Musical Review: The Notebook

The Notebook the Musical when it premiered at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, with Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez who play middle Allie and Noah. Photo from Liz Lauren

Sappy love stories these days aren’t difficult to come by, but it is astounding for a movie to hold its own over the years like the successful film, “The Notebook,” especially when it was known to be a “sleeper” before hitting the hearts of audiences across the country.  At the time, it may not have been initially raved about, but what eventually caught the audience’s attention was Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling’s execution of a loving yet tragic narrative.

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams who play younger Noah and Allie in The Notebook in 2004. Photo by New Line/Courtesy Everett Collection

It seems to be the era of nostalgia. People are itching to see something familiar, whether it be on our screens like remakes or reboots like “Mean Girls the Musical” or the Disney Channel reboot series, “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place”. It may seem easy to captivate the audience to something familiar, but that leaves room for comparison. Thus, tackling the timeless story of “The Notebook” into a stage adaptation is a maze in itself.

Written by Bekah Brunstetter and music by Ingrid Michaelson, the story similarly follows the film adaptation: Allie and Noah come from two different paths are united and share a lifetime of love as the world seems to tear them apart and bring them back together on a continuous loop. In the present day, Noah struggles to connect with Allie as she struggles with dementia, and the only way to jog her memory of them is to read the story of their love.

For those familiar with the film, the setting does shift from beginning in 1940’s to the 1960’s, and instead of Noah joining the army in World War 2, he enlists into the Vietnam War to match the new timeline, so that old Allie and Noah’s present day is 2024. In the theatrical version of this story, Allie and Noah are played by three different actors, thus creating six silhouettes of a couple on stage: young Allie and Noah, middle Allie and Noah, and old Allie and Noah.

Cast of The Notebook the Musical on stage at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. Photo by Julieta Cervantes

 One way the musical sets apart from the previous versions is that the scope of race is left indifferent to the plot. Each version of Allie and Noah is represented by different ethnicities, allowing each audience member to see themselves in these characters. The idea is groundbreaking, however for those who do not know beforehand it may be tricky to pick up on. They do a good job at nudging the audience along, however, by using parallel movements between the actors.

The set is ingenuous, letting the story speak for itself yet replicating the three timelines effortlessly. The lip of the stage holds a body of water recreating the coastal Mid- Atlantic River pool that, if sitting close enough, audiences can hear the trickling of water flowing like an authentic river stream. The opening of the show even has young Noah and Allie, played by Benji Santiago and Anna Zavelson, swimming in this water and splashing water at each other, which is charming to watch.

John Cardoza and Jordan Tyson who play young Noah and Allie in The Notebook the Musical. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

 Another water element is incorporated as the infamous rain scene is recreated on stage. It was breathtaking to glimpse as the visuals truly capture the intimacy between middle Allie and Noah, played by Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez. The layers of the stage allow the different timelines to intertwine, and audience’s eyes can’t help but wander between the shadows of the past, present and future.

The best way to describe the music was pleasant and tender, and both loving and haunting. One song that stood out was “I Wanna Go Back”, which depicts Allie as she grapples onto memories that she can’t seem to picture and her younger selves sit with her as she struggles. The line, “I didn't know that the last time I'd leave the house, was the last time I'd leave the house” is heartbreaking as Allie never knew that her love story would end this way. The staging was brilliant, as Allie is led down the path of the characters of her past swirling around her, catching sight of the way life used to be.

Maryann Plunkett, Joy Woods, and Jordan Tyson who play all three different timelines of Allie in The Notebook the Musical. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

 One comical moment worth mentioning was Johnny, Noah’s PT instructor played by Carson Stewart, who offers to read Allie’s story to her in absence of Noah as he struggles after a stroke. He brings laughter to their love story, as he himself is invested in their love and cannot wait to continue reading. His character is an effective way to break up these hard hitting moments between the couple.

The struggle with the theatrical adaptation was that there was a lack of time. Each era needed so much more, and with a love story like this, the audience needs to believe and trust in their love, or their credibility is lost. There were moments where the versions of Allie and Noah felt separate, their mannerisms didn’t always align with each other. Young and middle Allie and Noah fell flat at times, and without time, their stories were shallower than hoped.

Maryann Plunkett and Dorian Harewood who play older Allie and Noah in The Notebook the Musical. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

Old Allie and Noah, played by Maryann Plunkett and Dorian Harewood, brought that spark alive, however, with their awe-inspiring connection. Their connection was so convincing, the time spent together was apparent in their connection, and the depiction of dementia was familiar to many audience members dealing with this in their own families.

There are some remakes that should just remain as the original, but the new adaptation of “The Notebook” on Broadway Is a notable story that people were blessed to see again in a new light. The story will hit home for audience members grasping onto memories that are worth fighting for. The power of love manifests in the dialogue and created a new meaning for an old tale.