Ingrid Michaelson's The Notebook Musical to Receive World Premiere Staging in Chicago

Ingrid Michaelson's theatrical adaptation of The Notebook is headed to the Windy City. Following a starry reading with Powerhouse Theater, the new musical will arrive at Chicago Shakespeare Theater for a world premiere production this fall. Tony nominee Michael Greif will direct the musical, scheduled to run from September 22 through November 8.

Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel and featuring music and lyrics by Michaelson ("The Way I Am," The Great Comet) and a book by Emmy nominee Bekah Brunstetter (This Is Us, The Cake), The Notebook is set in 1940s South Carolina, where a mill worker named Noah Calhoun and a rich girl named Allie are desperately in love, despite their parents' disapproval. When Noah leaves to serve in World War II, Allie meets another man; when Noah returns years later as Allie is about to get married, their romance reignites.

The Powerhouse Theater reading boasted a cast that included Tony nominee Hailey Kilgore as Younger Allie, Vanessa Hudgens as Middle Allie, Candy Buckley as Older Allie, Antonio Cipriano as Younger Noah, Clifton Duncan as Middle Noah and Tony winner James Naughton as Older Noah, in addition to Jelani Alladin, Nicholas Belton, Janet Dacal, Mili Diaz, Jennifer Mudge and Ben Jackson Walker.

Casting for the Chicago production of The Notebook will be announced at a later date.

Chicago Shakespeare served as a recent pre-Broadway stop for the new musical Six, which will arrive at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre next month.