A New Chapter for The Notebook: The Musical
Theatre Group Asia brings one of the most beloved stories to the Philippine stage with the international premiere of The Notebook: The Musical.
Words Jewel Chuaunsu
Photos courtesy of Theatre Group Asia
September 11, 2026
The Company of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
The world fell in love with Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 romance novel The Notebook and swooned over the 2004 film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The latest iteration of the story is a live theater experience with The Notebook: The Musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter. Having opened on Broadway in 2024, The Notebook: The Musical recently made its international debut in Manila.
Sheena Belarmino as Younger Allie, Benedix Ramos as Younger Noah in Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
The Manila production opens Theatre Group Asia’s 2026–2027 season and marks the first international staging of the Broadway musical. It also brings together a Filipino-led cast and creative team, putting local talent at the heart of a story already familiar to audiences around the world.
As in the book, The Notebook: The Musical tells the heartwarming story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton, two young people from different social backgrounds who fall deeply in love one summer. The musical uses six actors to portray Noah and Allie at different ages, often placing multiple versions of the characters onstage at the same time.
Morissette as Middle Allie, Laurence Mossman as Middle Noah in Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
The story moves across the late 1960s, when Younger Noah and Allie begin their romance but are separated by Allie’s wealthy parents; to the 1970s, when Middle Noah and Allie spend years apart before finding their way back to each other; and finally to the present day, when Noah and Allie are in their twilight years. Older Noah faithfully reads to Older Allie from a notebook to help her remember their own love story as her memories become clouded by dementia.
Having different versions of Noah and Allie together surprisingly works. Rather than taking you out of the scenes, it enriches the characters, allowing us to see their love grow stronger across the decades and proving that their young love was true all along.
Morissette as Middle Allie, Sheena Belarmino as Younger Allie, Celeste Legaspi as Older Allie in Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
“This is a love story in so many ways, but it also is a coming-of-age story. And we think of coming of age as a thing that happens to us once when we’re young, but it’s been quite interesting to think about it more as a thing that is constantly happening at different parts of your life,” said director Nicholas Polonio during The Notebook: The Musical’s press conference.
“We only really do see them over the course of the story when they’re with each other, and so the relationship is, I think, the thing that holds.”
Morissette as Middle Allie, Laurence Mossman as Middle Noah in Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
The great chemistry between the actors makes their relationships feel genuine and keeps us invested in their story. Benedix Ramos and Sheena Belarmino make us believe in the whirlwind romance between Younger Noah and Allie, anchoring the rest of the story. Laurence Mossman and Morissette capture the undeniable spark that brings Middle Noah and Allie back into each other’s lives. As Older Noah and Allie, Rody Vera and Celeste Legaspi best embody the musical’s central themes of unconditional love, memory, and aging as they struggle against forgetting. Each pair brings new depth to Noah and Allie’s relationship.
Celeste Legaspi as Older Allie, Rody Vera as Older Noah in Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
Led by Polonio, the production handles the complex structure of having different actors play the same two characters simultaneously through highly effective staging and precise blocking. As the story jumps through time, the transitions unfold almost like a dance rather than clunky scene changes. From the dream house built by Noah to the nursing home where Allie resides, production designer Miguel Urbino and lighting designer Cha See keep the stage carefully organized, allowing the shifts in time and place to feel seamless and ensuring that the audience is never confused about when or where a scene is taking place.
Morissette as Middle Allie, Laurence Mossman as Middle Noah in Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook The Musical
The songs beautifully trace Noah and Allie’s emotional journey across a lifetime, from the opening number “Time,” which introduces their multiple versions, to “My Days,” a defining solo delivered in a standout performance by Morissette, and “I Know,” the poignant culmination of Older Noah and Allie’s story.
Though The Notebook: The Musical is a sweeping story that spans decades, at its heart is the idea of choosing each other again and again, and loving someone faithfully through every season of life.
Performances run from September 3 to 20, 2026 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit Makati. Tickets are available through TicketWorld, with prices ranging from ₱900 to ₱5,500.
