For those raised on stories of forbidden love and second chances, it is only natural that “The Notebook” continues to resonate as a lasting emblem of romance. Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, which inspired the famous film, reaffirms the hope that a cosmic love, against all odds, finds its way back to you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve read it, watched it, or none of the above — if you know about romance, you know about “The Notebook.”
Not having revisited the original recently, I was excited to see how this iconic story of young love had been reimagined into a musical. Directed by Schele Williams (“The Wiz,” “Aida”) and UC San Diego alumnus and former La Jolla Playhouse artistic director Michael Greif (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “Rent”), this production preserves the novel’s affirmation that true love justifies the struggles it demands.
Spanning a lifetime, the show depicts protagonists Allie and Noah as teenagers first discovering love, as adults reuniting seven years later, and as an elderly couple confronting the fragility of memory.
An older Noah (Beau Gravitte) reads from a notebook to an elderly Allie (Sharon Catherine Brown) as their love story unfolds through their younger counterparts. From a whirlwind summer as teens (Kyle Mangold and Chloë Cheers) to their complicated reunion as adults (Ken Wulf Clark and Alysha Deslorieux), the musical explores how a love so magnetic can overcome anything in its path.
The production immediately drew me in through the delicate ebb and flow of soft lighting that illuminated the stage with a perfect blend of romance and serenity. Like a dark room lit by the flicker of a flame, the show, complemented by a soundtrack by Ingrid Michaelson and the cast’s voices, was as beautiful to watch as it was to hear.
Although the production excels in performance, creative storytelling, and atmospheric design, its pacing occasionally faltered and felt somewhat drawn out. For a story structured around the preservation of passion, hope, and the curiosity of second chances, it failed to illustrate the enduring capability of time to spark desire and reshape who we are.
Part of what makes Allie and Noah’s reunion so memorable and intense is their time spent apart, which redefines who they are. The original story builds tension by allowing distance to deepen their identities, making their reconnection feel earned. In the musical, that sense of destiny felt almost assumed rather than fully developed, and as a result, the love story lost some of its depth. Without witnessing the experiences that set them on paths leading back to each other, it was hard to remember exactly what they were fighting their way back from. The reunion’s emotional weight depends on the audience understanding not just that time has passed, but how that time has shaped them.
However, the slow pacing didn’t detract from the production’s emotional richness. The actors’ performances conveyed the gravity and weight of love and heartbreak, rather than the passage of time.
“Iron in the Fridge,” a three-person performance featuring the different portrayals of Noah, was particularly moving. The emotional resonance was undeniable as the two Noahs sang about Allie and the pain of watching her lose her memory and forget him. Losing a loved one in any capacity is never easy, and the performers’ voices carried this sentiment with remarkable sincerity.
Another standout performance emerged in Deslorieux, whose confidence during “My Days” was nothing short of invigorating. Singing about unapologetically living life on one’s own terms, her voice and stage presence filled the theater with a powerful sense of possibility. It was the kind of performance that made everyone in the audience feel inspired to take charge and create something meaningful in their own lives.
As the show came to a close and the couple died in each other’s arms, the emotional magnitude of their love was vivid, reaching its fullest expression in the final scene. In the stillness that followed, the lights, set design, performances, costumes, and score coalesced into a blissful moment of serenity where all that existed was Noah, Allie, and the eternity ahead of them.
Even though it does not fully capture the emotional depth of their redemption and eventual reunion, the musical still honors the heart of “The Notebook” — that love persists despite time, distance, and change. It reminds us that despite all the ways in which things seem to go wrong, we still find a way to believe in love, and that is reason enough to celebrate it.
