make it a standout. Despite its limited run, the pro-shot release on BroadwayHD has given this enchanting musical a new life. Don't miss the chance to experience this delightful show, which proves that true love and self-empowerment can triumph over modern misconceptions. Get lost in the pages of Between the Lines and discover the magic that lies within.