Podcast Summary: "The Notebook" is Now a Broadway Musical

All Of It (WNYC) | April 1, 2024 | Host: Khushan Avadar (in for Alison Stewart)

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It dives into the transformation of the beloved novel and film The Notebook into a brand-new Broadway musical. Host Khushan Avadar interviews singer-songwriter and composer Ingrid Michaelson and co-directors Michael Greif and Shelley Williams. Together, they unpack the creative reinterpretation for the stage, the collaborative process, deeper themes of love and memory, and how the new production brings contemporary resonance—especially through race, storytelling, and Alzheimer’s representation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Personal Connections to The Notebook

• Shelley Williams first encountered the story via the movie and was immediately a fan.
  • “I watched the movie, and I was a fan.” (02:52)
• Michael Greif was first introduced to the musical before ever seeing the film or reading the book, noting his experience began through working on the project.
• Ingrid Michaelson emotionally recalls watching the film in her 20s:
  • “Cried and cried and cried. So that was my introduction.” (03:07)
• Ingrid’s love for musical theater predates her singer-songwriter career, and the opportunity to create for the stage was a chance to return to that passion.
  • “I always wanted to be on the stage...but I never lost that love of musical theater.” (03:26)

2. Musical Creation and Collaborative Process

• The musical’s creation spanned seven years, complicated but enriched by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Ingrid remarks on using Zoom for productive scene work.
  • The process was marked by frequent collaboration and collective visioning. (04:04–05:08)
  • “It's just been a big of collaboration and rethinking things and going back to the drawing board and coming back with new ideas and always with the same vision.” — Ingrid Michaelson (04:59)

• Co-directors Michael Greif and Shelley Williams’ partnership draws from decades of creative friendship and mutual respect.

  • “Shelley and I have known each other for close to 30 years...I couldn't think of a better collaborator.” — Michael Greif (06:16)
  • “Oh, it’s a complete love fest. I respect Michael so much. He's a genius director. I learn from him every day.” — Shelley Williams (06:58)

3. Adapting a Beloved Story and Audience Expectations

• Williams reflects on approaching the adaptation with “respect” rather than pressure, aware the narrative resonates deeply―particularly regarding Alzheimer’s.
  • “We wanted to make sure that the show had some breath and some space and people could live inside it.” — Shelley Williams (08:22)
• The musical is conceived as an “offering” for audiences to process their own memories and experiences.

4. Portrayal of Alzheimer's and Memory

• A musical clip, “I Want to Go Back”, is highlighted for its moving portrayal of Ally’s memory loss, with her younger selves singing for her.
  • Ingrid discusses not wanting old Ally to sing while in the depth of Alzheimer’s to maintain emotional truth, letting her “younger selves” evoke interiority and echo real caregiver projections. (10:25)
  • Personal experiences with dementia shaped the storytelling approach for both Michaelson and actress Marianne Plunkett.
  • “I wanted her two younger versions of herself to be singing these watercolor thoughts, memories, fractions of fractions of thoughts.” — Ingrid Michaelson (11:38)
• Metaphors of water and watercolor are threaded throughout (both visually and narratively) to express the fluidity and blurring quality of memory.
  • “Memory and water, to me, feel very...they're cousins in a way. You can't really grasp it, but you can.” — Ingrid Michaelson (13:06)
• Shelley Williams connects this to her personal experience with her mother’s Alzheimer’s.
  • “The incredible lyric, ‘I am still in here,’ is something that I hold onto as a daughter because I know she's still in there.” — Shelley Williams (14:20)

5. Staging Choices that Reflect Memory and Identity

• Actors play multiple roles, intentional to mirror Ally’s confusion—her present nurse is played by the same actor as her mother, for example.
  • “All of it's intentional.” — Shelley Williams (16:34)
  • This choice arose from real caregiving experiences, adding layers of meaning and authenticity.

6. Musical Structure and Collaboration

• Michael Greif helped Ingrid with song structure to more dynamically mirror characters’ states, adjusting lyrics and pacing for emotional truth.
  • “He would say...this part needs to be a little bit longer. The words need to come faster. It needs to mirror the franticness that she's feeling.” — Ingrid Michaelson (17:46)
• Despite her background, Michaelson describes the songs as “homework assignment songs” but says her life and grief weave through them.
• Greif affirms that Michaelson always finds a unique, personal solution to each collaborative prompt.
  • “It never feels like she's fulfilling an assignment. It feels like she's able to tap into her own artistry.” — Michael Greif (19:09)

7. Centering Diversity and Shifting the Story’s Timeline

• This staging of The Notebook features interracial couples and shifts the era to the 1960s–70s, engaging directly with issues of race and class.
  • Williams: Deep research went into choosing a plausible time and locale, with references to historically Black beaches and communities. (20:03)
  • “There is a world in which this existed...So we knew it could be plausible and it could be real in America in the right location, which is why we moved it to a coastal town and why we moved the time period.” — Shelley Williams (20:41)
• The timeline shift also invoked the Vietnam War draft’s impact on class divisions, adding another layer of social context.
  • “Moving the time period was remarkably beneficial...” — Michael Greif (21:51)

8. Aging, Communal Storytelling, and Emotional Universality

• The show uses three actors each for Noah and Ally, representing stages of life; the shared and solo musical moments are attuned for emotional clarity.

  • “We figured it out together...it just became this really beautiful puzzle.” — Ingrid Michaelson (23:56)

• Michael Greif stresses the importance of trust, shared purpose, and the “commitment to the material” that made the creative team work so well.

  • Spellman, the choreographer, is also a key part of the community.

• Broad Entry Points:

  • Michaelson underlines the musical’s universality: people can connect via young love, old love, regret, joy, or even just through the palette of diverse actors.
  • “There are so many different entry points for people to connect and to see themselves and to see their loved ones...That story of young love and old love and commitment, it just is such a beautiful, timeless, universal story.” — Ingrid Michaelson (25:31)

9. Intended Impact

• Williams hopes people leave the show with hope, joy, and renewed reflection.
  • “Every time I watch the show, I think very deeply about the life I want to live...that is what I hope people walk away with, that they feel joy and hope.” — Shelley Williams (27:06)

Notable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:26 | Ingrid Michaelson | "I always wanted to be on the stage...but I never lost that love of musical theater." | | 06:16 | Michael Greif | "Shelley and I have known each other for close to 30 years...I couldn't think of a better collaborator." | | 08:22 | Shelley Williams | "We wanted to make sure that the show had some breath and some space and people could live inside it." | | 11:38 | Ingrid Michaelson | "I wanted her two younger versions of herself to be singing these watercolor thoughts, memories, fractions of fractions of thoughts." | | 14:20 | Shelley Williams | "The incredible lyric, 'I am still in here,' is something that I hold onto as a daughter because I know she's still in there." | | 16:34 | Shelley Williams | "All of it's intentional." | | 19:09 | Michael Greif | "It never feels like she's fulfilling an assignment. It feels like she's able to tap into her own artistry." | | 20:41 | Shelley Williams | "There is a world in which this existed...So we knew it could be plausible and it could be real in America in the right location, which is why we moved it to a coastal town and why we moved the time period." | | 25:31 | Ingrid Michaelson | "There are so many different entry points for people to connect and to see themselves and to see their loved ones...That story of young love and old love and commitment, it just is such a beautiful, timeless, universal story." | | 27:06 | Shelley Williams | "Every time I watch the show, I think very deeply about the life I want to live...that is what I hope people walk away with, that they feel joy and hope." |

Key Segments & Timestamps

• 02:41 – How each guest first experienced The Notebook
• 03:15 – Ingrid Michaelson’s connection to musical theater and songwriting journey
• 04:01 – The seven-year development process, collaboration during COVID
• 05:08 – Michael Greif on vision and creative team choices
• 06:16 – The co-directing partnership and diversity of the team
• 08:22 – Handling audience expectations and emotional resonance
• 09:34 – Clip: “I Want to Go Back” and discussion of memory/Alzheimer’s
• 12:56 – Use of watercolor/water metaphors throughout the show
• 14:20 – Shelley Williams’ personal experience with Alzheimer’s
• 16:34 – Actors playing multiple roles to reflect Alzheimer’s perception
• 17:46 – Michaelson on song structure and collaboration with Greif
• 20:03 – Racial dynamics, timeline shift, and commitment to authenticity
• 21:51 – Vietnam War draft and class commentary
• 23:56 – Decision process for harmonies and solo voices; collaborative work with actors
• 25:29 – The community and joyful universality of the production
• 27:06 – Shelley Williams on the desired impact on the audience

Memorable Moments

• The musical’s emotional authenticity was carefully shaped by both the personal experiences of its creators and actors, leading to intentional, resonant creative decisions.
• Portraying Alzheimer’s through overlapping actors/roles and “watercolor” musical motifs blurs time and memory, deepening the story’s impact for those with firsthand experience.
• The team’s embrace of diversity—through casting, setting, and themes—adds depth and contemporary relevance while grounding the show in researched, plausible history.

Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is warm, collaborative, and emotionally candid. There’s a real sense of creative community among the guests, often marked by mutual admiration, laughter, and shared vulnerability. The tone honors both the bittersweetness of aging and memory loss, as well as the enduring, universal power of love—making this adaptation not just a retelling, but a tribute and an invitation.

The Notebook: The Musical runs at Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre and, as the episode suggests, offers both catharsis and connection to audience members across generations and experiences.