Inside the Rehearsal Room of Theatre Group Asia’s The Notebook: The Musical

Ahead of the show’s international premiere this September, Vogue Philippines gets a glimpse into the characters, the rehearsal process, and off-stage moments.

It’s 3:00 P.M. on a Sunday, and everyone’s in good spirits. It’s only a little over a week before Theatre Group Asia officially opens The Notebook: The Musical, and they are just about to start rehearsing on stage. The director, Nicholas Polonio, sits right in front of the center, and everyone takes their place on the rehearsal floor. Then, the first few notes of “Time” begin to play.

As you may well know, The Notebook is one of the most popular romance novels and films of the past few decades. It follows the love story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton as they fall in love, fall apart, and fall back together. It begins with an elderly man reading aloud from a worn notebook about their lifelong romance to a fellow nursing home resident with dementia.

In the musical, the story is told across three distinct chapters of their lives, using three separate pairs of actors on stage at the same time. On Broadway, the three versions of Noah are played by John Cardoza, Ryan Vasquez, and Dorian Harewood, while the three Allies are played by Jordan Tyson, Joy Woods, and Maryann Plunkett. In the Philippines, the six leads are played by a mix of actors who are at different stages of their careers: Celeste Legaspi and Rody Vera as Older Allie and Noah, Morissette and Laurence Mossman as Middle Allie and Noah, and Sheena Belarmino and Benadix Ramos as Younger Allie and Noah.

While they are essentially playing the same character, each actor brings in a different layer, almost treating the different versions of Noah as three different characters. “Honestly, it was something that the three of us were very unconscious of. We let our own understanding of each Noah be presented,” Ramos says. Laurence adds, “We are being 100-percent Noah in that moment, where he is at that specific time, thought process, and what he’s been through.”

For Ramos, he is a young man in love; Mossman is a heartbroken man who is still waiting for Allie; and Vera is Noah decades later, still in love with Allie as she lives with dementia.  “That’s the sort of constant that keeps on running through all of our characters, that love for her,” Mossman says.

Love aside, for Vera, Noah has another defining trait: “It’s persistence in waiting, where middle Noah was waiting the whole time for, like, 10 years. The persistence of young Noah for standing his ground, of being able to suffer the insults of Allie’s parents. And me, the persistence of hoping that one day, my wife will recognize me, even for a brief moment.”

Supporting the leads are an equally impressive ensemble: Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Floyd Tena, Markki Stroem, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Omar Uddin, Jillian Ita-as, Shaun Ocrisma, and Kathleen Francisco. And unlike most shows, the cast and production only have a month before they go on stage.

“We work from 10 to 6, but it really just feels like we’re having so much fun,” says Napuli, who plays Noah’s granddaughter, Sarah. “What’s nice about working here is it’s very systematic,” adds Ita-as, who plays Georgie, a close friend of Noah. The show runs on a tight ship helmed by Polonio; workshops were held for gender sensitivity and intimacy, collaboration across departments was encouraged, and schedules were specifically blocked so that they could start running the show in the second week of rehearsals.

“I’ve been in shows where the process was chronologically blocked. Here, one day it’s all middles. One day, all youngs. One day, all memory care facility. So we finish the whole thing in a week,” says Ocrisma, who plays Noah’s best friend, Fin. “Everyone’s on board and on the same page on the first day,” Ita-as adds.

The cast praises Polonio’s direction. “I have to say, this is one of my best experiences with any director,” says Stroem, who plays the dual role of Lon/doctor. Francisco, who plays Nurse Joanna, shares more about the experience: “Nick is actually such a great director because he’s so smart. The way he understands the text, sometimes you’d be surprised. But also, he allows everyone to really figure things out by themselves and put themselves in it.”

She describes Polonio as a very “visual” director, even when it comes to the music. “He has so many metaphors, so many quotable quotes. And he can color; he can help us color the music the way that the scene and the emotions should play out,” she says.

For the cast, the show has many special moments, but it’s Morissette’s rendition of “My Days” that takes everyone’s breath away. During the rehearsal, the cast was visibly in awe as she performed the number, jaws dropped and eyes glued to the “Asia’s Phoenix.” “It always feels different every time,” says Uddin, who plays Johnny, Noah’s physical therapist. “As actors, we’re all tuned in to technique. And her technique is impeccable,” Ita-as adds.

This is one of Theatre Group Asia’s goals: to bring Filipino talents from around the world together to present world-class performances. The setup doesn’t only benefit the audiences, but the actors and crew as well. “We have an exchange of knowledge,” says Tena, who plays the dual role of Allie’s dad/Noah’s son. “We even ask him about things that are happening on Broadway and what the practices are. And he’s also interested in what we do here as theater practitioners.”

“What’s so refreshing is that everyone always brings something new to the table every time. Our emotions are always just so high when we do it, and we get surprised, we get happy, we get sad. But that’s what makes it so exciting to be in that room,” Francisco says.

Whether you’re a fan of romance or not, it seems that The Notebook has a way of touching people’s hearts. Tena, who admitted that he’s not a fan of love stories, shares that he found himself getting engrossed in the musical. “I think two weeks into the rehearsals, we were crying every day. I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll believe in love after this,’” he says.

For others, the musical is a reminder to spend more time with their loved ones. Francisco shares that the musical is close to her heart, as both of her grandmothers are living with Alzheimer’s. “Coming out of that rehearsal, they’re the first ones that I think of. It makes me want to be there for them all the time,” she says.

Rather than positioning itself as a love story, The Notebook: The Musical feels a bit more like a life story driven by love. “Everyone has hardships that they have to face. And at the end of it, love triumphs over everything,” Ocrisma says. Uddin, on the other hand, talks about the importance of memories. “I hope they become more present after watching the show,” he says. “Because sometimes people would be so anxious about the future and at the same time be depressed about the past. They sometimes forget about the present and what’s happening now.”

The final notes of “Coda” ring through the air, and there’s not a single dry eye in the house. Tissues were passed along, and as we wiped our tears, everyone smiled and clapped, congratulating the crew and cast. In life or on stage, maybe love is the greatest force, after all.