When the beloved 2004 film The Notebook was announced for a musical adaptation composed by pop star Ingrid Michaelson, everyone assumed it would be a hit. Unfortunately, the Broadway production lasted for less than a year. However, The Notebook has now found new life on tour, now in Philadelphia through August 2nd. It’s a beautiful story of love, loss, and time with a sweeping score and an excellent cast.
The Notebook tells the story of Allie and Noah throughout decades, from idealistic teenagers in the 1960s to nursing home residents in the present day. Both characters are played by three different actors, “younger”, “middle”, and “older”, occasionally sharing the stage and mirroring one another. We see their turbulent love story as remembered by the older versions narrating their journey. This framing works very well with this cast of actors who seem like a natural evolution of their characters over time. The anchors are older Noah and Allie, played incredibly by Sharon Catherine Brown and Beau Gravitte. Brown had me in tears in her character’s moments of confusion as she battles dementia, while Gravitte’s earnestness shined through. The degree of difficulty to play Older Allie is immense, with Brown even surpassing the Broadway production in how much I sympathized with the character. The realistic and devastating timeline of these two in their nursing home grounds the story emotionally and provides heavy stakes to connect with.
Another standout from this production include original Broadway cast member of Hamilton Alysha Deslorieux as Middle Allie, who stops the show with this musical’s breakout song, “My Days”. We had an understudy in the role of Middle Noah, but Alex Benoit was lovely, with a great rendition of “Leave the Light On”. Kyle Mangold was incredibly charming as Younger Noah and understudy Samantha Rios was a bright Younger Allie. Rounding out the main cast were some great performances from Anne Tolpegin as Mother/Nurse Lori and Connor Richardson as Johnny.
Musically, Ingrid Michaelson’s score leans on folk-style, guitar-driven ballads, and wears its sincerity well. There are a handful of tunes that have stuck with me since I first heard them, and while some of the lyrics can feel cheesy, others are quite poignant. The highlights include some of the most emotionally raw numbers such as “I Wanna Go Back”, “Home”, and “Iron in the Fridge”. In these moments, the score and the devastating story are truly remarkable.
The Notebook explores themes of love and memory, including how lasting or fleeting either one can be. While this musical doesn’t break new ground, it’s still earnest and heartfelt, taking you on an emotional journey through time with characters you always root for. Like its wildly successful film version, it hooks you with romance and devastates you with grief. If you’d like a good cry inspired by this moving production, The Notebook is waiting for you.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.