Review: THE NOTEBOOK at ASU Gammage
The production runs through April 12th at ASU Gammage in Tempe, AZ
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.
Many are familiar with THE NOTEBOOK’s story, if not because of the novel, then because of the 2004 film adaptation. The musical’s take on the plot is the same at its core, romantic yet painful, but changes the period from the 40s, 50s, and 2000s to the 60s, 70s, and present day. Subsequently, the war occurring during parts of the musical is in Vietnam instead of WWII.
The leads are Noah and Allie, played by three actors each: a younger, middle, and older version of themselves. The story begins with Older Noah (Beau Gravitte) visiting Older Allie (Sharon Catherine Brown) in a nursing home. Allie, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, does not remember Noah. But he offers to read her a story. The story he reads is from a notebook, Allie’s notebook, recounting the couple’s love story. Younger Allie (Chloe Cheers) and Younger Noah (Kyle Mangold) meet as teenagers one summer. The pair come from two different walks of life, with Noah working at a lumberyard with his father, and Allie being the affluent daughter of a plane designer.
Allie and Noah quickly fall in love, with Noah promising to buy and fix up an old house next to the docks for them to live in. Allie’s mother (Anne Tolpegin) and father (Jerome Harmann-Hardeman) vehemently disapprove of the lower-class boy and force Allie to go home early instead of staying for the summer.
The next section of their romance is ten years later, when the pair is reunited after an engaged Middle Allie (Alysha Deslorieux) reads that Middle Noah (Ken Wulf Clark) was selling the old house he had promised to fix and decides to fly back to visit him, where the pair are forced to confront their lack of contact.
With the framing narrative of THE NOTEBOOK being closely tied to Alzheimer's disease, memory is a major theme of the show. Although the story is told by Older Noah linearly, all three versions of the leads are present on stage and in the music throughout the show. This gives the show a dreamy characteristic, perfectly encapsulating the feeling of characters’ nostalgia it seeks to emulate. The casting is also very clever, making Allie’s nurse, Lori, played by the same person who plays her mother (Anne Tolpegin). The through line was a very intriguing way to weave in the themes of caretaking and motherhood.
While the music is performed well and pleasant-sounding, the lyrics and composition leave something to be desired. The music was enjoyable, but not the most enjoyable part of the production. The music does its job, pushing the story forward, but it does not feel particularly special or memorable. However, there were several stellar performances. Every song Alysha Deslorieux sang as Middle Allie was encapsulating. Her struggle between picking the easy route in life of staying with her rich fiancé and giving in to her desires and love for Noah will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Likewise, Ken Wulf Clark, as Middle Noah, gave a great performance. The middle pair’s dynamic was so good that it is unfortunate they are not highlighted more in the production. There are very strong moments of tension that are some of the best in the entire musical, but the latter half of their story is not fully explored. The characters and story make up for what the music lacks.
Chemistry is vital to THE NOTEBOOK, and the middle pair is not the only successful one. Chloe Cheers and Kyle Mangold do a great job with the comedy and awkwardness that comes with the pair’s first meeting. Both do a great job with the eagerness that comes with young love. Beau Gravitte and Sharon Catherine Brown are perfectly heartbreaking in the most romantic way. Although young and middle, Allie and Noah struggled and had to break down barriers, the older pair is where the hard work needed for love is truly shown. In moments where Allie’s Alzheimer's disease is particularly bad, it is almost hard to watch because of how sad it is. But, throughout everything, Noah is there for her. The direction of the play, by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, is commendable. It is important that all versions of the characters feel consistent but not too similar, and each character builds in a way that makes sense. All the versions of the characters were believably the same person in a different stage of life. The Middle and Older Noah have gone through being drafted into a war, which comes with an obvious shift in him, but there are a few small moments, when he is around Allie, where the parts of his younger self shine through in a very sweet way. The serious themes, like the trauma that comes with war and how class difference affects romance, are present, but they almost feel secondary to the feeling of love itself that Noah and Allie experience.
In addition to the amazing storytelling and acting, the technical part of the show is very well done. Lighting designer Ben Stanton’s work was noteworthy. The production uses lighting rods that hang down into the set, which are unique visually and were beautiful for certain moments, like a high-tension romantic scene between Middle Allie and Noah that occurs in the rain. The lighting was another great element in helping the scenes of the younger two pairs of the couple feel like a memory.
THE NOTEBOOK at ASU Gammage is a tear-jerking but exquisite story. For fans of the novel and film, this adaptation upholds the vision that is the original love story. Despite the tragedies that come with aging and the realities that come with it, THE NOTEBOOK is a hopeful and optimistic examination of love that feels refreshing.
THE NOTEBOOK plays at ASU Gammage through April 12th.
Venue: ASU Gammage -- https://www.asugammage.com/ -- 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe, AZ 480-965-3434
Photo Credit to Roger Mastroianni
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