I have never read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, but I have seen Nick Cassavetes’ film adaptation starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Surprisingly, I have watched a lot of movie adaptations of books written by Sparks; while I cannot say I enjoy them all, there is a distinct formula to them that I find comforting and somehow appeals to my closet-romantic nature. So I was excited to catch Theater Group Asia’s production of The Notebook The Musical, even without knowing much about the stage version itself. The songs were written by Ingrid Michaelson, a singer-songwriter whose music career I have been a fan of during her early record.
The musical’s book, written by Bekah Brunstetter, follows a non-linear storyline depicting the main characters, Allie and Noah, across three distinct timelines. The story opens in a nursing home, where an elderly Allie lives with dementia while Noah refuses to leave her side.
As he reads to her from her handwritten notebook, a diary she kept, the and this thrusts us into the past, where two different versions of Noah and Allie act out their youth. Young Noah and Young Allie portray their first meeting and their falling in love. While middle Noah and Middle Allie, after years of not having seen each other; Noah has returned from the war to fulfill a promise, while Allie finds herself engaged to be married to another man just as their paths cross once again.
At its core, The Notebook is a classic love story about two lovers who meet each other and fall in love but their circumstances try to keep them apart, who nevertheless defy all odds and refuse to let each other go.
Directed by Nicholas Polonio, The Notebook The Musical emerges as a very polished staging that showcases some really good vocal performances from its cast, most notably from Morissette, who bring incredible depth and vocal power to Middle Allie and a set design that’s dynamic and inventive. There’s a massive dropdown screen frames that allows Older Noah and Older Allie to have their scenes upstage in the nursing home and as they journey into memory of the past, the screen lifts up to give us some gorgeous set designs by Miguel Urbino.
The stage transitions between a dock, complete with a rowboat, a frame representing the “haunted house” (that carries a promise with immense story implications), a bedroom with a huge bed, and a two-story house with stairs and a balcony. These sets are incredible to look at and Polonio’s use of the dropdown projection screen and some additional sliding screens at the side allows him total cinematic command over the show’s overall imagery of each scene. It’s almost cinematic.
Positioned behind the stage, the orchestra delivers a rich, lush soundscape that far surpasses the arrangements of earlier productions. Musical director Farley Asuncion brings out all the emotions from his arrangement. Later, the orchestra is revealed along with another set change at the height of one of the musical’s most emotional moments for full effect. It’s quite strong.
Without highlighting the root cause of their break-up, overshadowed by all the montages of Noah and Allie falling in love, the musical renders its central conflict feels manufactured rather than rooted in a relatable, universal truth. Hidden by all the romantic parts, the conflict (or lack of it) doesn’t really give the musical the tension to reach its emotional zenith. Yes, Older Allie has dementia but that’s also a conflict that cannot be won over by choice.
Yet despite its technical flourishes and a powerhouse performance from Morissette, I found the play to lack a certain tension that would amplify the narrative’s conflict. I feel the problem is in the book. Benedix Ramos, Laurence Mossman, and Rody Vera, playing Young Noah, Middle Noah, and Older Noah, respectively, do a great job at portraying the charming romantic lead. Their collective Noah is a bundle of goodness and devoted to his love for Allie. Because of the way he’s written and then performed, there seems to be no real reason why Allie’s parents would be against him other than class discrimination. There are no rough edges in this Noah; no brusque temper, and no underlying danger. Noah is simply a good man. It doesn’t help that Ingrid Michaelson’s songs give him a lot of high notes (which each actor sings well) to sing and he’s always longing for her that there seems to be no real reason for them to be apart except for this discrimination that doesn’t get enough moments to be fully realised.
The cast members, led by Sheena Belarmino, Morissette, and Celeste Legazpi, who embody the three versions of Allie, young, middle, and old, respectively – are also giving it their all but it’s a show that doesn’t fully maximize the elements of its story, especially its conflict.
It still hit home for the ladies beside me when I watched; each one holding back tears and swooning at every romantic milestone. The Notebook The Musical is an impeccably polished production with a lot of great technical work involved and standout vocal performances. There is no question about that. Yet the material itself has its issues that hinder a good show from becoming a truly great one.
My Rating: 3 Stars
A story loved around the world, proudly built in the Philippines by Filipino artists, for Filipino audiences: Theatre Group Asia’s production of The Notebook The Musical must close on September 20 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Experience the music and stellar performances for yourself before the run ends. Grab your tickets now via TicketWorld.
