Broadway Backstory
Dear Season Subscribers and Broadway Fans:
We are excited to present the next show in the 2025-2026 Broadway Comes to Reno series: The Notebook. This brand new musical adaptation of the best-selling Nicholas Sparks novel is making its debut in cities across the US with this tour, and Reno is lucky to be one of its first year stops. A deeply rooted love story that gets to the heart of spending a lifetime together, The Notebook is sure to leave audiences “feeling all the feels.”
The Broadway Backstory Newsletter is created by Pioneer Center Education to help you learn more about the shows in our Broadway Comes to Reno series. Below you will find information and links [in blue] to websites, videos, and articles about the history and creators of the show. Don’t forget to forward this email to the other subscribers and Broadway lovers in your party.
During the run of The Notebook, the Pioneer Center is proud to spotlight the work of another local nonprofit, Alzheimer’s Association of Northern Nevada, a support service provider for people in our community affected by the disease. On March 25, we will present a special Behind the Curtain talkback featuring cast members and local Alzheimer’s care experts to learn more about the creation of the show and its connection to real world experiences. Details can be found HERE.
Your tickets to The Notebook were emailed to you as a PDF attachment on March . Look for the subject line “Confirmation of Order Number.” We look forward to seeing you at the Pioneer Center soon!
Get the backstory on Broadway’s The Notebook
The source material is the bestselling novel by author Nicholas Sparks Published in 1996, the novel spent 56 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. A 2004 successful film adaptation starred Ryan Gosling, and Rachel McAdams.
In 2017, Ingrid Michaelson (music/lyrics) met with Broadway producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, SIX, Oh Mary!) about adapting the novel as a musical. In 2005, Michaelson released her first album on MySpace. Since then, she has released 10 albums with many singles hitting the Billboard Top 100. In 2017, she made her Broadway acting debut in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
Book writer Bekah Brunstetter was brought on to adapt the novel into a musical with Michaelson. Brunstetter is a playwright best known for her work on the TV series This Is Us.
The artists were drawn to the material due to their own personal experiences of caring for family members who had suffered from dementia They focused on the nonlinear concept of memory which inspired the idea of casting three pairs of actors to portray the lead characters Noah and Allie. Nicholas Sparks gave his approval to move forward. Director Michael Greif was hired to helm the musical early in development. Greif has directed 14 Broadway musicals including Rent, Dear Evan Hansen, and Hell’s Kitchen and has been nominated for 5 Tony Awards.
The first developmental workshop took place with New York Stage and Film at Vassar College in June 2019. Vanessa Hudgens and James Naughton were a part of the cast. The production momentum for the musical was paused during the Covid pandemic allowing the authors additional time to workshop and preview the material.
In September 2022, the first full production of The Notebook premiered at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Greif was joined by a collaborative codirector Schele Williams Originally a Broadway performer (Rent, Disney’s Aida), Williams also directed The Wiz (including the tour that played the Pioneer Center) and associate directed Motown the Musical.
Choreography is by Katie Spelman. She previously served as associate choreographer of Moulin Rouge and American Psycho on Broadway. Musical arrangements and supervision are by Carmel Dean (Funny Girl, If/Then, …Spelling Bee).
The Notebook opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 14, 2024 and was nominated for 3 Tony Awards. It ran for 352 performances, closing December 15, 2024.
Scenic design is by David Zinn (Stereophonic) and Brett J. Banakis (The Outsiders), lighting by Ben Stanton (Maybe Happy Ending), costumes by Paloma Young (& Juliet), and sound by Nevin Steinberg (Hamilton). The US national tour coming to the Pioneer Center launched on September 6, 2025 at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. It has played 16 major cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle and will continue on to several others including Las Vegas, Washington DC and Philadelphia.
Visit the tour’s official site HERE.
Learn more about the cultural significance of The Notebook
What is Alzheimer’s disease? Read more about it HERE.
Nicholas Sparks and the Broadway creative team reflect on The Notebook’s journey from debut novel to Broadway musical on CBS Sunday Morning. Watch it HERE.
Learn more about current medical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and the search for a cure. Read the article HERE.
Choreographer Katie Spelman reflects on her career and process working with musical “non-dancers.” Watch it HERE.
How do they make it rain on stage in The Notebook? Learn more HERE.
Listen to the Original Broadway Cast Recording on Spotify HERE.
To learn more about the historic Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, please visit www.pioneercenter.com
