The beloved romance finds new life onstage with a stellar Filipino cast.
Before Noah Calhoun became Ryan Gosling in a rain-soaked shirt, he lived on the pages of a Nicholas Sparks novel.
Published in 1996, the book tells the story of Noah and Allie, two people from different worlds who fall in love, separate, and find their way back to each other. I discovered it after A Walk to Remember. I have not read every Sparks novel, but I know how good he is at finding big emotions in little things. A letter, a house, or a memory becomes enough to break your heart.
The book made me cry, which led me to the 2004 movie. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling turned Allie and Noah into romance icons. Their chemistry was ridiculous, and, well, who doesn’t love Ryan Gosling? My God.
So how do you retell a love story that people already know by heart?
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This is not a movie copied onto a stage
Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical takes a love story close to our hearts and gives it a different rhythm. Music and lyrics come from Ingrid Michaelson, with a book by Bekah Brunstetter. The Manila staging is also a non-replica production, so it has its own scenic and visual interpretation rather than copying the Broadway version.
Its smartest choice is non-linear storytelling. Three pairs of actors play Allie and Noah at different ages, sometimes appearing together as memories overlap onstage.
That sounds challenging to pull off in live theater, but it became one of my favorite parts of the show. You can clearly see the young couple falling in love, their middle-aged selves facing difficult choices, and their older selves trying to hold on to a shared life. The past does not simply disappear when the scene changes. It stays with them.
Sheena Belarmino and Benedix Ramos stood out
All three pairs were strong, but Sheena Belarmino and Benedix Ramos were my favorite Allie and Noah of the night.
Sheena was simply so good. She brought charm, youth, and confidence to Allie without overplaying any of it. Her chemistry with Benedix felt easy and believable. Their romantic and intimate moments came across as warm and wholesome, while the humor kept everything from becoming too heavy.
Watching Benedix felt especially personal. I knew him from my time at Kumu, where I had already heard him sing. Still, I was surprised by what he brought to the stage. Seeing him grow into this kind of theater actor made me proud. He gave Young Noah charm and vulnerability, and he held his own throughout the show.
Morissette gets her big vocal moments
As Middle Allie, Morissette plays a woman caught between the life planned for her and the love she left behind. Her performance of “My Days” was easily one of the night’s highlights. She delivered the big vocal moment we expected without losing Allie’s indecision and longing underneath it.
The live orchestra is not merely a bonus. It is part of the show’s magic, giving every song more emotional force and making the performances feel even more alive. Morissette’s voice soaring above those instruments was a masterpiece in itself.
I also noticed what sounded like Southern American influences in the cast’s accents. That choice fits the story’s roots: Sparks’s novel takes place in coastal North Carolina, while the film moves the young romance to South Carolina. I am no accent expert, but the approach helped place us in Allie and Noah’s world.
Laurence Mossman was also a good Middle Noah. He had the longing, the intensity, and the Noah-in-his-prime look down. And yes, I noticed the abs. Who wouldn’t?
Older Allie and Noah broke my heart
Theater veterans Celeste Legaspi and Rody Vera delivered the emotional blow as Older Allie and Noah.
Here, Noah reads from the notebook as Alzheimer’s disease gradually takes Allie’s memories from her. Their scenes show love beyond attraction, dramatic reunions, and beautiful houses. This is love as patience and care. It is choosing to stay even when the person you love cannot always remember why you are there.
Their performances got me. I cried during the musical just as I cried while reading the book and watching the film. Yes, I am an emotional viewer and a sucker for bittersweet romance, but making such a familiar story hurt again is still an achievement.
The Notebook The Musical feels fresh without forgetting why people fell for Allie and Noah in the first place. It has humor, a strong live score, clever storytelling, and a cast that shows just how much Filipino talent belongs on a stage this big.
Longtime fans will probably cry. Newcomers might cry even harder. Either way, bring tissues.
The Notebook The Musical runs until September 20, 2026, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati. Tickets cost P900 to P5,500 and are available through TicketWorld.
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