THE NOTEBOOK The Musical was a charming chamber piece when I first read Bekah Brunstetter's adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' breakout bestseller. But the touring version is now playing to bigger houses than either its original Chicago premiere or its New York engagement. With Broadway-extravaganza pretensions. Call me back when a local company decides to mount this musical at an appropriate scale.
The stage production does make a lot of strides that strengthens the endurance and popularity of this love story. It repeats iconic moments from the popular 2004 film, but isn’t aping the original screenplay in any way. A new libretto offers a fresh take that borrows the basic structure of the novel and memorable film moments, whilst breathing in new voices and new scenes that add different layers to these familiar characters.
“The Notebook” isn’t aiming for subtlety; it’s aiming straight for your heart. Judging by the collective sniffles, gasps, and tears around the theater, it hits its mark.
Love is one of the most wonderful parts of human existence; it is beautiful, but one of the hardest things a person can experience. Love is not just a feeling, but a venture that must constantly be worked at and put effort into to be maintained. THE NOTEBOOK, currently playing at ASU Gammage and based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name, explores what a lifelong love story looks like.
Watch Alysha Deslorieux, who plays Allie in The Notebook on Tour sing 'My Days' by Ingrid Michaelson on KRON4 in San Francisco.
What did our critic think of THE NOTEBOOK at Orpheum Theatre?
Adapted from Nicholas Sparks' ubiquitous 1996 novel (and its popular 2004 film iteration featuring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling), THE NOTEBOOK - THE MUSICAL re-stages a generational love story into a quietly sweeping, memory-fractured stage romance that subtly promotes emotional accumulation over plot novelty. Now on stage at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts, this 2024 three-time Tony-nominated Broadway musical's first national tour continues performances in Costa Mesa through February 8, 2026.
Watch Younger Noah actor Kyle Mangold and Younger Allie actor Chloë Cheers from the national tour of The Notebook speak about the production on CBS LA.
Between Ingrid Michelson’s heart-swelling score, a safe and steady book by Bekah Brunstetter and the co-direction of Michael Greif and Schele Williams, this entertaining but hardly remarkable tale kicks off the 2026 season at the Hollywood Pantages on an appropriately tear-streaked note.
BroadwayWorld talks with THE NOTEBOOK's Rayna Hickman to discuss her journey, the show’s emotional power, and what it means to return home with the show, playing at the Hollywood Pantages January 6–25 before heading to Segerstrom Center for the Arts Jan. 27–Feb. 8.
It is no wonder so many movies, tv shows, and musicals start out as the written word. I would argue the best stories are those that draw you in and keep you engaged from start to finish, regardless of how long it takes to finish. Perhaps that is why when I first read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks in high school, I read it in one day. Reading the book so long ago led me to watch the movie with equal enthusiasm which leads me now to the performance hall of DCPA's Buell Theatre for the National Touring production of this new classic.
Stories can be one of the most powerful things in the world. We all have different reasons we share a story. Sometimes it's to pass down a lesson we have learned. Other times it's to remind us or someone we know about our story. 'The Notebook: The Musical,' which opened on Tuesday at Des Moines Performing Arts as part of the Willis Broadway Series, not only tells a beautiful story, but the way it is told is something I'm going to remember for a long time.
The first national tour of The Notebook opened its run at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts with a performance that felt both tender and freshly alive. The familiar love story—spanning youth, adulthood, and the late years of Allie and Noah’s lives—translated beautifully to the Ordway stage, where the audience settled into an evening of heartfelt storytelling and quietly powerful performances.
Nicholas Sparks saw his story come to life when he attended a performance of The Notebook musical national tour, as it was stopped at The Ordway in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Watch the video!
If you are a fan of Nicholas Sparks's novel The Notebook or the 2004 film of the same title (starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, you do not want to miss this production. It is a beautiful love story of endurance and hope even amidst the constant trials.
Get a first look at the cast of The Notebook on Tour in action in this all-new video. The tour began performances in September in Cleveland and will visit 30+ cities in its first year, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Watch Alysha Deslorieux, who plays Allie in The Notebook on Tour sing 'My Days' by Ingrid Michaelson. The tour began performances in September in Cleveland and will visit 30+ cities in its first year, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
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.
Part romance novel, part heartbreak story of the ravages of Alzheimer's, Nicholas Sparks' novel THE NOTEBOOK is now a Broadway musical. No, not of the glitzy singing and dancing stage spectacular variety, but moreso a stage drama with music. The excellent National Touring production opened at Shea's last night, and even the most stoic of souls would be hard pressed not to feel one or more of the complex emotions that the cast works so hard to convey
Experience The Notebook at The Fabulous Fox, November 4-16. Join Allie and Noah in this timeless tale of love and memory.
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