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 2025 US Tour |
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
Act 1
Noah Calhoun lives with his wife, Allie, in a retirement home. Allie is suffering from Alzheimer’s and struggles to remember her husband and life ("Time"). Noah reads a love story to Allie from a notebook – the story of the two of them, around when they were seventeen and during a period about ten years later.
Allie, who comes from a wealthy family, and Noah, a working-class boy, first meet when Allie arrives in his town for summer break from high school. They are interested in each other, but their friends dissuade them from pursuing a relationship because of their differing social classes ("Dance with Me"). Noah is undeterred, walking Allie home and declaring that he is falling in love with her (“Carry You Home”). Their relationship deepens, and Noah promises to fix up an abandoned house for Allie (“Blue Shutters”). Allie is hesitant to introduce Noah to her parents, upsetting Noah. During the ensuing argument, Noah notices a painting that Allie is holding (“I Paint”). The painting is a gift for him, and he is moved by its melancholic beauty (“Sadness and Joy”).
In the present day, Allie asks Noah to skip ahead in the story. Ten years after they met, Noah, after fighting in Vietnam, has purchased the abandoned house and renovated it, hoping that it will bring Allie back to him (“Leave the Light On”). Meanwhile, Allie has gotten engaged to Lon, a wealthy man her parents approve of. A newspaper article featuring Noah and the restoration of the house catches her eye, shocking her – she wonders if Noah has moved on ("What Happens”). Back in the nursing home, Allie can no longer remember her children or grandchildren ("I Wanna Go Back”).
When Allie first brings Noah to her family's home for dinner that first year, her parents show disapproval of his working-class background, and Noah storms out. Allie's mom informs her they are leaving town the next day. Allie meets up with Noah in the abandoned house ("If This Is Love”), and the two are intimate for the first time (“Kiss Me”). Afterwards, Noah’s friend Fin warns them that Allie’s parents have called the cops on Noah for kidnapping. Before fleeing, Noah memorizes Allie’s home address, promising to write her a letter every day. In the nursing home, Allie begins to remember Noah before suffering from an episode, the stress of which causes Noah to have a stroke. In the post-Vietnam timeframe, Allie leaves for a vacation shortly before her wedding and arrives at Noah’s doorstep ("Home").
Act 2
Noah lays in his hospital bed as his and Allie’s younger selves sing of the things he didn't appreciate when he was young ("We Have to Try"). Allie's condition at the nursing home worsens without him, and she stops eating and speaking. In the middle timeframe, Noah welcomes Allie into the house. She admits she has a fiancé, but their feelings for each other resurface. They go to the docks where they spent time as teenagers, and it begins to pour down rain. Before they kiss, Allie confronts Noah on why he never wrote her. He swears he wrote to her every day, and they spend the night together ("Forever").
In the hospital, Noah reflects on his life with Allie and the beginning of her disease ("Iron in The Fridge"). The morning after their rekindled romance, Noah and Allie argue over their loss of contact over the years and Allie’s engagement to Lon. Allie runs into her mother outside of the house, who reveals that she intercepted Noah’s letters, but will now let Allie decide who to be with ("Don't You Worry"). Allie decides to stay with Lon, breaking Noah’s heart ("It's Not Easy"). Regretful, Allie realizes that she has to make a decision on how to spend her life that she can be proud of ("My Days").
Noah sneaks out of the stroke ward to see his wife again. Visions of all the people he's known in his life appear to him as he makes his way to her room ("I Love You More"). He finds Allie reading the notebook, finally able to remember that this story is of her and Noah ("I Know"). Noah and Allie lay down in bed together, and are found holding each other, both having died peacefully. Everyone in the story appears and sings of the couple's deep love for each other ("Coda").
Productions
Workshop (2019)
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 Younger Noah, Clifton Duncan as Middle Noah, and James Naughton, as Older Noah. [2]
Chicago (2022)
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 Younger 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.[3]
Broadway (2024)
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 Younger Noah, Ryan Vasquez as Middle Noah, and Dorian Harewood as Older Noah. The musical opened to mixed reviews.[4][5][6] The show played its final performance on December 15, 2024.[7]
North American Tour (2025–2026)
A North American tour began on September 6, 2025 at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio; it is scheduled to continue into early 2027.[8]
Philippines (2026)
Theatre Group Asia is staging a production in the Philippines[9] playing from 3 to 20 September, 2026, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.[10] The all-Filipino cast stars Celeste Legaspi and Rody Vera as Older Allie and Noah, Morissette and Laurence Mossman as Middle Allie and Noah, with Sheena Belarmino and Benedix Ramos as Young Allie and Noah; Nicholas Polonio directs.[11]
Musical numbers
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Characters and original casts
| Character | Chicago[13] | Broadway[14] | North American Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Younger Noah Calhoun | John Cardoza | Kyle Mangold | |
| Younger Allison "Allie" Nelson | Jordan Tyson | Chloë Cheers | |
| Middle Noah Calhoun | Ryan Vasquez | Ken Wulf Clark | |
| Middle Allison "Allie" Nelson | Joy Woods | Alysha Deslorieux | |
| Older Noah Calhoun | John Beasley | Dorian Harewood | Beau Gravitte |
| Older Allison "Allie" Calhoun (née Nelson) | Maryann Plunkett | Sharon Catherine Brown | |
| Nurse Lori / Mother / Others | Andréa Burns | Anne Tolpegin | |
| Johnny / Others | Liam Oh | Carson Stewart | Connor Richardson |
| Fin / Others | Caleb Mathura | ||
| Sarah Tuffington / Others | Sophie Madorsky | Hillary Fisher | Makena Jackson |
| Father / Son / Others | Jonathan Butler-Duplessis | Charles E. Wallace | Jerome Harmann-Hardeman |
| Georgie / Others | Dorcas Leung | Grace Ohwensadeyo Rundberg | |
| Lon Hammond Jr. / Others | Omar Lopez-Cepero | Chase Del Rey | Jesse Corbin |
| Nurse Joanna / Others | Yassmin Alers | Rayna Hickman | |
Notable Replacements
Broadway (2024)
- Younger Allie: Anna Zavelson[15]
- Middle Allie: Aisha Jackson[16]
Awards and nominations
2024 Broadway production
| 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
References
- ↑ Masseron, Meg; Gans, Andrew (2023-08-03). "The Notebook Musical Will Come to Broadway This Spring". Playbill.com.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "US tour". The Notebook The Musical. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
- ↑ Masseron, Meg (January 29, 2026). "Theatre Group Asia Will Present International Premiere of The Notebook This Fall". Playbill.
- ↑ Wild, Stephi (July 21, 2026). "Nicholas Polonio Will Direct The Notebook: The Musical in the Philippines". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2026-08-14.
- ↑ Sorilla IV, Franz. "Nicholas Polonio on bringing heart and heritage to the stage by helming ‘'The Notebook the Musical’', Tatler, August 3, 2026
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Anna Zavelson and Benji Santiago Will Make Their Broadway Debuts in The Notebook". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-11-12. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew (October 25, 2024). "Aisha Jackson Joins Broadway Cast of The Notebook October 25". Playbill. Retrieved May 12, 2025.