Notebook: Musical review
Notebook review
Countless readers and moviegoers have been devouring novels by Nicholas Sparks and films based on those books since the late 1990s, his first novel ā and one of his most successful film adaptations ā being āThe Notebook.ā A Broadway-bound musical based on the book is making its world premiere through the end of the month at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and trust me when I say that you should rush with a loved one to Navy Pier to see it: this āNotebookā has pages that will touch your heart. If youāve never read the book or seen the 2004 film with Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams and James Garner ā or you have experienced one or both but wonder about any significant changes that might have been made in the transition to the stage ā hereās a brief, relatively spoiler-free synopsis of the musicalās plot. We open in a retirement facility where one of the residents, Noah, is singing about how time has passed and about the āold manā he sees when he looks in the mirror (āThe paint is chipping, but the foundationās alright.ā) The role of āOlder Noahā was played by Jerome Harmann Hardeman, an outstanding understudy, on the night I saw the show ā itās possible John Beasley may return to the part before the run wraps up. Allie is another resident in the same facility who appears to have major memory/Alzheimerās issues. She doesnāt recognize Noah, but he offers to read her a love story, and Allie agrees to listen to this new friendās tale about ātwo very attractive young peopleā who met in the summer of 1967, in a small South Carolina town. āOlder Allieā (Maryann Plunkett) doesnāt realize that this story ā laid out in a notebook Noah brings with him ā is a story of their own love and heartbreak. Two pairs of actors play these characters at earlier points in their lives. Jordan Tyson and John Cardoza portray the āYoungerā Allie and Noah in ā67, when these two fell in love despite being from different sides of the tracks (her family is wealthy; Noahās a hard-working lumberyard employee). Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez are the āMiddleā Allie and Noah about a decade later, their lives having changed significantly. Why is there a gap of 10 years? Will Older Allie recognize Older Noah and the events in the notebook heās reading from? Will their mental and physical ailments keep them apart? What kind of happy ending, if any, is possible for this couple? What besides the intriguing plot is note(book)worthy? First and foremost, the music ā there are songs that draw us into the immediate infatuation of Younger Noah (āCarry You Homeā), the doubt-to-certainty of Younger Allie (āIf This Is Loveā) and the sadness seen in the earliest stages of Alzheimerās (āIron in the Fridgeā). Woods (Middle Allie) also has a song of self-introspection late in Act II (āMy Daysā) that uses her strong singing voice to show her characterās hidden internal strength. Plunkett doesnāt get a chance to sing much in the show, but her performance of the lyrics of āI Knowā (āWhere do I go when I go, when I disappear?ā) shows the agony of someone with Alzheimerās having a brief time of clarity about their illness. When a cast recording of the music by composer/lyricist Ingrid Michaelson is made available months from now, snatch it up. A beautiful, two-story set that converts from a retirement facility to a pier to a hospital to an old house Noah renovates ā and that includes water below, above and on the stage ā shows that every aspect of the book, including our memories of a dramatic rain scene in the film, has been carefully considered. Also, the script includes occasional humor (āThese are very sexy glasses, so please control yourselfā), which provides a respite for the audience from the more dramatic plot points and the sadness. I also admired the effective use of lighting ā from subtle, warm colors to single bright spotlights ā throughout the show. Kudos to David Zinn and Brett Banakis (set/scenic design), Bekah Brunstetter (book) and Ben Stanton (lighting design). The stars of this musical may not have the movie-star name recognition of Gosling, McAdams and Garner, but the leads and the supporting cast members (such as Liam Oh as Younger Noahās friend Fin and Older Noahās helpful physical therapist) are all excellent. Donāt be surprised if Jefferson Award nominations are plentiful for āThe Notebookā ā for actors (especially Woods), for Michaelson, for Brunstetter, for Zinn and Banakis, for Stanton, and for the overall artistic direction by Michael Greif and Schele Williams. While the races/ethnicities of the āYoungerā and āMiddleā actors/actresses didnāt match up with the āOlderā Allie and Noah, I found this colorblind casting to be refreshing and easy to grasp. In summary, bring your significant other to see this moving production, and bring a handkerchief ā at least one of you will need it.
Last Update:August, 07th 2025