The Notebook (musical)
| The Notebook | |
|---|---|
 Broadway Promotional Poster | |
| Music | Ingrid Michaelson |
| Lyrics | Ingrid Michaelson |
| Book | Bekah Brunstetter |
| Basis | The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks |
| Productions | 2022 Chicago 2024 Broadway |
The Notebook is a musical with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name, written by Nicholas Sparks. The musical opened on Broadway on March 14, 2024 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre[1] and closed on December 15, 2024.
Summary
[edit]Act 1
The show begins with an encounter in the river between the youngest forms of Noah Calhoun, and his eventual wife Allison "Allie" Calhoun (née Nelson.) The oldest form of Noah watches on, and reflects on his age as daily life begins at the nursing home (Time) The oldest form of Allie appears, painting but spills her paints. As she begins an episode, Noah enters and offers to read from a notebook, worn from years of use, and begins to read her a story about two young people: Noah and Allie, who meet while Noah is performing at a local bar along with his friends, Fin and Georgie. (Dance With Me). Though Allie is hesitant at first, since she's from a completely different world, than Noah, she agrees to let him take her for a walk. At a dock, Noah claims he's falling in love with her, while Allie laughs at that. Noah then tells her that he knows their future and that one day he'll carry her to their home as a couple. Allie is enchanted (Carry You Home). Their older versions laugh about how the love young people share. Later, we see the young couple is sneaking around to avoid Allie's parents who disapprove of Noah's class and background. Noah sees an abandoned old house and decides he'll fix it and build it into his and Allies's home, starting by painting the shutters blue (Blue Shutters). Some time later Noah and Allie have dinner with her parents. The evening does not go well and Noah leaves angry. Him and Allie argue and Noah notices she's holding a painting. Allie explains that it was a present for him, and painting is her escape from the real world (I Paint). Noah sees the painting and is stunned by its beauty mentioning that it contains both sadness and joy. Allie is surprised that someone understands her so deeply (Sadness and Joy). Older Noah continues reading, but Nurse Lori says Allie must nap at this time. She insists Noah skip ahead in the story, and he hints at heartbreak for the young lovers. We then meet Middle Noah and Middle Allie. Noah at this age has just made the newspaper for remodeling the house as promised, and Georgie comes by to celebrate. Georgie tries to convince Noah to sell the house, but he refuses to sell it in hopes it'll bring Allie back to him (Leave The Light On). Meanwhile, Middle Allie is dining with her parents and fiancé, Lon. She looks in the newspaper, and takes sick when seeing Noah in the newspaper with the house he once promised her. Her mother still insists Lon is a much better option for Allie, but Allie can't help but wonder what Noah's life is like now (What Happens). Back in the present day, Noah and Allie's children and grandchildren visit Allie. Their son worries they can't afford to both stay in the home much longer, and Allie has an episode when she can't remember who her granddaughter is. The young and middle forms of Allie appear and sing of Old Allie's wishes to remember her life (I Wanna Go Back). We return to Young Allie, as she insists to her parents that she will be with Noah, despite them leaving town early to prevent her from doing so, but she remains dedicated despite her fears (If This Is Love). The young lovers meet in the house and sing of both their anxieties and love for each other as they grow more physical (Kiss Me). Suddenly, Fin runs in to alert them that Allie's parents called the cops on Noah for kidnapping and that they need to leave. They have a rushed, tearful goodbye, and Noah promises to write to Allie after memorizing her address, but Fin tells Allie that Noah would be happier without her. In the present day, Allie begins to remember her husband, but forgets soon after and has an episode of sun downing, causing Noah to have a heart attack from the stress (Home.)
Productions
[edit]Workshop (2019)
[edit]The Notebook was workshopped by the New York Stage and Film at the Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College on June 23, 2019. It was directed by Michael Greif.
On June 12, 2019, the leading actors cast in the show were announced. The cast included Hailey Kilgore as Young Allie, Vanessa Hudgens as Middle Allie, and Candy Buckley as Older Allie; Antonio Cipriano as Young Noah, Clifton Duncan as Middle Noah, and James Naughton, as Older Noah. [3]
Chicago (2022)
[edit]In September 2022, the show had its "world premiere" at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The production featured direction by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, and choreography by Katie Spelman.
Portraying the principal roles of Allie and Noah were Jordan Tyson as Young Allie, Joy Woods as Middle Allie, and Maryann Plunkett, as Older Allie; John Cardoza as Young Noah, Ryan Vasquez as Middle Noah, and John Beasley as Older Noah.
This production was initially slated for fall 2020, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Michaelson and Brunsletter used the additional time to hold online previews and tweak their work.[4]
Broadway (2024)
[edit]The show began previews on February 10, 2024 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, and officially opened on March 14, 2024. The production has the same creative team as the Chicago production. Casting included Jordan Tyson as Young Allie, Joy Woods as Middle Allie, and, Maryann Plunkett, as Older Allie; John Cardoza as Young Noah, Ryan Vasquez as Middle Noah, and Dorian Harewood as Older Noah. The musical opened to mixed reviews.[5][6][7] The show played its final performance on December 15, 2024.[8]
Planned North American Tour (2025)
[edit]On August 16, 2024, it was announced that the musical is scheduled to embark on a North American tour. It is expected to begin in September 2025 at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. Casting and further dates are still to be announced.[9]
Musical numbers
[edit]
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Characters and original casts
[edit]| Character | Chicago[11] | Broadway[12] |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2024 | |
| Younger Noah Calhoun | John Cardoza | |
| Younger Allison "Allie" Nelson | Jordan Tyson | |
| Middle Noah Calhoun | Ryan Vasquez | |
| Middle Allison "Allie" Nelson | Joy Woods | |
| Older Noah Calhoun | John Beasley | Dorian Harewood |
| Older Allison "Allie" Calhoun (née Nelson) | Maryann Plunkett | |
| Nurse Lori / Mother / Others | Andréa Burns | |
| Fin / Johnny / Others | Liam Oh | Carson Stewart |
| Sarah Tuffington / Others | Sophie Madorsky | Hillary Fisher |
| Father / Son / Others | Jonathan Butler-Duplessis | Charles E. Wallace |
| Georgie / Others | Dorcas Leung | |
| Lon Hammond Jr. / Others | Omar Lopez-Cepero | Chase Del Rey |
| Nurse Joanna / Others | Yassmin Alers | |
Notable Replacements
[edit]Broadway (2024)
[edit]- Middle Allison "Allie" Nelson: Aisha Jackson[citation needed]
Awards and nominations
[edit]2024 Broadway production
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 |
Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Dorian Harewood | Nominated |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Maryann Plunkett | Nominated | ||
| Best Book of a Musical | Bekah Brunstetter | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Award | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Dorian Harewood | Nominated | ||
| Maryann Plunkett | Nominated | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Maryann Plunkett | Nominated | |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album | Nominated | |
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Masseron, Meg; Gans, Andrew (2023-08-03). "The Notebook Musical Will Come to Broadway This Spring". Playbill.com.
- ^ Timmons, Avery (2022-10-20). "Review: 'The Notebook' musical enhances the adored love story". The Columbia Chronicle.
- ^ Lenker, Maureen (2019-06-13). "Vanessa Hudgens to lead reading of The Notebook musical adaptation". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ Houlihan, Mary (September 6, 2022). "'The Notebook' musical arrives after a delay that added depth". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
- ^ Cristi, A. A. (2023-08-03). "THE NOTEBOOK The Musical To Open On Broadway in 2024". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ Wild, Stephi (2023-11-14). "Full Broadway Cast Set For THE NOTEBOOK". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ^ McNary, Dave (January 3, 2019). "'The Notebook' to Become a Broadway Musical". Variety. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ Wild, Stephi. "THE NOTEBOOK Announces Closing Date". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ "The Notebook to Launch North American Tour - TheaterMania.com". 2024-08-16. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
- ^ "The Notebook (Broadway, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 2024)". Playbill.
- ^ "The Notebook". www.chicagoshakes.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
- ^ "Team". The Notebook The Musical. Retrieved 2024-02-11.