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.
This compelling conceit gets weakened by a flat book and lyrics. Brunstetter and Michaelson aim for simplicity, but lyrics like a repeated “sadness and joy” fail to illuminate Noah and Allie's depth of character. The Notebook: The Musical can only compensate so much with Michaelson's strumming music, with repetitions that are pleasant but melt together, and some songs become indistinguishable from each other. Occasionally, a flourish in John Clancy and Carmel Dean's orchestrations grabs the attention.
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.
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.
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