From “The Outsider’s” to “The Notebook”, Shea’s Performing Arts Center has been bringing book to screen to stage adaptations to the main stage this season! In case you are somehow unfamiliar with this cinematic classic, The Notebook debuted in 2004 as a romantic drama based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Nicholas Sparks. It stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as a young couple who fall in love in the 1940s. Their story is read from a notebook in the modern day by an elderly man, telling the tale to a fellow nursing home resident. The musical follows the same outline with a few differences here and there.

From the very beginning of the musical, departures from the original movie are clear when we are introduced to our main characters in three forms simultaneously: Younger Allie (Chloë Cheers) and Younger Noah (Kyle Mangold), Middle Allie (Alysha Deslorieux) and Middle Noah (Ken Wulf Clark), and Older Allie (Sharon Catherine Brown) and Older Noah (Beau Gravitte). Throughout the rest of the show, these three timelines overlap, interweave, and interact in a truly beautiful way that forces the audience to reflect on the passage of time. If you’ve seen the movie, you know that the true identity reveal of the older couple in the nursing home is saved for the end of the film and originally came as a shock to the audience. In the musical production, it’s made clear to the audience pretty quickly that the older man and woman in the nursing home are Older Allie and Older Noah. I wonder if this decision was made based on the assumption that the audience would already be familiar with the story coming in? This element adds a different layer to the story unfolding as you’re able to watch Older Allie and Older Noah watch and react to the story unfolding before them and interact with their younger selves through song.

The vocal agility and talents of Cheers, Mangold, Deslorieux, and Clark especially shine through. Each performer brings so much power to the music and understanding of their characters and where they are in their life journey. “My Days” quickly became the breakout popular song of the show back in 2024 when “The Notebook the Musical” came to Broadway and it’s not hard to see why. The emotion and dramatic build of the song will give you goosebumps and have you downloading it as soon as you leave the theatre. Besides “My Days”, I also really enjoyed the comedy and perfect situational representation of “Forever” and “Kiss Me”. The orchestrations are rich with strings and woodwinds and are truly stunning on their own.

The staging of this production flowed really well and used lighting in creative and unique ways. Having come into this viewing with very limited prior knowledge of the musical, I was completely unaware that they would make it rain onstage! Every Notebook fan can recall the drama and sensuality of the rain scene in the movie. To be able to bring that to the stage is a complex undertaking that fits the scene perfectly. However, I will say that the rain ended up as less of a surprise to me when I noticed rogue raindrops falling randomly throughout the first and second act prior to the actual rainfall scene. In my head, I equated this to seeing The Nutcracker when you may notice a snowflake or two fall from overheard before the snow scene. I understand it’s probably very normal for things like that to occur, but I wish it hadn’t so I could have had a greater reaction to the shock of the rain onstage. If you’re a die-hard Notebook fan, a couple of the changes or omissions may frustrate you. However, I compel you to approach the stage show as its own entity, completely separate from the masterpiece that is the film.

While the performances and production elements were certainly memorable, what struck me most was how the musical managed to capture the raw emotional weight of the story without feeling overly sentimental. The balance between heartbreak and hope was handled delicately, especially in moments when Older Allie’s memory began to falter. Sharon Catherine Brown’s portrayal of Older Allie was deeply moving and her vulnerability onstage resonated with the audience in a way that made the quieter, more intimate scenes just as powerful as the sweeping ballads. Beau Gravitte, as Older Noah, carried an understated strength that anchored the entire show, making their shared moments tender, heartbreaking, and ultimately unforgettable. Ultimately, Shea’s production of “The Notebook the Musical” is a touching reminder of why this story continues to resonate across generations. It’s a tale not just of young love, but of enduring love that weathers time, distance, memory, and loss. Whether you’re walking into the theatre as a Nicholas Sparks devotee or simply someone looking for a night of powerful theatre, you’ll leave reflecting on the ways love shapes our lives, our choices, and our legacies.

The Notebook the Musical runs through October 12th. It is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.

For more information, visit Sheas.org.