The Notebook – 06 April 2024

If sappy, uncomplicated romance stories about the power of love get you every time, this is the show for you. The beautiful design (and actual river water on stage) creates a simple, yet gorgeous aesthetic. Ingrid Michaelson’s score is beautiful. The book is deliberately vague, keeping the story, timeless and uncomplicated.

In particular, I love the casting of Allie and Noah at three different ages as three different actors each. In addition to haunting harmonies, parallels, and memories, this created incredible stage tableaus that were, for me, the most moving part of the production. Because the story was simple, familiar, and predictable, I got swept up in Michael Greif’s and Schele Williams’s stage pictures, Ben Stanton’s beautiful lighting, and John Clancy’s and Carmel Dean’s exquisite orchestrations, without fear of missing any part of the story.

It was thoroughly enjoyable to see a production that swept me up into the gestalt of the world of the show so completely, that I wasn’t sitting on the edge of my chair, trying to make sense of every word. Nevin Steinberg’s sound design and the sound team’s execution was seamless, and I never had to strain to understand anything. It just was, and it unfolded around me, and held me- and it’s familiar embrace took me out of my own world for a couple hours.

All that being said, it’s the kind of show I’m not sure I’d see a second time. While it was beautiful, it wasn’t powerful. I’m glad that there is a show like this on Broadway, weaving, uncomplicated magic for theatergoers, who just want to enjoy a show as entertainment without being preached at. Me personally? I generally like a message that takes more than one word (in this case “love“) to explain. I enjoy unraveling complexities. The Notebook does not offer that. But it also does not pretend to. This show is exactly as marketed, and the transparency of the advertising extends to the clarity of the whole story, and how it is told.

Even if you’ve never read the book or seen the movie, you understand the entire story (ending included!) within mere minutes of the start of the show. It leaves you free to enjoy the ride without having to try to figure anything out as it unfolds or stay one step ahead of the characters. For me, it was a much needed escape. It took me out of myself and out of my head, for a beautiful (and incredibly sweet) moment.

It’s sappy. But we indulge in sappy stories, and every other art form. Case in point – it’s already a novel and a movie! It’s nice to see Broadway making space for a quiet moment that doesn’t force a message on you. The Notebook just tells you a story. Plain and simple. Transient and beautiful. And definitely worth a visit for a couple of hours.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.