Photo by Michaelah Reynold
Photo by Michaelah Reynold
Here’s me being very proud of my wife for her work writing the book for The Notebook musical.
My sister in law Jacy Ceccarelli styled us both. What a whirlwind rollercoaster ride this, and our visit to New York in general, was.
This production is the culmination of 6, maybe 7 years, of consistent work. It garnered rave reviews in the Chicago production, and generated mixed reviews in New York. Most people love the show, but it is slightly different than your average musical, and it’s about a movie, so I understand it’s an easy target.
I would expect a more diligent approach from New York professionals though - it’s disappointing that some of them cannot engage with what is moving to the majority of the audience around them, even if they are not moved themselves.
The music and book reflect the piece - a layered construction of a love story grasping to be remembered by the lovers, which builds toward a final transcendent moment that celebrates one of the best and enduring capacities we can hold. It takes the core themes of love and loss from the book and elevates them in symphonic beauty.
I’ve never been a fan of performative, campy, or splashy musicals that seem to delight the biggest energy vampires in any drama class. I prefer plays with music, or musicals with heart, and this is both, probably more the latter. A couple of my favorites have been Passing Strange (mounted at the public), and Three Penny Opera (mounted by a South African troupe in an old church in London using drums and sticks for percussion and sets).
In that way, my wife’s work adds value to the market. It provides another option that people love to embrace and celebrate.