Broadway Beyond Louisville Review: Broadway in Cincinnati presents THE NOTEBOOK at The Aronoff Center

Last night’s performance of The Notebook at the Arnoff Center for the Arts in Cincinatti felt like an evening I spent feeling the gambit of emotions. And that lingered long after I left the theatre. Often, adaptations of beloved romances can teeter between reverence and cheesiness. However, this production struck a more delicate balance: between moving you and asking for your trust, it stayed true to the central love story. 

From the moment the lights went down, the staging draws the audience into a world where memory is fragile and time is something that is all too fleeting. First, we meet an older Noah (Beau Gravitte) in a nursing home reading from his worn notebook to an elderly Allie (Sharon Catherine Brown). He is commanding, steady, strong, and soulful. As he reads her their love story, it unfolds before us in a beautiful memory play.

One of the show’s greatest strengths is how it uses three versions of Noah and Allie - young, middle-aged, and older - to weave together their lives. These versions intersect, echo, and respond to one another in beautiful intricacies. Like a well choreographed dance, especially when multiple versions share the stage, the storytelling effectively blurs the lines between who these people are and who they were when they were young. 

Vocally and dramatically, the cast gave fully committed performances. Gravitte and Brown, portraying older Allie and Noah, delivered the emotional weight of the show. Moments of silence, longing, and restraint often gave depth and pathos to the characters. The younger and middle versions (Kyle Mangold, Ken Wulf Clark, Alysha Deslorieux, and Chloë Cheers) brought energy and emotion to the romance, heartbreak, and everything in between. Particularly during the summer scenes where our lovers first met. The timeline changes were mostly seamless, and the costumes and lighting made the shifts feel smooth and natural. Allie was always costumed in evolutions of blue, while Noah in evolutions of warm burnt oranges.

Musically, Ingrid Michaelson stuck to her indie folk pop roots with this score. It can be described as mood music with heart - gentle melodies, intimate, wistful with a dash of humor for good measure. Orchestration itself leaned more acoustic which fits - and is expected for the show's emotional core. The harmonies achieved by the multiple Allies and Noahs are intensely beautiful and delivered pristinely. 

One of the evening’s highlights came when older Allie finally sings, a moment that only arrives at the end of the evening. In that instant, memory and identity coinside, and the sheer emotional power of that moment really ties the narrative together. That number, and its aftermath, brought tears to many in the house (myself included). From there, the final reconciliation and closing tableau felt dignified rather than overblown. Alysha Deslorieux as Middle Allie easily earned the biggest response of the night with the climactic and stirring “My Days”. With a stunningly clean vocal, and an emotional core that cuts straight to the heart. It reminds us that life is short and we must live our days to the fullest.

It’s also worth noting was the show’s design: the set, with its glistening water effect near the front of the stage, the staging of rain in one lovely moment, and the lighting and projection work together to enhance rather than distract. Costume shifts help the transitions between time periods feel coherent, and the ensemble while not the most utilized, added depth to the story.

At its heart, The Notebook is not trying to reinvent the romantic musical genre. It leans on what worked in the novel and film... a love story that makes you believe in love stories. Yet this stage version gives those familiar bones flesh and breath in a new way. And in a moment like last night, when the audience sat for a few seconds in silence before erupting in applause, you felt the spell had been cast.

Walking in, I truly didn’t expect to be so moved and taken by the story. For me, the movie has never been a favorite (I think I saw it once and remember next to nothing), but this is truly a show in which anyone with a heart can relate. If you have found your person, it takes you on a journey that I’m sure would feel reflective and cathartic. However, in my case as a single man in his late 20s, I am still looking for my person. Seeing the trials and tribulations of this relationship play out makes one think it might just still be possible to find that one you can’t live without. The one who knows you better than anyone and who will be by your side through it all. At the end of the day, I felt hope that an epic love story is possible for anyone, and that everyone deserves their Noah or Allie.

THE NOTEBOOK

Now - October 26th

Aronoff Center For The Arts

650 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH 45202.