Broadway's 'The Notebook' Star Joy Woods Talks The Magic of The Musical & Emotional 'My Days' Video
Joy Woods as Middle Allie in Broadway's The Notebook musical. Photo by Julieta Cervantes
The Notebook, the debut novel by American novelist Nicholas Sparks, has lived many lives since its 1996 release. The heartwarming story between Noah and Allie has carried on through generations, thanks to 2004's film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams to a new rendition on Broadway. Now playing at Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre, it features music and lyrics by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC’s This Is Us, The Cake). It is produced by Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch, and directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (Aida, The Wiz), with choreography by Katie Spelman (associate choreographer on Moulin Rouge! The Musical).
The musical drives up the emotion found in both the novel and movie while adding a wholesome sense of humor that keeps things modern for new audiences. Viewerss will laugh just as much as they cry while connecting with the characters who embrace all of their flaws. Joy Woods (2022's SIX: The Musical, 2019's Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway) plays Middle Allie and brings a beautiful tenderness to the stage. There's a parallel between the 24-year-old performer and Allie.
Being fairly new to the Broadway world with a promising career ahead of her, playing the Middle Allie in such an iconic pop culture rendition shows Woods how to give herself the grace to make mistakes and have the courage to do things that she hasn't done before. She seems to be stepping into her own as a performer, in the same way that Middle Allie is finding her own identity. This is best seen in the "My Days" song, which is a pivotal moment in the musical. The song is featured on The Notebook (Original Broadway Cast Recording) album, which is officially out today (April 19) via Atlantic Records.
Along with Woods, The Notebook cast includes Tony Award ® -winner Maryann Plunkett as Older Allie, Dorian Harewood as Older Noah, Joy Woods as Middle Allie, Ryan Vasquez as Middle Noah, Jordan Tyson as Younger Allie, John Cardoza as Younger Noah, AndreĢa Burns as Mother/Nurse Lori, Carson Stewart as Johnny/Fin. Playing various roles are Yassmin Alers, Alex Benoit, Chase Del Rey, Hillary Fisher, Jerome Harmann-Hardeman, Dorcas Leung, Happy McPartlin, Juliette Ojeda, Kim Onah, Charles E. Wallace and Charlie Webb.
Below, Joy Woods speaks to EDITION about her experience playing Middle Allie in 'The Notebook' musical, working with Ingrid Michaelson and her connection with the powerful "My Days" song.
How did you emotionally prepare for this role?
Honestly, I think because I share the role, it could be a lot more taxing than it is, but it isn't. It feels like a relay race, like a passing of the baton to the situation. And I only have to do the lifting for a specific part of this woman's life. And not all tears are sad. Middle Allie’s arc is mostly about stepping into her womanhood and her personhood and making her own choices in her life. Pursuing truth comes with an unveiling lies in a way, or just blocks, that you've kept yourself from feeling the truth and your spirit. But I think that's a good thing. I think that's a happy thing. I think it's a cool thing. And it comes with pain, but overall, it's warm. So it's nice to play into that rather than the heavy sadness of it every night
I liked that you mentioned womanhood because, thinking of the “My Days” song, our late 20s and early 30s are definitely a time in our lives when we're trying to figure out who we are outside of what our family wants. We really have to turn the mirror on ourselves. “My Days was such an introspective, climactic moment in the musical. How do you think the song helps carry the storyline?
The song is the moment that she decides to stop listening to the outside influences in her life, whether it be her parents or Noah. He has a song right before “My Days” where he's telling her: ‘Do whatever you want, but this is what I want. I want you. I want this house, I want a life together.’ Up until now, in her life Allie has been told what other people want for her. It's been a comfortable, privileged life and she hasn't really had to fight it because it was gonna be good either way. But the second she's given that freedom by everybody to make her own choice… it’s honestly such a devastating way of being caught at such a crossroads. She digs her feet in the dirt to really think, make a decision and find herself. Being in your 20s, you shut off a lot about yourself and you're always discovering. You go through puberty a million times and it's just a moment of watching somebody grow up. I'm a little younger than Allie is in the story. She's 27 and 28. I know those are moments that I'm going to be looking forward to having. When 25 hits, it all changes, apparently [that’s what] people say. So I'm looking forward to that. But it's nice to have Allie as a role model in that way to look up to. Building that courage for her in that moment is like doing it for myself, in a way. So I'm happy to do it.
Maryann Plunkett (Older Allie), Joy Woods( Middle Allie), and Jordan Tyson (Younger Allie). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
I like that because I wanted to know if there were any parts of Allie that you relate to.
Absolutely. I mean, in terms of my career, a lot has happened to me before I felt like I was ready for it or asked for it. And things ended up turning out amazing. But I haven't really had moments of feeling like I could choose any of it because it all happened so fast. So I'm at a point in my life where people are trusting me to make decisions for myself. I'm coming to the realization that that's new for me. And it's hard. I have to really listen to myself and trust that I know what's best for me and be able to make mistakes. Allie makes so many mistakes and says the wrong things. It's affirming because, at the end of the day, she still is deserving and worthy of love and the life that she wants. I think that that's easy to forget in the real world. You make mistakes, and then immediately go into, ‘I’m undeserving, I've done all this wrong.” We get to watch Allie in the three stages of her life, and fall in love with the same person each time. And that's in whatever stage of her life that she's in. I think that's really beautiful because life happens over and over again in the same lifetime. Being able to see that and root for the same person, no matter what, is just a really great reminder of humanity.
I love that answer. One thing that I really like about the musical is its wholesome silliness. I think it's played up even more in the musical compared to the movie.
Well, that's the thing about The Notebook. I mean, I don't want to spoil, but everybody dies in the end. (laughs) You're left feeling devastated. But in reality, what the movie, book and show are about is the entire lifespan of these two people and the choices they make in the midst of it. Life is serious. You have to laugh at it. There are funny moments. There are sad moments. There are heightened dancing in the rain kissing moments. It's a full range of emotions and experiences. The fact that the show is its own entity from the book and the movie gave us a lot of freedom to play into that. Bekah and Ingrid did a really good job of showing just how awkward and hilarious and uncomfortable and squirmy and hot and cold all of it can be in one sitting. The vignettes of these people's lives that they chose to show in this were very smart, and all balanced each other really well. I'm glad that people are laughing because the devastation in the end is a good balance for it.
Ryan Vasquez (Middle Noah) and Joy Woods (Middle Allie). Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Despite the despair, I think the story also gives hope. Allie still comes back, she still makes amends with Noah. Even though older Allie is dealing with Alzheimer's, Noah still has hope. That's what I took away from the musical, even more so than the movie: holding on to that hope despite all of the obstacles that life throws at you. There's still a part of you that still has to fight for the ones that you love.
And not all tears are sad. How often do you get to go with the person you love? It's a beautiful thing. And I think that's what gets people a lot of the time in a way that they can't really describe, which is why it makes it so overwhelming. It's sad, but it's more beautiful than anything.
How do you think the music itself helps elevate the story? I think they take the emotions to a whole ‘nother level that I wasn't expecting.
The story itself, without music, sings. And of course, in musical theater, when words aren’t enough, when you're too filled with emotion to continue talking, you sing. The way that Ingrid chose to weave music in and out of this story was genius. The moments that she chose to heighten with the most luscious sounds you've ever heard in your life and the simplicity of the lyrics…because life is complicated enough. When you look at it from different perspectives, it's because the lyrics are simple in some ways, there's always something more to find. We can't speak like Shakespeare all the time. It's hard to find words as a human. Being able to honor that in the music and in this in the show is teaching me a lot about being alive in a way that I'm really grateful for. And it works so well. I'm just happy that I'm alive when they're doing it as a musical so that I could be a part of it.
The cast of The Notebook. Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Ingrid is just brilliant and everything that she does. How was that experience working with her?
The musical had been in production for a few years before I came on to it. When it came to my attention that they wanted me for the show, I didn't even know the show existed. I had just started Six and was completely thrown off and surprised by that offer. But Ingrid had found a few clips of me singing when I was in high school online. I guess she saw what she wanted. I didn't get to hear the rest of the music until I started rehearsals. But it clicked immediately. I think that we see music the same way. Mostly, especially when it comes to this specific music. It's been a brilliant collaboration and one that's made us feel both really heard. We've learned from each other — I've certainly learned more from her than she. She's a genius. But getting to take lessons from everyone in all of this, I feel like the luckiest little girl. I had no idea that this would be my experience. And to feel like this is as good a fit as it is that’s not something you come by often. So I'm really grateful for it.
There's such magic in the show. Broadway gives you a feeling of escapism or there's a relatability with the characters that you're seeing.
Before there was radio or TV, there was theater. Before any theater, there was storytelling. And there was a reason to gather. There was reason to feel community, to gain perspective, and to feel. I think that's why theater and Broadway will probably never die, fingers crossed. But I think this show is a really great reminder of the importance of theater. It's bringing people together, especially after such a long pandemic, and literally not being allowed to gather for so long. It's the field of customer service that we all need.
I totally agree with you. You mentioned earlier that you learned a lot from Ingrid. But is there anything that you learned from your other cast members?
Oh, my goodness, from working with Maryann and Jordan [who play older and younger Allie, respectively]. I learn every single day. They are so amazing and incredible. They’re honestly masters at their craft, at what they do and owning who they are onstage. It's given me so much freedom and encouragement to lean into who I am and discover for myself who Allie is. We're always observing each other, always taking things from each other, always having conversations about it. With Ryan [who plays] middle Noah, there's such a trust that we've established. We lift each other up as much as we can. The support there is overflowing. Had I been with anybody else, I don’t think the experience would have been the same. He's so good in the role and I think we work really well together. I’m getting the best friend in the process and I love that. Yeah, it's truly a dream, honor and privilege.
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Photography by: Julieta Cervantes