Written by: Liv Queen Majestic, Staff Writer
Home is not necessarily always a place, but rather a person. Someone to return to after a long day where it feels impossible to carry on, someone to pour your soul, desires, fears, secrets to and let go of yourself around. An escape, even. As the protagonists of The Notebook, Allie and Noah, are caught in the rain, Allie is pictured abandoning any expectations forced upon her, dancing in the rain and welcoming it with open arms as an act of self acceptance. I didn’t even need to be dancing alongside Allie and Noah, for my tears already had me just as drenched! Being amongst the first audience to witness the world-premiere of The Notebook at the beloved Chicago Shakespeare Theater painted a picture of a truly timeless story of love, loss, and still having so much to learn as we continue aging and entering new stages of our lives–that it is never too late to re-discover one’s self and to fall in love with the world and one another all over again.
Nicholas Sparks’ masterpiece was brought to life yet again and reimagined by Bekah Brunstetter (This is Us) and Ingrid Michaelson (singer/songwriter). We follow soulmates Allie and Noah, young and old, on their journey of love which swept me off my feet, witnessing their tribulations just as much as their tenacities. Allie’s present-day struggle with Alzheimer’s challenges her life, but Noah proves he could never give up on her. Even her lack of remembrance of him is not enough to drive him away. Every day, he sits with Allie and tells her the story of their love and how it came to be, out of his own notebook that he kept growing up, in hopes of reigniting their spark even in old age. This expedition proves to be anything but easy and sometimes results in screams and shunning. But their journey always was a bit stormy, and that never steered Noah to succumb. Their story was extremely well received when it was initially showcased and it is no different now that it has been adapted to the stage, as Sparks’ involvement in the production is extremely clear and confirmed. “I am thrilled to work with Bekah and Ingrid in order to make ‘The Notebook’ a reality on [stage],” Sparks explained in a statement in late 2018 to LA Times. “They are amazingly talented, and obviously, the story is near and dear to my heart.”
Maryann Plunkett (left), Joy Woods (middle), and Jordan Tyson (right) come together as one collective Allie.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
Chicago Shakespeare debutantes Jordan Tyson (Younger Allie), Joy Woods (Middle Allie, SIX the Musical), and Tony-award winner Maryann Plunkett (Older Allie) as absolute visionaries. The harmonious balance that the three ladies crafted was nothing short of breathtaking, through their concord and blend as well as the passion pouring out of them all. Woods’ performance haunted and riveted all at once as she traveled down the path of how adults never really do “figure it all out.” She grapples with old feelings rushing back to her, though she is about to be married in less than a week. She shows resiliently that perhaps her feelings had never truly vanished, and for someone you really love with all of your heart, they will always remain. This experience of feelings unearthed is depicted in “If This is Love,” which had me empathizing with the uncertainty Allie endured–that love has multitudes of layers and is not simple and can oftentimes be daunting, but even so it is one of the most groundbreaking and beautiful experiences to have the honor of undergoing. That even the terrifying, difficult, and bewildering moments are worth fighting through. I have often yearned for a love like I’ve seen in films; so seemingly perfect and so, so genuine, but Allie and Noah’s story helped me realize that a love that seems perfect is not as genuine as I once may have thought. It is nothing short of refreshing to see these real issues of people who are fully in love come to light and not deteriorate the relationship, that these differences and disagreements strengthen their bond. It has reshaped my perspective of love as a whole, especially entering my young adulthood. All of these themes appeared various times throughout the show and its music specifically, in which the actors effortlessly painted such beautiful pictures with their voices, which served as vessels for the emotions their characters were put through.
The set.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
The set itself acted as a vessel in its own way, harboring such soulful stories. The unit consisted of the dreary hospital, which still was brought to life by the warm lighting used throughout the scenes taking place there. The scenes set by the dock, however, stayed true to a cooler color palette of blues and purples. How the stage was able to be transformed so distinctly even with the minimalistic set elements impressed me greatly. The phrase “less is more” played in my head–the design was effective and not minimal in significance by any means, allowing for the audience to not be distracted by spectacle and focus on the highlighted raw emotion and vulnerability occurring in and around it. A prime example of this was Allie and Noah’s dream home. The design of the home executed by Allie’s own communicated dreams to Noah further expanded on the idea of home being a person, as her vision of it was hardly specific, just that she wanted to be with him and this shone through. Most notably, the way in which the technicians accomplished the iconic and memorable rain scene with actual water pouring down from the proscenium captivated me. Although it may not be the most sustainable and safe element to continue, as it required technicians to come onstage with huge mops afterward which were visible and the actors' shoes squeaking could be heard through the rest of the show, it did not take away from the magic of what unfolded onstage. All of this tied together to create a more intimate and immersive feel to the production.
Allie and Noah in the rain.
Photo credit: Liz Lauren
Being able to experience the reignited “spark” of The Notebook was an eye opening and rejuvenating experience that opened my heart to new (to me) viewpoints on human connection itself that have existed quietly up until recent conversations. How the expectations placed on us by our parents, society, and even ourselves can scare us away from the things and the people we love most, but that it is important and possible to build ourselves back up and allow others to build us up. That we are all lovable despite not always being able to believe so. Additionally, as someone who does not particularly always enjoy book/screen-to-stage adaptations, I was pleasantly surprised in which the true heart and spirit of the story were kept, and even further enhanced in this medium with music to drive it. As this production inevitably picks up speed in the coming months and may even circulate to Broadway once the run in Chicago concludes, I am excited to see how it evolves and for it to receive the love that it gives. I urge everyone to follow the two lovers on their timeless journey, and to bring tissues while you’re at it–you’ll need them!
Tickets can be found at https://www.chicagoshakes.com/. ‘The Notebook–A New Musical’ will run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on the Navy Pier from September 6 through October 16. Check out http://notebookmusical.com/ for more news and updates regarding the production.
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