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[0:00] Jeff Malone: Welcome to Half Hour with Jeff and Richie, the podcast where we take a deeper dive into the latest shows we see, sharing our insights and opinions on the performances, storyline, and everything in between.

[0:10] Richie Grasso: In today's episode, we'll be discussing the new Broadway musical, The Notebook.

[0:14] Jeff Malone: Whether you're unable to catch the show in person or you're looking to expand your thoughts after seeing it, this episode is for you.

[0:20] Richie Grasso: And as always, we want to give you a heads up that this episode will contain spoilers.

[0:25] Jeff Malone: So if you're ready to dive into this production, stick around with us.

[0:29] Jeff Malone: I'm Jeff.

[0:29] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie.

[0:30] Jeff Malone: We're thrilled to be your hosts for this episode.

[0:32] Richie Grasso: So without further ado, let's start the conversation about The Notebook on Broadway.

[0:41] Jeff Malone: Half hour.

[0:46] Richie Grasso: Okay, welcome everyone to a new episode of Half Hour with Jeff and Richie.

[0:50] Jeff Malone: Today we're talking about the new Broadway musical, The Notebook.

[0:53] Richie Grasso: The Notebook is a new musical based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film written by Nicholas Sparks.

[1:01] Jeff Malone: Ali and Noah, both from different worlds, share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart in a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.

[1:09] Richie Grasso: The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif and Shelley Williams and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson.

[1:16] Jeff Malone: Book by Becca Brunstetter and choreography by Katie Smith.

[1:19] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[1:20] Jeff Malone: As always, let's start with our bold statement about this piece and see how that unfolds into our discussion.

[1:26] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[1:27] Jeff Malone: So my bold statement on this...

[1:30] Richie Grasso: Go.

[1:30] Jeff Malone: I can't like it. My bold statement on The Notebook is Mary Ann Plunkett is by far the biggest person to watch in this Tony Award season.

[1:43] Richie Grasso: Nice. Totally agree.

[1:46] Jeff Malone: My bold statement is, other than an extremely captivating and moving, groundbreaking performance by Mary M. Plunkett, I found the majority of The Notebook I brought to be extremely underwhelming.

[2:02] Richie Grasso: Okay, let's get into it right away.

[2:05] Jeff Malone: Well, let's just start with just our overall thought on this concept. I don't think we need to really go into much plot because the majority of the world knows this plot, and that actually is something I do want to talk about a little bit on.

[2:18] Richie Grasso: But since we all kind of know the plot, and I think most people can either read the book or see the movie and understand that, let's just talk about the stage adaptation of bringing this live with the character development and the music edition and the scenery and things like that.

[2:32] Jeff Malone: Great. I feel like, first off, what do we like that did kind of come along from the book and the movie to the stage?

[2:41] Richie Grasso: So the whole overall plot basically staying the same for the most part. Of course, we had a shift in time period. The flashing back and forward from the nursing home works, obviously, because the ending needs to happen in that way.

[2:55] Jeff Malone: Which is always some part of that.

[2:57] Richie Grasso: Right. And I think the flow of then the older couple being interstitial to the plot, like the film and book does, is very important. And I think that worked really well.

[3:09] Jeff Malone: Um, it's interesting to me that two actors in the movie played Allie and two actors in the movie played Noah, and now we've gone to three actors playing Noah and three actors playing Allie.

[3:21] Richie Grasso: And in my head, before I saw this, I thought, oh, that's a great concept. Like it totally makes sense. I don't think it worked, quite frankly, in the way that it was put up there.

[3:31] Jeff Malone: And I think it could have. And that's what bothers me is I think you could have had eight Allies and Noah's, and it could have worked. You could have had one, you could have had two. It doesn't even matter the number per se. It was the way that it was executed, didn't quite work for me.

[3:44] Richie Grasso: And I couldn't find emotional attachment to any of them because they were only playing that character for 25% of the show, 35% of the show.

[3:55] Jeff Malone: And so it was hard for me to really attach myself to the character and the relationships of the characters because there were six of them out there.

[4:03] Richie Grasso: Yeah. I mean, I feel like I mostly agree with you on this.

[4:07] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[4:08] Richie Grasso: I was really intrigued by like seeing younger Allie and Noah, middle Allie and Noah, and then older Allie and Noah. Where I feel like something that they should have probably brought along with from the film is just having a younger Allie and Noah and an older Allie and Noah.

[4:29] Jeff Malone: Because I do agree with you. I don't think there was enough development in the actual piece for middle Allie and middle Noah.

[4:39] Richie Grasso: Correct. And I feel like their relationship of when she goes back to the house was like, wait, we didn't see them much.

[4:45] Jeff Malone: Yeah. We saw them younger, but and listen, I love the colorblind casting aspect of this. I think that works really well. I love seeing the different ages. I'm talking about the literal usage of the book of incorporating actors in.

[4:59] Richie Grasso: And so to me, yes, and let's, I'm gonna say something. I think what was directed though was nice. I loved some of the moments where older Allie was reflecting on her life, and there was that song where the two younger Allies were with her. Beautiful, gorgeous.

[5:15] Jeff Malone: When she, it's towards the end of Act One, when she's older Allie's moving through her life and all these people, it totally works. I think it was directed for what it was given, but I don't think the book scenes and the score worked at all for what we were supposed to feel.

[5:29] Richie Grasso: And I think that I don't even think all the acting choices were actually at its best. And we'll talk about actors in a second. I just found that yes, you had two brilliant directors on this that worked well, but I didn't think the book and the score did what the movie or original novel does to the person reading or watching.

[5:48] Jeff Malone: It kind of like, I know this is not really like a plot point, but like from the overall experience in this moment here, it seems like they wanted to take the best moments of the film and also still give that to us. So it's like we have the rain, we have the rain scene.

[6:06] Richie Grasso: It, that to me even felt underwhelming.

[6:09] Jeff Malone: Yeah, because it was like, up here's that scene, like kind of, but it was kind of cool that the water was in the front of the stage and then it rained. I did like, but again, if we're gonna talk about things, we've had rain on a stage before.

[6:21] Richie Grasso: Yeah, it's just nothing new.

[6:23] Jeff Malone: So if we're gonna do this, that better be a great scene that we're seeing. And it felt so rushed. I was like, wait, no, no, no. Why are we rushing out of this rain scene right now?

[6:37] Richie Grasso: And there was other moments where I just, I don't know, I wasn't feeling.

[6:45] Jeff Malone: Is that weird?

[6:46] Richie Grasso: I wasn't feeling what I, we just watched the movie again, and I really was moved again all these years later at the very end. I was very emotionally attached to it. I wasn't feeling anything for that.

[6:58] Jeff Malone: I, okay, I take it back. I really felt for Mary Ann Plunkett.

[7:02] Richie Grasso: Right.

[7:02] Jeff Malone: And I hate to say it, but I didn't really feel as much for Dorian Harewood, I believe, who played the older Noah. I didn't really feel like there was the equal acting amongst the two of them.

[7:15] Richie Grasso: But then I felt for like, wow, Joy Woods was doing some amazing things. But then I just felt like, I don't know. I just, it was inconsistent for me throughout.

[7:23] Jeff Malone: Yeah. I feel like before we move into cast and direction, and because I feel like that's where we're gonna spend most of our time in this conversation. Just overall concept, I feel like they had an idea. It should really work. And there was definitely something missing.

[7:42] Richie Grasso: And I feel like that right there is going to move us now into the actual creative choices.

[7:48] Jeff Malone: Well, let's go into some of those creative choices and let's start with the score.

[7:52] Richie Grasso: Okay.

[7:55] Jeff Malone: We'll be right back.

[7:59] Richie Grasso: Welcome back. Um, I understand Ingrid Michaelson's work. I understand how she writes. It's very like moody coffee shop, rainy day. This is how I feel. And of course, The Notebook is that like emotional moon show.

[8:15] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[8:16] Richie Grasso: To me, there was major musical theater moments missing. I'm not saying we need an up-tempo dance break. I'm not saying we need an 11 o'clock number ballad. Those are very standard of musical theater. To me, I feel like I was missing any attachment to the majority of this music.

[8:33] Jeff Malone: All the songs to me sounded like they were in the same key. All the songs to me sounded like they were the same tempo.

[8:39] Richie Grasso: And I don't feel that way with a lot of modern tours. I don't mean to compare this to like Waitress, but Waitress has up-tempo and ballad and moving moments and sad moments and happy moments and the emotions of that, because Sara Bareilles writes like that worked for that piece.

[8:53] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[8:53] Richie Grasso: Even though maybe I didn't like every single song on Waitress, but I still appreciated what was done. I look at this whole score from Ingrid and I say, I couldn't tell you one song. I didn't know some songs kind of ended, and then we were in the nursing home, and they didn't we couldn't applaud because then we went right into a scene, so it was like it was like filmic in the way it was like transitioning from song to song.

[9:13] Jeff Malone: Um, I didn't feel like there was enough rooted. I'm listening to the lyrics, nothing stuck with me. The book scenes seemed a little stiff. I just didn't feel, and if musical theater is supposed to emote and bring you to the next level of emotion that a text cannot, the famous saying is when the words end and the emotion begins, that's when the music starts in love and death and whatever aspect of the musical theater art form. I wasn't feeling anything, and then I thought to myself, oh well, they're gonna get Mary and Plunkett this huge big 11 o'clock number, right? Like mama's roses moment, like not the same, but you know, we were gonna get that huge moment from our right, and then what if we get 20 seconds of one song of her baby singing a little bit?

[9:55] Richie Grasso: Yeah, what a missed opportunity for me. What a completely missed opportunity for it for me.

[10:00] Jeff Malone: I feel like with this score and the lyrics as well.

[10:08] Richie Grasso: I am not holding a candle to it as high as you are. Because I feel like my expectations for this was not that high when it came to the music and lyrics.

[10:20] Jeff Malone: Because I kind of know Ingrid, I know the way she writes. It is that moody, like coffee shop sound that she's always had, so it's not like this is anything different. So instead, she just wrote us, you know, an album for the theater. It is an album for the theater. Yeah, it's not it. It was like I wrote this pop album, and now you figure out how to direct it and put it into the story now team. Right. Instead of her feeling like she really collaborated, it doesn't seem like she really thought about wow, this character's moment here. Instead, it was like, hey, Ingrid, we need three sad songs, one happy song there, and then a moment there, go. That's what it felt like to machine factory. Yeah. Which is unfortunate because I really didn't want that.

I did want to get surprised and have something very different than what we were gonna expect from Ingrid. And I guess my letdown here is though that like she did give me what I was thought we were gonna get. It was very predictable. It's funny because recently we were watching the Alex Newell video of Back to the Four from Ragtime. And what did I say to you when we watched it? I said, where was this moment in this show? Ragtime, I mean hello, the score. When you hear the orchestration and you see what mother's character is going through it and singing back to before, and you're like, oh my gosh, I feel everything for this person right now. There was none of that here. I mean, I shouldn't say none, maybe 10%.

Yeah. I just didn't feel anything from that music. And then the book scenes were like, hey, hi, my name's Noah. My name's Allie. Give me a break. I'm sorry. It was like, what am I doing here? And then to hear like, and here's another thing of the score, because we have other things to talk about. I am really getting sick and tired of every show ending with I'm home. This is my home. I've come home. You are my home. Huh. I'm like, what are we doing? And then to hear people around me sniffling, like, oh my god, they're home. She's home. We're home. Oh, I'm like, what are we crying about every show? So that's what I want to have towards the end of this podcast because that's just a big topic of the conversation today.

[12:45] Richie Grasso: Okay, we'll save it. Let's go on to some other choices. I'm gonna applaud a few things here. I know you're not gonna agree with some of them. Uh-huh. That's okay. I loved the scenic design of the show. I thought it was completely warranted and fit the vibe of what that show needs to be. I know, yes, it's like sometimes bare and whatever, but I loved the use of water. I loved the use of brain in there. It was great in that aspect, and it did help for these actors to move and flow throughout that stage.

[13:19] Jeff Malone: I half agree with you and I half don't because the bare bones-esque stripped down literal holes in the walls and things do kind of mimic her memory and how she's not gonna remember every little flower pod and little design. Of course, I get that. I think that's actually smart. And when I'm seeing more detail in the color of the walls of the nursing home than the non-existent wall of the home from the memory, I say, well, the whole point of this was that he fixed the house and she came back, and the house is beautiful again. And maybe we're seeing the nursing home in full detail because that's her current memory and what she can currently see. Sure, then we can go with that, and I get it, but there's something still glorious about this home that he spent his whole life fixing, thinking he would never see her again. That I think when we see a bare bones porch with not even a rocking chair on it, just a blank porch.

[14:19] Richie Grasso: I know, but I do kind of feel like they are supposed to be the little pockets of things that she actually remembers. So, like we're seeing the door and the front porch because that's what she remembers. Yeah. So it works in that way. Is it a cop out for like not having a big grandiose set? Sure, maybe. But I'm gonna say I enjoyed this scenic design because it's better than some of the other things I've seen on the stage lately.

[14:43] Jeff Malone: I also see, yeah. Other than that, I do thought it was directed well. Yeah, I agree. I thought there were some nice directing choices because it flowed. I didn't feel like I was watching into an hour show. You know, um, I'm not really sure what the choreography was in the show. I didn't really get the choreography. There was movement, there was a lot of staged movement. Um, I will also say the costume design was smart because they always had Noah in a brown and they always had Allie in a blue in different types, and I think that's really smart design when you change the style of the garment, but the color stayed the same, even when she was in the bathrobe at the end as the elderly woman. I actually really liked choice. Not to be like, hey audience, this is the same character. Because I there was a little bit of that, but I think it worked with the color choice.

[15:32] Richie Grasso: And then just kind of like moving past this now a little bit more to is like who actually stood out to you and like brought something different to these roles.

[15:42] Jeff Malone: Okay, if I had to choose three people, four. Oh I'll go with John Cardoza as young Noah, I thought sings really well, and I really was taken by him. Yeah. Um, I would say Joy Woods, while I don't think her part was written correctly for her, she gave it her all in her moments. I could definitely see a potential Tony nomination there. I think she's really exuding a lot in what she's given. She's only given so much. Um, but to me, the third and final, there is extremely talk about smart direction, putting Mariam Plunkett on that stage for the majority of the show. In the movie, they don't do that, right? The movie they would move her for 20 minute time segments, and then we flash forward. To put her on the side of the stage or in the back of the stage and have us watch her watch her life is brilliant direction and brilliant acting.

And I think Marianne Plunkett could get I don't know if she would get supporting actress or leading actress because very tough. She doesn't sing a lot on the show, but she is in the majority of the show. But Marianne Plunkett is carrying this whole show by herself in brilliant Tony worthy moments that moved me. And the only times I felt moved was watching her. The only times I was completely moved by her, and I think that woman should get many accolades for what she's doing in this.

[17:05] Richie Grasso: Yeah, I mean, I feel like that's why I'm saying like everyone should be on the lookout for this woman to be here in up for as a big Tony contender. Correct. Because what she's doing in terms of acting, it's gonna give people in the play category. I mean, it gives people in the play category a run for their money in terms of acting, but this is a musical, so it's gonna be actress in a musical. And yes, does she not have a major song? But she has one, but it's not a power belt. Which leads me to believe that someone like Joy or someone like her. I don't know if anybody here is really eligible for leading, and if there's if the producers of this show are noticing that so many other shows have big leading, they might want to consider putting some people in for supporting consideration because they might have a better chance because there's not one leading person here.

But I can't when you talk about cabaret, Lampica, some of these other things, there's leads. Barely we roll along. There's leading people in some of these shows. So I don't know. Those are my three standouts, though. I don't know if you have the same or not.

[18:10] Jeff Malone: I mean, she was really my only standout. And here's my critique on the overall cast. And mainly speaking about the three Allies and the three Noah's. There was not enough of a through line between their character for me to believe that they were all supposed to be the same person. Because there was no connection with plot or dialogue or they all played the role way too different. Way too different. Yep. So the only way this would have worked is if we had young Allie and old Allie, young Noah and old Noah, because Joy Woods and Jordan Tyson are not playing the same Allie, and Ryan Vasquez and John Cardoza are not playing the same Noah. They're way too different, and their age is too similar for it to be any sort of different.

[19:03] Richie Grasso: And I'm gonna take it a step further. And we this is what if we were going to introduce a third Allie and Noah, it would have had to have been completely out of the storyline that we would not have known it, and it would have had to have been Memex kids. And that's not part of the story. Or opposite, when they're like in their 50s and they have children and they're married already. Maybe a part of the story that we don't really see. Yeah, but that's that's Joy and Ryan playing those two. That's when they're older. But I'm gonna I'm even gonna go a step further and say, what would I think? We're it's theater. We make magic in theater with wigs, makeup, costume changes. I think we saw Mrs. Doubtfire change in and out of Mrs. Delphos a million times brilliantly, right?

Like we can make magic happen in a probably show. What just thought could have couldn't one actor have played Ali and one actor playing Noah? And we see them go back and forth in style. I you would have removed the whole elderly Ali and Noah watching them. I get that. That worked. I'm just throwing it out there as a potential. Could have Jordan. No, because I think though one person, because maybe you would have felt more connection. No, no, no. The whole point is an idea that they're watching flashbacks, so you still need the younger. I just don't know if they needed to separate the role. It didn't give enough connection for either Jordan or Joy to be the Allie that you connect with, because you're going back and forth between the two of them. And the same thing with Ryan and John.

[20:33] Jeff Malone: I was feeling more connected to John playing the role of Noah because he understood the assignment of being in love.

[20:43] Richie Grasso: I don't think Ryan felt any sort of connection or love for Ali.

[20:47] Jeff Malone: And he was trying to play this cool, suave guy, but also sometimes like no emotion.

[20:53] Richie Grasso: And that's not Noah.

[20:56] Jeff Malone: And when you, and not to compare it to Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, but when you see them start in the beginning of the film at the carnival, and then you see them end at the end of the film, those are actor journeys over years, but they made the journey, and maybe this was robbing an actor or actress of doing the same thing and taking us on a journey from youth all the way through.

[21:20] Richie Grasso: And yeah, I don't know. I still think though that this whole show is being carried on the shoulders of Mary and Blinkett.

[21:28] Jeff Malone: The whole thing, yeah, and thank god because that is such a tough character.

[21:33] Richie Grasso: You need someone to carry it.

[21:35] Jeff Malone: But what's also like super interesting, too, is like they all had like an 11 o'clock number somewhere throughout the show.

[21:45] Richie Grasso: And I'm like, why? I'm like, why is this one having this moment now?

[21:54] Jeff Malone: And oh, why? And now we're having older Noah have his moment before even act one is over.

[22:02] Richie Grasso: The flow just seemed off.

[22:04] Jeff Malone: There wasn't enough like unison, and I actually think the memories needed to do more with Mary, um, old Allie and right, but I'm saying Mary Ann.

[22:17] Richie Grasso: But I'm saying I think the memory moments needed to do more with them.

[22:21] Jeff Malone: Did you? That's where the musical theater moment could have come in?

[22:25] Richie Grasso: It was a lot of watching them, which was great because she's acting throughout that whole thing, but there wasn't enough connection.

[22:32] Jeff Malone: I thought one of the most beautiful moments was when she's having a memory moment on stage, they're all singing around her.

[22:39] Richie Grasso: That's musical theater there, so it had great moments, but it wasn't perfect, right?

[22:44] Jeff Malone: There were moments, and then there were some stiff slow moments, and then there were some beautiful moments, yeah.

[22:48] Richie Grasso: And it kind of does bring me a little bit to just our overall experience with the show as a whole, and I this is what I kind of want to talk about towards the end here.

[22:56] Jeff Malone: When what are your thoughts on when everyone knows a plot?

[23:02] Richie Grasso: We'll be right back.

[23:07] Jeff Malone: Let's jump back into things.

[23:09] Richie Grasso: And everyone knows how this story ends.

[23:13] Jeff Malone: Because when I will, I in the audience, when they get into the bed at the end, and he says, she says, I'm tired.

[23:19] Richie Grasso: And he says, I am too.

[23:20] Jeff Malone: Will you lay with me?

[23:21] Richie Grasso: And they say, yes.

[23:22] Jeff Malone: How many people in that audience should you hear go, oh, yeah?

[23:26] Richie Grasso: Like we all knew what was coming.

[23:28] Jeff Malone: And because the majority of the people going to this know exactly what's coming, does that alter your state of emotion compared to someone who would have had no idea how this ends?

[23:39] Richie Grasso: I think it does.

[23:41] Jeff Malone: I think it does too.

[23:42] Richie Grasso: So one thing I was going to say is that this is a hard film and also a book to transfer to the stage because of how iconic it already was.

[23:57] Jeff Malone: So the fact of like moving this to the stage already, you're the odds are against you because you're now going down the same path of everything else that comes to the stage because people are going to compare it to something that's already done it well.

[24:13] Richie Grasso: We can talk about so many films that have already done that.

[24:15] Jeff Malone: The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music.

[24:17] Richie Grasso: These are iconic films that when people see the stage version, they're like, Oh, that's not like Julie Andrews.

[24:23] Jeff Malone: That's not like Judy Gar.

[24:25] Richie Grasso: And that's what people do.

[24:27] Jeff Malone: However, I feel like I was surrounded by a lot of crying people.

[24:32] Richie Grasso: And there's I'm not trying to judge people when they feel emotions in a theater, feel what you need to feel.

[24:36] Jeff Malone: That's the whole point of the art form.

[24:38] Richie Grasso: But I do feel like there was one too many of the oh, I'm supposed to cry right now, right?

[24:42] Jeff Malone: Oh, let me get a tissue.

[24:43] Richie Grasso: Oh, I'm crying, I'm crying, I'm crying, oh, I'm crying.

[24:46] Jeff Malone: There was like a little bit too much of a bug instead of just feel what you need to feel.

[24:46] Richie Grasso: Believe me, if I felt I would have cried during things when I feel things, I didn't even feel a moment where I was like, oh, and I know how this ends, and it's so sad.

[25:00] Jeff Malone: The whole thing is so sad.

[25:00] Richie Grasso: I get it.

[25:00] Jeff Malone: But I think what we were talking about recently too is if you and I had never seen the movie or read the book, and we went into this cold turkey, what would our feeling have been?

[25:15] Richie Grasso: Um, I don't know if you're gonna agree with me, but I still don't know if I would have felt. I would have seen them die at the end, and I wouldn't—oh, spoiler alert.

[25:26] Jeff Malone: I hope you all—we already said that in the beginning.

[25:26] Richie Grasso: When they died at the end, I would have still felt like okay, wait, but I saw 30% from this actor, 30% from this actor.

[25:38] Jeff Malone: I know, but you know, I still think the point is we're comparing it to something that we already know.

[25:45] Richie Grasso: So if you only knew it as this, what would your feelings have been?

[25:50] Jeff Malone: Yeah, I mean I still have to do that.

[25:50] Richie Grasso: And I think it's too hard to go back and try to figure that out because this is what was given to us, and they had a blank canvas with this musical to do whatever they wanted, and this is what they gave us.

[26:04] Jeff Malone: I'm gonna go back to something though.

[26:07] Richie Grasso: This musical definitely knows its audience, totally, and it definitely knows who it's catering to.

[26:16] Jeff Malone: And I don't necessarily know if that's you and me.

[26:21] Richie Grasso: Sure.

[26:21] Jeff Malone: Sure.

[26:22] Richie Grasso: So this musical might do really well, but it might not be what the theater world wants.

[26:28] Jeff Malone: And just to clarify, I love this story so much and the tragedy and the romance that I was hoping.

[26:34] Richie Grasso: I believe me, when we heard that if this is love's song released by you, I was like, oh my gosh.

[26:38] Jeff Malone: Because I think that's the best song of the show.

[26:40] Richie Grasso: If I had to straight from a writing's gem away from an emotional state, that's the best song on the show for me.

[26:46] Jeff Malone: I feel when I hear that song.

[26:47] Richie Grasso: And I don't think anything else held up, unfortunately.

[26:51] Jeff Malone: Well, I'm gonna say something.

[26:52] Richie Grasso: I'm definitely going to listen to the soundtrack once it does come out because I do feel like it has potential and is very listenable.

[26:59] Jeff Malone: Mm-hmm.

[27:00] Richie Grasso: So we might be kind of like not fully gelling with it right now because it doesn't have those standout moments that when you leave you're still humming.

[27:09] Jeff Malone: I mean, you can hum this soundtrack because it's the same thing in every single song.

[27:15] Richie Grasso: Mm-hmm.

[27:17] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[27:18] Richie Grasso: But I'm gonna say I'm probably going to listen to it because I do like Ingrid Michelson, I do like her music, and I would like to actually hear what the score sounds like because I do think there are some beautiful lyrics in these songs.

[27:31] Jeff Malone: We just haven't gelled with them yet.

[27:33] Richie Grasso: It would be nice to listen to it again for sure.

[27:35] Jeff Malone: Um, I will just like I just feel like I do understand the mixed reviews of this guy.

[27:41] Richie Grasso: I don't think it needs to be like completely poo-pooed, like I don't think we need to—this is the worst thing.

[27:45] Jeff Malone: I've seen much worse things than this, believe me.

[27:48] Richie Grasso: I'm not sure what's going on.

[27:48] Jeff Malone: Right, but it does have the potential to have a Waitress fan base that keeps the show chugging along.

[27:56] Richie Grasso: And sure, and I will, and it's selling, and I will.

[28:00] Jeff Malone: So I mean, it's a very saturated season.

[28:03] Richie Grasso: So like, and we're just at the beginning of this.

[28:05] Jeff Malone: And this was announced a long time ago before half of things this season.

[28:09] Richie Grasso: This has been in the running for a long time.

[28:11] Jeff Malone: So like, hey, it's here, and we have it.

[28:15] Richie Grasso: I mean, I think Chicago raved about it a lot.

[28:18] Jeff Malone: And I was gonna say one thing.

[28:21] Richie Grasso: How is hype building in the theater industry right now?

[28:27] Jeff Malone: Kind of either making or breaking a show.

[28:30] Richie Grasso: Because I do feel like the New York audiences were like, oh, okay, The Notebook's coming.

[28:36] Jeff Malone: Everyone raved about it in Chicago.

[28:38] Richie Grasso: So like we're gonna love it, right?

[28:40] Jeff Malone: And now we're all kind of going and we're like.

[28:43] Richie Grasso: But there's underdogs coming in.

[28:45] Jeff Malone: There's a lot coming in this season, and this is just the start.

[28:49] Richie Grasso: Right.

[28:49] Jeff Malone: But if we go back to the hyping up of a show, something like Illinois right now is like dark horse coming in, not enough time to hype build it.

[28:59] Richie Grasso: Well, the most New York audiences I hear are loving Limpeak.

[29:03] Jeff Malone: And that's kind of a no-name show right now that has to build an audience too.

[29:07] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[29:07] Jeff Malone: Um, so love it.

[29:09] Richie Grasso: So we'll see.

[29:10] Jeff Malone: Oh my gosh, we're almost out of time here.

[29:13] Richie Grasso: Okay, let's do our final wrap up.

[29:15] Jeff Malone: Final thoughts on The Notebook, Roy.

[29:17] Richie Grasso: Go.

[29:17] Jeff Malone: Final thoughts.

[29:18] Jeff Malone: I mean, I'm on the fence overall with the show in general.

[29:20] Richie Grasso: I think I probably liked it a little bit more than you.

[29:23] Jeff Malone: I mean, I was entertained, it had good moments.

[29:27] Richie Grasso: Um, I do think that this might fall into Taurus Trap category, and a lot of people will go see it for that.

[29:36] Jeff Malone: I just don't know what the longevity is for the show.

[29:38] Richie Grasso: I don't think it fully is in like this is gonna sweep at the Tonies that I was originally thinking the show might.

[29:45] Jeff Malone: Agree.

[29:46] Richie Grasso: Um, I was underwhelmed.

[29:49] Jeff Malone: I it was a lot of forgettable moments, some nice moments.

[29:52] Richie Grasso: I like I've said it multiple times here.

[29:54] Jeff Malone: I think Marian Plunk gets the strongest thing, and I hope I see her get a lot of nominations for things.

[29:58] Richie Grasso: Um, and it's fine.

[30:00] Jeff Malone: The show's fun.

[30:01] Richie Grasso: I I'm not sitting here raving about it, I'm not poo-booing it.

[30:03] Jeff Malone: It just wasn't what I wanted it to be based on how emotionally connected I felt to the film.

[30:10] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[30:10] Jeff Malone: And so, and uh, and that's it.

[30:14] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[30:14] Jeff Malone: So there we go.

[30:15] Richie Grasso: That does wrap up our discussion of the episode today.

[30:17] Jeff Malone: We hope you enjoyed our deep dive into The Notebook on Broadway.

[30:20] Richie Grasso: We will share the link here with ticket information in our description.

[30:23] Jeff Malone: Yep.

[30:23] Richie Grasso: And don't forget, we want to hear from you.

[30:25] Jeff Malone: Continue the conversation with us on Instagram and TikTok at Half Hour Podcast.

[30:30] Richie Grasso: Let us know your thoughts on The Notebook.

[30:32] Jeff Malone: And if you enjoyed our show, please leave us a review.

[30:34] Richie Grasso: Your feedback helps us bring more theater to you.

[30:36] Jeff Malone: And remember, you can listen to past episodes and stay tuned for some upcoming ones as well.

[30:41] Richie Grasso: Until next time, I'm Jeff.

[30:42] Jeff Malone: I'm Richie saying ta ta for now.

[30:45] Richie Grasso: Bye.