Interview: Kyle Mangold of THE NOTEBOOK at Orpheum Theater

Kyle Mangold, who plays Younger Noah on the national tour of The Notebook, sat down with BroadwayWorld in Omaha to talk about life in the arts and on the road. The Notebook opens December 9th at the Orpheum Theater and has performances scheduled through December 14th.

Where did you find your love of performing?

I did my first show in fourth grade. It was a junior version of The Little Mermaid. I kind of just did it to get to know people and make friends. I thought I wanted to be a TV actor, so I thought I should start there. As I grew up, I continued to do it. I did school shows, and then I started branching out into community theaters and such. I really fell in love with live performance. We learned the value of getting to perform for people live, and the magic it holds and the healing it can bring to people. That’s when I realized I was going to forget about TV for now and really focus on theater. Every musical I’ve seen has inspired me, so I decided to pursue it when I was looking for colleges. My voice teacher at the time helped me look at places I might want to go, and I went to Shenandoah Conservatory. I was super happy to be there and I loved my experience. I started doing summer stock, and they helped me find an agent. I’ve been working with Clear Talent Group since I graduated, and they’ve been lovely. They helped me land this gig, which has been a dream come true.

Can you tell me a little bit about your first professional audition experience? Any takeaways for artists who are considering putting themselves out there professionally?

I definitely remember my first audition out of college. It was in New York City, and it felt so intimidating seeing all the other actors. Being in Pearl Studios, which I had only heard about and seen in pictures and media, was surreal. Going up the elevator with my heart pumping, I kept checking if I had everything I needed and if I had my resume. I wondered if my music was good and if I knew where I was going to start my song—all these thoughts were going through my head. I hoped they were going to like me, and I wondered what it would feel like walking into the room. It went pretty well from what I remember, but looking back, if I were to give some advice to myself or to newcomers, it would be to trust yourself. Visualize it going well. Know that yes, there are so many people, but each of you brings something completely different to the character. It’s fun for the team to explore that. Just trust yourself. Be confident. And remember why you’re there. You’re there because you’re excited about theater and you love to do it. And while this one might not work out, at some point your passion is going to bring you somewhere exciting.

Transitioning to time on the road now. You all just had your 100th performance! Congratulations!

Yes, thank you!

You are currently touring the country with The Notebook, but you’ve also been a part of off-Broadway productions such as Stranger Sings. Can you tell me a little bit about the differences between touring with a show and being in New York doing a sit-down show off-Broadway? Is there anything you didn’t expect about either, or anything you particularly enjoy?

Yeah. The difference in lifestyle is miles apart. It was so nice being in New York and performing off-Broadway. I got to be in my space with my cats and my partner, Alexis. You could easily fall into a rhythm of “this is what my day looks like.” I wake up at this time, I go to the gym, I eat this food, and then I leave my apartment at this time. Once you’re through rehearsals, it’s really just doing the show. You can get tons of rest and you don’t really have to worry about how you’re going to fill your day or get all of these experiences that you get through touring. Just being in New York, you can focus on the show and have a schedule. It’s super nice in that way. It’s super cozy.

Being on tour is a completely different animal. Neither is better than the other—they’re just so different. Touring is very exciting. Getting to see all these cities that we don’t typically go to is incredible. I love feeling the different vibes of each place and seeing all the things that local people say are fun. It’s such an adventure, but it’s also a huge balance of energy. I find myself still figuring out how much time I want to devote to exploring each city, and how much I want to devote to resting, staying healthy, and making sure I’m emotionally and physically ready to do the show. I think that’s something I’ll always be figuring out and balancing. But it’s really exciting. This is so different from anything else I’ve ever done. It’s really cool, and it brings the cast super close because we’re constantly traveling together. We’re in our own little bubble of people traveling the country. Each city we go to, we don’t usually know anybody, so we really just have each other.

When you’re in New York City, of course you fall in love with your cast and become a family, but you can go out into the world and see your other people and families you’ve built. Touring definitely brings you super close to your cast, which is very cool.

How did you approach your creation of younger Noah for this production?

Seeing the different versions of Noah that have been played on stage, in the movie, or in the book is super inspiring, and it opens up the emotional depth of the story. I understand what I felt watching it and what I want people to feel when they’re watching me do it. The creative team definitely allowed us to really bring ourselves. They never told us we needed to do things just because someone else did. We re-approached it as ourselves.

We still remembered the emotional depth and storytelling that the previous forms of the character brought. Acting with the older versions of myself, with this cast, is such a blessing. It’s such a pleasure. They are incredible people and incredible actors.

What’s cool about playing different versions of Noah is that he is very different at these stages of life. Younger Noah is experiencing butterflies and falling in love for the first time. He’s young, spends his time outdoors, plays music with his friends, and hasn’t been to war yet. Middle Noah has been through so much. He’s lost his father. He’s built a house. He’s been to war. He lost his Best Friend. Just that alone, when comparing those two versions of Noah, makes sense—they’re slightly different because he’s changed so much.

There are still ways we keep it similar. We have some mannerisms we both do. I think when you spend this much time with another person, you start to accidentally act like them a little bit. We’re kind of becoming each other just because of the amount of time we spend together. It’s super cool. The through line with Noah is that we’re all extremely passionate and devoted to keeping our love with Allie alive, no matter the circumstances. We all have a different battle to fight in that.

Is there a certain part of the show that you look forward to every night?

I love the show so much. I look forward to all of it, but some specific moments I really love include the coda at the end of the show. It’s just so special. After everything the audience and cast have gone through together, to stand there together and sing those beautiful lyrics and that gorgeous song feels very spiritual every time. It’s like a warm hug at the end of the show that everybody needs.

I also love the moments where the younger and older versions of these characters get to be on stage together. That’s super unique to the show, and getting to navigate and experience that with each other every night is always a pleasure.

We are so looking forward to having you here in Omaha with us! Any final thoughts for audience members who are still on the fence about purchasing a ticket?

I would say you’re going to thank yourself if you get those tickets. Come see the show! It is an experience everyone should go through. It’s a celebration of life. It makes you reflect on your own life. The music is gorgeous. The storytelling is fantastic. You’re going to leave feeling grateful that you came. You’re going to feel grateful for your life. You’re going to feel grateful for the people in your life that you love. I think it’s really special, and it’s not something you want to miss.

Omaha Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. WALNUT RIDGE (Nebraska Communities Playhouse)

14.7% of votes

2. SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Lofte Community Theatre)

13.9% of votes

3. COME FROM AWAY (Lincoln Community Playhouse)

8.7% of votes

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