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.
Instead, Brunstetter’s book, which spreads thin as it flits back and forth through a half-century, resists delineating the central pair with much of any identifying detail. Allie still likes to paint and Noah is good with lumber, but an effort to maximize their relatability winds up sacrificing their flesh and blood. The roles can be played by different actors because there’s nothing very particular about either character. The result is anodyne — and lacks the erotic charge of an attraction with distinct flavor set against a recognizable world.
Nevertheless, the comparative simplicity of the teary tale at its center—love at first sight strikes boy and girl like lightning, they are separated for a decade, and then the couple reunites for a striding-into-the-sunset happy ending (before age and illness impinge)—left me dry-eyed and occasionally tempted to check my watch. This may put me in the minority, given the story’s proven success in other mediums, but for all its sweetness and polish “The Notebook” never rises to truly transporting heights—except when Ms. Plunkett, as the heroine, Allie, in her later years, and Dorian Harewood, as her husband, Noah, are the focus.
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.
2022 | Chicago |
Chicago Shakespeare Theater World Premiere Chicago |
2024 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Dorian Harewood |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Maryann Plunkett |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Dorian Harewood |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Maryann Plunkett |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | The Notebook |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical | Maryann Plunkett |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Bekah Brunstetter |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Dorian Harewood |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Maryann Plunkett |
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