NEW YORK CITY — Being a self-confessed non-romantic, one might be surprised that I have ended up at the Schoenfeld Theatre in New York to witness the musical The Notebook, based on the popular Nicholas Sparks novel and subsequent movie, with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson, and a book by Bekah Brunstetter. However, as part of my trip to NYC to participate in the annual American Theatre Critics Association Annual Conference, seeing this show, directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, before it takes its final Broadway bow in December and launches a 2025 tour felt like a great opportunity.
What surprised me even more was how I ended up a puddle of tears only about ten minutes in, and those tears lasted throughout the rest of the production. This terrific cast, wonderful score, and magnificent direction melted my cynical heart. The level of humanity built into the full storyline was astounding.
The story follows Older Noah, played by Dorian Harewood, as he tries to connect to his wife, Older Allie, played by MaryAnn Plunkett, as he reads the story of their life to her to try and try and help her reconnect to her past. During the reading, the story unfolds with many different players during different seasons of their lives, with a lot of the actors expertly balancing many roles, from friend to medical professional to parent to child.
The beautiful set, designed by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis has a creek running on the front of the stage, and the water elements that are included throughout the production were a technical marvel. One would expect nothing less from Broadway, but the team at Hudson Theatrical Associates has really outdone themselves. Combined with the projections designed by Lucy Mackinnon, I continue to be mystified by just how advanced the designs biome, with the world creation becoming more realistic with each passing year.
The Notebook plays on Broadway through December 15, 2024.
What made this show hit home more for me was the writing of the book by Brunsetter and the direction by Williams and Greif, who have pulled out the real challenges of health, aging, and the difficulties of the loss of mental acuity. As a therapist, this hit home in a strong way. The way Plunkett portrayed this challenge during the song “I Wanna Go Back”. Though she does not sing at this point, the singing is done in a haunting and beautiful way by middle Allie, played by Aisha Jackson, and Younger Allie, played by Anna Zavelson, Plunkett displays a level of character and depth unlike anything I have ever seen with her ability to show the true fear and confusion one faces when they start to lose control of their mind. Watching the beautiful patience portrayed by Harewood as Older Noah gave this old cynical writer a renewed hope in what I see as true love, someone who will love and care for someone as a person, not just a romantic interest.
As an out of town critic coming in, some of what I have read about this show have called it sentimental, and have praised the criss-crossing the racial casting, and I find in perhaps another interpretation. In my experience in the therapeutic world, when a person loses their memory, and then goes in and out of their memories, looking back on the past feels like they are looking at a story, not exactly looking at themselves. I found watching the story of Allie and Noah being played out by different actors and actresses, knowing it could be cast by any actor or actress who had the true talent to play it, because the story was familiar to Allie, though she could not place it, was quite an accurate portrayal to the horror of what it is like to not have a full grasp of your own memories. As the final number of Act one, Home, was unfolding on stage, the emotions of Allie not recognizing Noah when he was right in front of her seemed stronger because these were characters in her mind, she recognizes them but she doesn’t. The casting choices feel brilliant and inspired. As for the sentimental, rather than seeing this as a happily ever after that many of the musicals that I watch over and over on the regional scene, this felt very much like the real life therapy that I do daily for those caring for their loved ones in dire situations.
Broadway in this day and age is an economic confusion. Travel is something that is certainly a luxury for a lot, and the cost is out of reach for so many, and that is a tragedy. At the same time, people need to be paid and stage hands, support staff, and many others are likely underpaid. Stories like The Notebook close too soon, and it is a travesty. It is closing on December 15th, so those who have a chance should go see it. The good news is there will be a National Tour mounting, and I really hope that Salt Lake City is going to be in the consideration. You will have a strong audience there. What I also take comfort in is that like shows like Bright Star and Tuck Everlasting, which did not make it through the monster that is Broadway Economics, The Notebook will have a strong life in the Utah Theatre Scene when MTI makes it available. With the beautiful ways I see local directors in Utah take hold of stories, I cannot wait for them to get their hands on this script.
