The Notebook - Original Broadway Cast Recording — Page 2

Agreed. He’s been deserving so many times over. If anyone is overdue for a Tony, it’s him.

Lovely.

The orchestrations are rich and lush, matched by A+ production and mixing from the folks at Atlantic. I echo all the Clancy praise.

And that music — I’m shocked I haven’t teared up at all when approaching this material. Just beautiful. Ingrid’s lyrics can sometimes be repetitive, but the ones that land really do. “I didn’t know that the last time I’d leave my house / Was the last time I’d leave the house” hits HARD.

As I’ve said before, this musical is full of lyrical questions. Middle Noah’s cry of “Where have you gone?” gets Middle Allie to soon respond “Is someone living with you?” upon seeing his face in a local newspaper.

Plunkett and Harewood are, once again, the heart and soul of this musical, but this whole cast shines on recording.

“Will you remember me? / Pretend I’m out at sea?” asks the ensemble in The Notebook’s final moments. My answer is a resounding yes, even in such a crowded musical season.

Talyn said: "Got a question regarding "My Days"....

I've been obsessed with the audio only recording from a preview performance where there is a passage where she sings "I pushed through the corners, with a love I found my days" (or something like that) and then the music pulls back a bit and she sings "i've only begun, to begin, to become what is in me" and then goes into "And finally I can say..." to the end of the song. However on the cast recording, "i've only begun, to begin, to become what is in me" is not on there. It's like those bars were removed completely.

What's interesting is that there is a recording of "My Days" from the Chicago production that doesn't have "i've only begun, to begin, to become what is in me" in it either. Which comes to my question, was this passage cut during previews? Or was the cast recording made prior to the Broadway production?

I actually prefer the version with this pull back before the wind up to the end of the song and I think is a BEAUTIFUL lyric.

Just curious... :-)"

That passage wasn’t in the song late in previews when I saw it, so I’m guessing it was excised during previews.

Not sarcasm. I concur with your assessment.

Really beautiful songs and wonderful orchestrations. It's too bad the show itself didn't feel very high quality when I went to see it a couple of weeks ago. Loved the cast, the stage sets and lighting were gorgeous. Still, the show felt clunky as it was still in rehearsals. I'm wondering if the direction is to blame.

Updated On: 4/20/24 at 04:44 PM

Took a few too many listens to realize this is basically a particularly generic Disney Princess "I Want" song.

But it works better when it's not surrounded by all the other songs that aren't specific enough to the characters to work as great musical theater songs, and she certainly sells it. Sign her up, Disney.

Updated On: 4/22/24 at 04:32 PM

Rentaholic2 said: "I agree with others that this score is quite lovely, and I'm more interested in seeing the show now than I was before. Though I personally found the chest hair lyrics in "Kiss Me" to be sort of cringe in what is otherwise a beautiful and sweet song.

The song "Home" is somehow thrilling and absolutely heart-wrenchingat the same time. That chorus underscoring the scene work between Old Noah and Old Allie...so effective."

That moment also owes major props to Bekah Brunstetter, who ends Act I on a TRIPLE cliffhanger (one for all three couples).

Updated On: 4/22/24 at 05:23 PM