Exclusive: THE NOTEBOOK Cast Talks the Genius of Ingrid Michaelson, the Thrill of Having an All-Filipino Cast

Manila, Philippines—“The Notebook,” the hit Broadway musical based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 bestseller, featuring music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson (“The Way I Am,” “Girls Chase Boys”) and a book by American playwright and screenwriter Bekah Brunstetter (“F*cking Art,” “The Cake,”), is making its first international premiere at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater this September. And also for the first time, the production, which opens Theatre Group Asia’s 2026-2027 season, will be told by an All-Asian, All-Filipino cast.

The highly anticipated production stars Morissette as Middle Allie, Laurence Mossman as Middle Noah, Celeste Legaspi as Older Allie, Rody Vera as Older Noah, Benedix Ramos as Younger Noah, and Sheena Belarmino as Younger Allie.

More Than Just Romance: Deconstructing Ingrid Michaelson’s Score

While Sparks’ novel, later adapted into a movie starring young Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, who fell in love during the war in the 1940s, is adored by millions of fans for its over-the-top romantic gestures, the musical adaptation, in contrast, introduces a deeply introspective interpretation. In an exclusive sit-down interview with the lead cast, they discuss how Michaelson’s Broadway debut score manages to elevate and fracture the traditional romance into something much deeper.

“She's [Michaelson] taken this text from the book and just really melded it into honest, vulnerable, emotional songs... A lot of the music in this is internal thoughts, and you don't get that in a medium of a movie,” Mossman says.

Michaelson's approach relies heavily on letting the text lead the music. "She has a beautiful way with melody and words... especially in some of those heightened emotional parts," Mossman elaborates, adding that the medium allows artists to sing the characters' internal monologues. "To be able to sing what you're feeling through her music... is just very, very exciting as an artist because she's done it so well." 

Legaspi, a legendary figure in Philippine theater, expresses immense gratitude for Michaelson’s music. "I think it's quite a blessing, an extraordinary blessing that at my age now, I’m blessed with this song of Older Allie, ‘I Know,’” Its lyrics help me get into the moment," she shares, admitting that the emotional weight is instant: "By the third phrase, it’s impossible not to cry."

Vera expands on this, highlighting how the music layers the romance rather than just amplifying it. Referencing the musical number "Iron in the Fridge," he explains, "It started very quietly, and then it didn't even go into a dramatic climax. But the moment you, just with the music, your emotions came in because in the lyrics, it's just glimpses of what we did in the past... It wasn't spoon-feeding... It was almost meditative, almost reflective."

Morissette also agrees that the score serves as a perfect vehicle for expression. As a musician, the score was her primary research point and ultimate deal-breaker. "Instantly fell in love with it. Like the songs are very personal. And they really speak of what sometimes you can't just say... The music, it's like, oh my gosh, ito talaga yun [this is really it]."

In fact, the show’s standout anthem, “My Days,” has already captured the cast and local fans alike through cover versions across social media.

For Morissette, the song strikes a deeply personal chord: "I want to be proud of the way that I spend my days... This is my choice, and I'm standing up for it. So, it's just beautiful lyrics like that, that I feel like a lot of people really resonate."

Ramos shares learning the music before even knowing the musical existed. "I learned about ‘The Notebook’ because of the song 'My Days.' Even before seeing some clips, naaral ko na [I already studied] 'My Days' that I actually used it for an audition."

"The music just really adds depth to everything the characters are feeling... It puts you in a spot where you hear yourself... Tears, tears, tears after tears. So, sana magbaon sila ng tissue [So I hope the audience brings tissues],” Belarmino issues a fair warning.

A New Page: The Impact of an All-Asian, All-Filipino Cast

On Broadway and its ongoing North American Tour, “The Notebook” has multiracial, colorblind casting. However, the Manila production marks the first time the story will be told uniformly through an all-Asian, all-Filipino lens, offering local audiences a structurally seamless and culturally unique interpretation.

Morissette sees the production as a massive honor but with big shoes to fill. She draws parallels between the story's family dynamics and strict Filipino cultural norms, hoping the show acts as a "conversation starter" for Filipino families.

On the other hand, “Miss Saigon” alum Mossman believes the local industry has evolved past the point of needing to "match" Broadway. He asserts that global stages already regard Filipino artists as elite triple-threats. The exciting part now is simply deciding: "What new interpretation are we going to do?"

"This is how I would understand it as a Filipino. I cannot take that away from the show. And in fact, I'm going to embrace it so that it's a different version,” Vera shares. He views this production not as a copycat performance, but as a cultural dialogue. He wants to lean entirely into his Filipino roots.

As a long-time champion and producer of original Filipino musicals, Legaspi views this opportunity through a unique lens: "Because I’m Filipino and as I play Older Allie, then that is an original Filipino work."

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