Review | ‘The Notebook’ musical is an aspiring tearjerker with issues

Jordan Tyson
(Younger Allie) and
John Cardoza
(Younger Noah) in The Notebook on Broadway

Photo by Julieta Cervantes/Provided

There is no denying that the new Broadway musical adaptation of “The Notebook” (based on the Nicholas Sparks’ novel, which then became a hit 2004 film with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling) wants to position itself as a tearjerker – so much so that official “The Notebook” tissue boxes are being hawked as affordable souvenirs at the theater.

The musical theater canon is full of deeply emotional shows that can be considered tearjerkers such as “West Side Story,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Les Miz,” “Falsettos,” “Blood Brothers” and “Carousel.” There is something deeply cathartic about a good cry at a great musical. Even as a critic, I am not immune from weeping when it is called for. In fact, I want to achieve that emotional connection.

While I must confess that I have never read the novel, I have seen the film version of “The Notebook” enough times to feel as if I know it by heart. As the story goes, in the present day, Noah visits Allie in an assisted living facility. Although Allie appears to not know Noah, he insists on reading her a book about a boy and girl from different backgrounds who fall in love. Spoiler alert: Noah and Allie are the boy and girl from the story, and the idea behind Noah telling it is to remind Allie (who now suffers from a cognitive disorder) of who she is and of their relationship.

Even if it is not necessarily a great film, it works as an unapologetically sentimental Hollywood romance with mid-century period costumes and heartthrob personalities. It is the kind of user-friendly, four-quadrant, popcorn movie that they don’t seem to make anymore. I even streamed the film right before attending the show using the Max app on my phone. Perhaps I will watch it again after writing this review.

On the other hand, I have…