September 7, 2026
Older Allie (Celeste Legaspi) had Alzheimer's disease, and had to be cared for in a nursing home. She did not recognize her husband Older Noah (Rody Vera), so he read to her everyday from an old notebook. He was patiently retelling her the history of their romantic relationship -- from when their first meeting at the age of 17 up to 10 years hence. He did this in the hope that their love story can jog her murky memory back to normal.
Young Noah (Benedix Ramos) fell in love with Young Allie (Sheena Belarmino) the first moment he laid eyes on her at the dock while he was rowing a boat. Noah had already promised her a home they would call their own in the future. However, since Allie was about to go off to college, her wealthy parents (Floyd Tena and Carla Guevara Laforteza) would not allow her to continue seeing Noah, a high school dropout who worked at the lumberyard.
Ten years later, Middle Allie (Morissette Amon) was engaged to be married to Lon (Markki Stroem), a lawyer her parents approved of. However, one day a photograph she saw in the newspaper made her feel she needed to go back to the place where she had her first teenage romance. There, she saw that her dream house had already been built up from the ground, and there he was Middle Noah (Laurence Mossman) standing on the terrace.
"The Notebook" was first a best-selling romance novel written by Nicolas Sparks, his debut as a novelist published in 1996. The movie adaptation directed by Nick Cassavetes, starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling as Allie and Noah, with Gena Rowlands (director Cassavetes' mother in real life) and James Garner as their senior versions, was released in 2004 and went on to become a cult favorite among the female demographic.
To be completely honest, I remember that I did not really like the film at all, although my wife did. It may be a hot take, but I thought Rachel McAdams' portrayal of Allie was too hysterical. I felt McAdams did not have much chemistry with either Gosling nor James Marsden (as Lon). I did not like some silly over-the-top scenes like Noah's crazy Ferris wheel stunt or Allie's candy striper stint how she first met Lon all wrapped up in bandages.
This musical version music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter. The lead characters of different ages were portrayed by three pairs of actors. All Allies wore turquiose, all Noahs wore red. There were songs where all three actors playing a character would sing together and these were some of the best songs -- both musically, and visually as they were performed on stage -- something the movie could not have done.
The first act ended with an emotional triptych of events from the three pairs of Allie and Noah while the company was singing the song "Home" -- the young couple separated under threat of arrest, the older couple stricken by sundowning and a stroke, while the middle couple see each other again after ten years. Packed with tension and suspense, I thought these were very elegantly executed cliffhangers which leave audiences excited for the next act.
This Philippine version in particular is being performed by three sets of perfectly-cast actors/singers who further elevated the narrative with their talent. The way they portrayed their respective Noahs and Allies were far more endearing than Gosling and McAdams were in the film -- with more chemistry, that's for sure. It is just a pity that the role of Lon, the most likable character in the film, had been much abridged in this stage version.
I've known Rody Vera more as a prolific playwright in Filipino. His revelatory turn as Old Noah was the biggest acting and singing role that I have seen him in. His "Iron in the Fridge" was a heartbreaking expression of his anxiety at Allie's gradual lapse into dementia. Celeste Legaspi is more known for her singing, but here, she regales us more with her acting chops. Thankfully, we can still get to hear her sing at least one song " I Know," before the ending.
I have already seen up and coming theater stars Benedix Ramos and Sheena Belarmino act and sing in challenging roles before, though not together -- Ramos in "Next to Normal" (Sandbox, 2025), Belarmino in "One More Chance: The Musical" (PETA, 2024). As Young Noah and Allie here, they nailed their upbeat duets like "Carry You Home" and "Sadness and Joy," peaking with their delightful ode to first time intimacy, "Kiss Me."
I've seen Laurence Mossman perform and sing in "Fun Home" (Atlantis 2016) and "Kinky Boots" (Atlantis 2017). Ten years have passed since then, but his soaring tenor is still very much there, best heard in his solos, like "Leave the Light On." Having vocal powerhouse Morissette Amon as singing partner may be pretty intimidating, but he certainly held his own in their powerful duets like "Forever" and "It's Not Easy."
Morissette's highlight is centerpiece song "My Days," as Middle Allie contemplated the biggest decision of her life. Fil-Am theater director Nicholas Polonio made the bold decision to break the fourth wall at this point of the show, by lifting the backdrop to reveal the live orchestra playing her music behind her. While this gutsy move sort of broke the momentum of the show, this was a also a showcase for Morisette's unquestionable belting prowess.
The set for the older couple was just the nursing home furniture, while for the young couple, it was the dock and boat. The set for the middle couple was the most spectacular -- the dream house that Noah built. It was formed by four separate pieces coming in from both sides (walls and stairs) and from above (roof and windows). There were still hitches when we watched, as the screen snagged on the stairs a couple of times as it came down to cover the house.
I am coming right out to say that I thought the play told the story much better than the movie did. The book of the musical judiciously edited and rearranged the significant events of the 2004 movie to retell the love story for the stage in a more streamlined manner -- less cluttered, more compelling. It was magic how telling the love story with Michaelson's thoughtful songs brought out the sincerity and romance from under all its melodramatic tropes.
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Theater Group Asia's production of "The Notebook: The Musical" on its international premiere, runs at the Samsung Performing Arts Center at Ayala Circuit Mall, Makati from September 3 to 20, 2026. Tickets can be bought from Ticketworld at this LINK, prices start from P5,900 for Orchestra Center.
Supporting Cast include: Markki Stroem as Lon, Carla Guevara Laforteza as Mother, Floyd Tena as Father, Felicity Kyle Napuli as Sarah, Omar Uddin as enthusiastic PT Johnny, Kathleen Francisco as Nurse Joanna, Jillian Ita-as as Georgie and Shaun Ocrisma as Fin.
Cover / Alternate Cast include: Justine Narciso (for Young Allie / Sarah), Albert Silos (for Young Noah / Fin), Katrine Sunga (for Middle Allie / Nurse Joanna / Georgie), Edward Benosa (for Middle Noah / Lon / Johnny), Gimbey dela Cruz (for Older Allie / Mother), Jamie Wilson (for Older Noah / Father).
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