Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. With a book that has sold millions of copies worldwide and a film that's one of the highest-grossing romantic dramas of all-time, the musical adaptation of Nicholas Sparks's The Notebook comes to Broadway following a critically acclaimed world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in the fall of 2022.
And yet: As much as I rolled my eyes at The Notebook, I can’t deny that they sometimes welled up. In this version, it’s the older Noah and Allie—whom Brunstetter draws with the most care, free from the fetters of plot, and around whom Michaelson writes her most touching music—who get to you. Plunkett’s truthfulness pierces through the sentimentality, and there’s something elemental in the combination of love and loss that this pair embodies. As Younger Noah says of Allie’s painting: “It’s sadness and it’s joy, right?” At its best, The Notebook finds a way to deliver both, if only in shorthand.
“The Notebook: The Musical” will probably not be the same kind of star-making vehicle, but it is uniformly well-cast, with several memorable performances. The story is cleverly adapted by librettist Bekah Brunstetter, who seems almost as much guided by the TV series “This Is Us” (where she worked as a writer and producer) as by Sparks’ novel. And singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, in her Broadway songwriting debut, delivers almost two dozen largely folk and country-inflected melodies, most of them lovely, if blandly so; only a few stand out. Little in this musical may soar, but, given the potential of the material for over-the-top melodrama, the relatively low-key approach is part of the show’s appeal.
Rush Tickets:
Price: $49
Where: Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W. 45th Street, NYC) box office at 10AM ET Monday through Saturday and 12PM ET on Sunday. Rush ends 30 minutes before curtain.
Limit: Two per customer.
Restrictions: Locations and number of tickets based on availability; pairs may be split up and seats may be partial view.
Digital Lottery
Price: $44
Where: https://rush.telecharge.com/
When: Entries for The Notebook digital lottery start at 12am, the day prior to the performance. Winners are drawn that same day at 10am and 3pm and have five hours to claim and purchase tickets online.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Subject to availability.
2022 | Chicago |
Chicago Shakespeare Theater World Premiere Chicago |
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Dorian Harewood |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Maryann Plunkett |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Dorian Harewood |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Maryann Plunkett |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | The Notebook |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Maryann Plunkett |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Bekah Brunstetter |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Dorian Harewood |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Maryann Plunkett |
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