THE NOTEBOOK Broadway Musical Brings Down the House

The Notebook Musical Broadway Tour at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota

*featured above photo by Roger Mastroianni includes Ken Wulf Clark (Middle Noah) and Alysha Deslorieux (Middle Allie)

The Broadway musical tour of The Notebook (based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks) premiered this week at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, and runs through November 30, 2025.

I’ve watched the movie So. Many. Times. It struck me that it was released in 2004, because it feels like yesterday. The Notebook is an enduring story that captivates your soul. A story of ups and downs of love and life. A story of what we crave and need to live the most fulfilling lives: human connection, love, friendship, faith, and understanding.

I wondered how the musical could ever stack up against the movie, especially how it moves through eras and time, but it was done beautifully. The movement felt flawless and understandable layered perfectly with song and dance, adding depth.

Read this to me, and I’ll come back to you. -Allie from The Notebook

Allie and Noah meet as teenagers and fall fast in love. They are 1000% in, but social expectations and Allie’s parents’ disapproval split them apart. They find each other again in their twenties, and it is like not a moment has passed. Despite the hurdles, this time, they choose each other. As years go by, Allie slowly starts to lose her memory. She writes their beautiful love story down so she’ll never forget and so Noah can read it to her. Noah never gives up faith and never lets her go.

This story resonates and is familiar for so many of us. The way they move through Allie’s memories makes you consider the importance of creating memories. Great memories. Also, finding hobbies and people that you’re passionate about and fully living in those moments.

And how present time for someone with Alzheimers can be the past. The Notebook shows us that we can honor that for them and it can help bring them back to us, even if for a moment. ❤️

The orchestra and sound were booming, and I loved it! The Ordway recently added state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems and I could really tell the difference. I wasn’t straining to hear some of the actors and not only heard the songs but felt them.

The Notebook Broadway Musical ended with an high-spirited standing ovation!

Then, in a surprise moment after Kevin McCollum, Producer of The Notebook Musical, finished speaking (which was already exciting), he introduced Mr. Nicholas Sparks. The crowd went wild. 🙂 Awesome surprise by The Ordway!

Where to Eat and Park before a show at the Ordway

One of the best parts about visiting The Ordway over the holidays is how everything from Rice Park and the St. Paul Hotel to The Ordway are magically decorated. All the trees are lit up and twinkling. The pictures don’t do it justice, it feels like a wonderland, and I can’t wait for snow to add that little extra! ✨

The Ordway also have selfie stations to capture some fun photos.

Tips: Enjoy dinner or drinks at the St. Paul Grill. It is such a festive treat! I didn’t get any pictures because I was having too much fun catching up with my sister-in-law. We loved the Beef Tenderloin, Au Gratin Potatoes, and Butternut Squash. The Butternut Squash was filled with little marshmellows and tasted like the holidays in a dish. 😍

**Use the Valet Parking at the St. Paul Hotel.

Are you going to any holiday shows in the Twin Cities? I would definitely add The Notebook to the list! The Ordway also has an incredible line-up for the rest of the year including a Celtic music celebration from Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, The String Queens, and Jesus Christ Superstar. For more information on Events and Tickets, click HERE.

“Coming together as an audience from all different backgrounds and lived experiences to enjoy this universal tale of love in the face of adveristy is a powerful reminder of the unifying power of the performing arts.” – Christopher Harrington, Ordway President & CEO

Cheers to connecting and exploring local together!

©Tracy Blowers unless otherwise stated.