Review by Lara Gonzalez
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul…” Nicholas Sparks ~The Notebook.
The Plot
The Notebook, the Musical is presented as part of the Broadway in Cincinnati series. This book by Nicholas Sparks was originally published in 1996 and then brought to life in a movie in 2004. The musical presentation is a wonderful reinvention of this story and stands in its own right.
For just over two hours we experience love between two people across three different timeframes. We see the love story of Allie and Noah when they first meet as teenagers and fall in love. We experience them reconnect years later, facing the challenges of lives that have grown apart but hearts that have stayed together. All this is narrated through the story in a Notebook. Read by Older Noah to his wife Allie who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and experiencing her own history as a spectator.
Together we experience emotional excitement of first love, the heart break of losing a partner and yourself, and the joy of finding them again.
The Production Team
The Notebook, The Musical is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (The Wiz, Aida), and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s This Is Us), and choreography by Katie Spelman.
One of the best parts of seeing a touring Broadway show is the production values. Not only is the talent top notch, but the team will utilize moving platforms, fly-in backdrops and set pieces to create different scenes in the space of seconds.
The tech in The Notebook takes this to another level. About 30 vertical LED lights hang from the ceiling. Throughout the show they change color, height, and illumination to create rooftops, moods, and all over variety to the show. The front of the stage has a rocky path through a “pond” that the cast frequently skips through. And, a technical highlight is the iconic rainstorm in the middle of Act Two where Noah and Allie share a romantic encounter.
Bringing the music to life is a live pit orchestra conducted by the talented Tina Faye. She leads a 7-person ensemble which plays over a dozen instruments between them, including the extravagant sounds of harp and timpani.
The Cast
The 14-person cast of The Notebook is incredibly strong. Not surprisingly, Allie and Noah over the years steal the show. Beau Gravitte starts the show, as older Noah. His rich baritone voice is a delight to listen to and his characterization is the emotional center of the show. Sharon Catherine Brown plays Older Allie. Her portrayal of Alzheimer stricken Allie is both heartbreaking and endearing.
Chloe Cheers and Kyle Mangold play the youngest versions of Allie and Noah. Their wide-eyed enthusiasm and unbridled passion for life are infectious
Mid-life Allie (Alysha Deslorieux) and Noah ( Ken Wulf Clark) are spectacular. In particular, Alysha’s show stopping solo at the climax of Act Two is simply amazing.
A key premise of the Broadway musical is that when a person has too much emotion to express through dialogue they break into song. The Notebook takes this up a notch; Noah and Allie’s emotion frequently spills over not only to song, but from multiple versions of themselves. Stunning thee part harmony graces our ears throughout the show. This intensifies the emotion- whether joy, longing, or heartbreak. During the last 15 minutes of the show the music on stage is also accompanied by sniffles and sighs throughout the audience.
The Bottom Line
- If you are looking for an evening out to bring laughter and joy, go see The Notebook.
- If you are looking for an emotional escape shared with family or friends, go see The Notebook.
- If you want to experience a magical slice of our world created by music, dance, and art, go see The Notebook.
What are you waiting for? Go see The Notebook!
Get Tickets to The Notebook, The Musical
The Notebook, the Musical, runs October 14-26 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. Tickets start at $47.25. For more information and link to sales, visit https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/the-notebook.
