Cheyenne Lewis — Theater Critic

The casting was great. Kyra Belle Johnson was the perfect Belle. Her singing was excellent, and her portrayal of the character perfectly captured Belle’s kind yet strong nature. Her chemistry with Fergie L. Philippe was good. Watching the two fall in love was very sweet. Philippe’s performance as Beast was well-balanced. He was intimidating and monstrous at points, but his sweeter side and comedic timing were there as well. His comedic scenes often had the audience in stitches. Gaston and his lackey Lefou (Harry Francis) were perhaps the funniest part of the musical. Stephen Mark Lukas’ portrayal of Gaston had a great energy that the crowd adored. Francis’s physicality and vocal tone as Lefou were great. Together, Lukas and Francis make the perfect comedic duo that audiences cannot help loving.

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.