Interview: Chloe Cheers of THE NOTEBOOK at Aronoff Center

Grab your tissues and your loved ones, because The Notebook is well into its first national tour. The three-time 2024 Tony Award nominee is making its way around the U.S., bringing a slice of sadness, joy, and everything in between to theater lovers everywhere.

The Notebook explores the lifelong love story of Allie and Noah, and how love endures, no matter the hardships. With music by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter, we follow Allie and Noah through all stages in their life and invite the audience into a world where you're proud to spend your days.

Spanning the whole love story of Allie and Noah, we see three iterations of each character, telling their story as it spans decades. Chloe Cheers, 2023 National YoungArts Theatre Winner and LaGuardia High School/Paper Mill Musical Theatre Conservatory graduate, plays Young Allie in The Notebook: The Musical as it embarks on its first national tour.

Check the Q&A below for an interview between Annabelle J Dilts and Chloe Cheers on life on tour, playing an iconic character, and pure storytelling.

AJD: Because the film The Notebook is so acclaimed and iconic, this first national tour brings together both fans of the original movie and us theater-goers. How do you perform Young Allie in a way that's true to yourself, while also maintaining the iconic character we all know and love?

CC: I love the movie, and I love Rachel McAdams, so I'll take any influence from her. She did a phenomenal job portraying Allie, and she really shows the passion and playfulness at her core. With the musical, having songs definitely enhances the role, at least for me. It's so easy to play into the truthfulness of the character. But then, I'm also adding myself into it, which will naturally have a little twist. The last thing I want to do is copy somebody, but being in the character as myself will naturally be different. I think I do like to take influence from the movie, because it's iconic, but making it my own is a key thing.

AJD: As we know, the show has these three different versions at Allie in the different stages of her life and in the story. How do you collaborate with the other actresses playing Middle Allie and Older Allie to ensure consistency, or even contrast?

CC: From the get-go, when we all first met each other, we were all down to find ways to have the same mannerisms. I mean, I've been observing them since the start of rehearsals. I think we all observe each other to find ways we can show we're playing the same character. there's little quirks Alysha (Middle Allie) will do, like how she stands, and I try to match that. Our director, Michael Greif, told me to mimic the way Sharon (Older Allie) says specific lines because there will be times I come in right after her, and so every night I make sure to listen to how she says that so I can match the inflection. We try to emulate little physical things with each other, but also knowing we're playing the same character at different versions of her life, which makes it okay to have contrasting qualities. It's always fun to collaborate with them. They're amazing, and I love getting to play the same role as them.

AJD: It's so special being on this first national tour, because for many people this is their first time experiencing this story. How do you balance the touring lifestyle with maintaining your healthy routine and clarity as a performer?

CC: It was definitely something I was nervous and scared about before starting this whole process. But being in rehearsal and building that stamina and having the grace to know it's not going to be perfect immediately, doing a show like this, and knowing that I am stepping into a role that's demanding. I was super nervous about being able to do eight shows a week before starting this. It really is a work in progress, as long as you're working that muscle, you'll build that stamina. With touring, it's so exciting going to new cities all the time, and that definitely keeps the show fresh and exciting. You have to adapt and learn how to do it in a different house every couple of weeks, and so that can be exciting and fun, but it can also be stressful at times with traveling, so you have to take care of yourself. I definitely have a pre-show routine and ritual that I do every single time before the show, and that's helped a lot. I'm not going to lie, it's hard to balance wanting to do the cool, tourist-y things, because it's really cool -- we're visiting all of these great cites, but you have to take care of yourself first. Sleep helps a lot. I do certain things like eating a clove of garlic every day so that I can help my immune system. I really hone in on taking care of myself, because taking care of yourself is so important doing eight shows a week. I think I've got the balance down, but it's always a work in progress.

AJD: What's been your favorite part of tour? Things you've been looking forward to, or any good memories from the cities you've performed in so far?

CC: It's been the absolute most fun I've ever had. It's great, because I'm working with all of these incredibly talented and kind individuals. Building these friendships has been so fun, and getting close to everyone, and obviously getting to perform the show every night has been so fun. In Buffalo, we went to Niagara Falls, and we even got to go to Canada for a bit, which was sick. Getting to do fun, little tourist-y things while also getting back into the balance has been really special. It's been the best time -- I'm so grateful to be doing this.

AJD: What's something you want the audience to walk away with every night? What do you leave on the stage?

CC: We are always talking about how this show is a celebration of love, and so I really hope the audience can leave with that. With this big, strong, beautiful story. It just shows how beautiful love is and how passionate and amazing it can be. There's also the hope aspect -- I mean, the show ends with a miracle and I hope audience members can leave feeling that optimism and feeling uplifted by the whole thing. I love to see theater kids come to the show, because I know whenever I see a show that I love I leave feeling so motivated and fulfilled, and knowing that that's my passion. I hope all theater kids or aspiring actors can leave feeling the same way.

AJD: Now, we're going full The Notebook. If this was your story to write, what would be the most important piece of advice you could leave with your audience?

CC: There is so much I could say! One thing that's really helped me on tour is staying in the moment. It's very easy to get anxious and overwhelmed with everything going on, so I've been honing in on being present and taking things day by day. That would be my biggest piece of advice. But also, I'm a big believer in love, and so I would agree with The Notebook and the way it's a celebration of love. I'd say to just live life -- feeling it and giving it. Be in the moment, and love.

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