Joy Woods and Ryan Vasquez to Star in The Notebook on Broadway; Principal Cast Set

The Notebook has announced its leading cast. The previously reported new musical will begin performances on Feb. 10, 2024, ahead of an official opening of March 14 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. 

The production will mark a transfer of the 2022 Chicago Shakespeare Theater world-premiere mounting. As in Chicago, the principal characters Allie and Noah will each be played by three different actors depicting the pair over the course of their lives.

The musical will feature Jordan Tyson as Younger Allie, Joy Woods as Middle Allie, Tony Award winner Maryann Plunkett as Older Allie, John Cardoza as Younger Noah, Ryan Vasquez as Middle Noah and Dorian Harewood as Older Noah. 

Tyson, Woods, Plunkett, Cardoza and Vasquez originated their roles during the Chicago Shakespeare run. Harewood joins the company for the Broadway staging. (John Beasley, who played the role of Older Noah at Chicago Shakespeare, passed away in May of 2023.)

The Notebook will mark Tyson’s Main Stem debut, having appeared in numerous regional theater productions as well as the Netflix series The Chair. Woods most recently starred as Catherine Parr in Broadway’s SIX and is currently in the Classic Stage Company production of I Can Get It for You Wholesale. This will mark Plunkett’s tenth Broadway show, having appeared in such productions as Agnes of God, Sunday in the Park with George and Me and My Girl, the latter for which she won a Tony.

Cardoza previously appeared in Jagged Little Pill. Vasquez’s Main Stem credits include Hamilton, Waitress and Wicked. Harewood will return to Broadway for the first time in 45 years, having spent decades in film and television. He last appeared in Broadway’s The Mighty Gents in 1978 and was a company member of the original production of Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Additional casting, by the Telsey Office, will be announced.

Based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook follows Allie and Noah, who begin as young lovers from opposite worlds and confront a lifetime of obstacles to their love.

The Notebook features music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunstetter. It is co-directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams.