Mezzanine Musings: The Notebook the Musical

(WARNING!: This article contains a few spoilers, so read at your own risk!)

The reason we went to see The Notebook the Musical wasn’t because we were huge fans of the story. I already knew the plot because of an unfortunate spoiler incident, but I can’t say I was intrigued beyond, “Oh, that sounds cute”. BUT, when it came time to pick our fourth show, we landed on The Notebook because its opening weekend was the weekend we would be in NYC.

Opening weekend is an incredibly special time for a new show. Sometimes opening can make or break a show, depending on how well it was received. Often before the show makes it to Broadway, it has already gone through months, even years, of trials, workshops, and previews, so finally making it to the Great White Way can be quite the sigh of relief. Imagine the actors congratulating each other, saying "We did it!" So much work goes into a show like this and seeing the finished project is an honor. And there's an energy around this special weekend - a buzz, a joyfulness, an excitement that is totally priceless.

It is so cool to see the original cast of a musical. I mean, think about it, now any time you go to listen to the soundtrack you get to hear the people you saw IN REAL LIFE. And when those people are super famous, you can say things like “I saw Jordan Tyson in her debut show!” and brag to your friends about it. My mom saw Bernadette Peters in a show on Broadway years ago, and still talks about it. 

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks that became a beloved movie, this musical of a modern classic romance premiered on Broadway March 14th, 2024 in the Gerald Schoenfeld theatre, a venue that once played host to a show I like, Come From Away. The book was by Bekah Brunstetter with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson, so it wasn’t all classic Broadway style, but then again most newer shows aren't.

Though the music was more like pop songs than the classic Sondheim, “and then this happened and on and on and the melody and key changes three times in one song la la la!!!”, some of the scenes and songs were very moving and emotional. The show was pronounced “Absolutely gorgeous, not to be missed” by the Chicago Tribune as well as "Superb! A stage musical for all the ages!” by the Chicago Sun-Times. Or, as a certain blonde-haired, beach loving guy might say, “SUBLIME!” 🏄‍♂️

The main characters, Allie and Noah, were played by three actors each - a young, middle, and old version of the lovers. The six actors weaved in and out of the story, joined by a small cast of other supporting characters and no ensemble. Every character had a line, and there weren’t a lot of group songs - which makes sense for this show, because the main focus is Allie and Noah.

Jordan Tyson made her Broadway debut with this show opposite John Cardoza as the young versions of the characters. Tyson’s vocals were beautiful and clear, and both actors brought the character’s playfulness to life! Joy Woods (Six) - what a set of pipes that lady has!! - and Ryan Vasquez (Waitress, Wicked) starred as middle Allie and Noah, and finally the old Allie and Noah came to life through the actors of Maryann Plunkett (who earned herself a Tony Award for her performance in Me and My Girl, and is also featured in the 2019 Little Women, one of my favourite movies of all time!!) and Dorian Harewood. The thing I loved about Harewood was the pure heart he put into his role, and the rawness of his performance. These six were joined by Andréa Burns (Original Daniela in In the Heights), Carson Stewart, Yasmin Alers, Chase Del Rey, Hillary Fisher, Dorcas Leung, and Charles E. Wallace. And that was the entire cast. Wild, right?

One interesting thing about The Notebook was that there was no overture or entr'act. There was an announcement at the beginning of the show about turning off cellphones and stuff, and then suddenly the story began. As a person who is a firm believer in the magic of a good overture, and how it can set the tone for a show and transport the audience, it was sorely missed by me.💔

Though there was no overture, there was, of course, live music. But the auditorium didn’t have a pit for musicians - so where were they? Well, at the end of the show, a panel in the back of the stage rose to reveal the band on a platform back there! They had been playing from back behind the stage the entire time, and it was an EPIC reveal. 

The coolest part of the show was how they used water. Anyone who knows anything about the story of The Notebook knows that water is an important factor in the story - but how do you transport that to a Broadway stage?

I won’t spoil that magic (AKA I’m not totally sure how they did it and don't want to spoil the mystery for myself lol) but I will tell you it was amazing. A stream with real water ran the length of the stage which actors could wade in and splash each other with, and during the scene with Allie and Noah’s famous kiss in the rain, it really did rain onstage - water poured from the ceiling, drenching the actors but keeping the audience nice and dry. I recently discovered that the water was actually heated, as a requirement by the Actor’s Equity Association, so that wet actors weren’t trying to sing while shivering. If the performers seem cold, says Ryan Vasquez, “It’s acting”.

The Notebook wasn’t my favourite show for several reasons, but it was still good and definitely tugged at your heartstrings. A lot of people have an emotional connection to the movie, and the team behind the Broadway musical truly payed homage to that with a lot of simple beauty and integrity. Two highlights from the soundtrack are "If This is Love" and "My Days", so if you don't want to listen to the whole show I encourage you to at least listen to those two! Both are on my regular rotation.

Even though I wasn’t blown away by this show, other people were, which is awesome. The Notebook was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Book for Bekah Brunstetter and performance nods for Maryann Plunkett and Dorian Harewood as Older Allie and Noah. My friend TW (who is a BOSS at Capture the Flag, if you know what I mean😉) is a big fan of the show too, and now I always think of her when I listen to it.

And honestly, let me be cheesy here for a sec, but that's the most important thing about shows  - not how perfectly put together they are, but the memories you have surrounding them. 

As always, thank you so much for reading. Make sure to stop and smell the roses! Curtain up!

Rosie