Going in with low expectations for “The Notebook” was probably the best decision I could’ve made because it actually turned out to be a lot more engaging than I thought! I believe the critics might have been too harsh on this one, but that’s not to say this musical has its flaws. This is by all appearances a full blown sentimental piece where the sniffle chorus proved to be in existence (I might’ve been a part of it at this performance) and there’s nothing at all wrong with that. The real problem with the show is Bekah Brunstetter’s book. It’s one of those books that falls into all those potholes of obvious romantic cliches tangled up in some pretty cheesy dialogue and has nothing but some stereotypical two-dimensional love story characters with an okay first act and bumpy second act, and yet it still stays true to its original source material (yes, I have read the book). Even the three iterations of Noah and Alli, while incredibly diverse in the best way possible, kinda fall flat. It was either the performers acted decently and weren’t incredibly memorable, or they sounded pitchy or flat on a number of songs. The only exception to this would be the older iterations of the central lovers; a sweet, truly endearing Dorian Harewood and Maryann Plunkett make up for the other two iterations of the couple that, along with the book, fall into those cliche traps (although the two other Allis, Jordan Tyson and Joy Woods, have one song each that somewhat allows them to make up for the rest). And yet, throughout these underwhelming performances, Michael Greif and Schele Williams have painted some beautiful portraits in their stagings, coupled with fantastic, mood accurate lighting by Ben Stanton that reflects beautifully off the working, always present dock and body of water that’s a part of David Zinn and Brent Banakis’ somewhat mis-moshed but still striking set. But what is a beauty is the score by Ingrid Michaelson. While all the songs have been appropriately placed in the right moments of the story, the music is very keen to tug at the heartstrings, illustrating the highs and lows and the beauty of love in a captivating manner that proves to be cathartic by the final curtain. The lyrics, while maybe a little imperfect, are poignant and resonant to anyone who’s felt as much heartache, good and bad, as these two characters have felt the years this musical spans. By the end of the night, before the lights had gone out, the biggest catharsis of the night occurred: the entire house jumped to its feet in rapturous applause, just going to show you, like “The Who’s Tommy,” how much of an impact this story has had on a generation of thousands of fans, only this time the story speaks to thousands of generations as it’s the most universal story in existence! If you’re a pure sentimentalist, and you truly enjoy that good ol’ romance story, “The Notebook” is the one for you. But if you’re not one for that, maybe skip it. But I still think, with all its flaws, it’s actually a solid musical.
