Shaena Engle

The music’s strength is not in big memorable show tunes but rather in its ability to register feelings of love and loss. The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams; book by Bekah Brunstetter and choreography by Katie Spelman.

The production’s standout feature is its creative puppetry. Designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, life-size puppets of a hyena, zebra, turtle, orangutan, and the tiger Richard Parker are operated by puppeteers that fade into the background. Eight human puppeteers in altering duties bring the tiger to life with prowls, leaps, purrs and growls. There are also large groups of fish and butterfly puppets throughout the performance.