THE NOTEBOOK's Ingrid Michaelson Offers Solace to Those Overlooked by the Tonys

Broadway was abuzz with excitement yesterday as the 2024 Tony Award nominations were announced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renee Elise Goldsberry, celebrating the best of Broadway's talent. Among the nominees was The Notebook, which garnered multiple nods, notably for Bekah Brunstetter's captivating book, and the outstanding performances delivered by lead actors Dorian Harewood and Maryann Plunkett. However, the absence of composer Ingrid Michaelson from the list of nominees sparked a heartfelt reaction. 

Taking to her Instagram stories, Michaelson shared an earnest and genuine message:

"Congratulations to all the composers who put their whole selves into these scores. And to all who received Tony nominations today. It is monumental!" Michaelson posted. "I'm gonna say the thing you're not supposed to say but I'm pretty sad to not see my name there. There is a certain level of embarrassment and shame that 'not getting picked' brings into me. Probably from some childhood shit. But I remain incredibly proud of [the] @notebookmusical score and of all the folks who helped it come to life. So congratulations to me too. For making art. For trying. For finding my inner child and comforting her and telling her 'you ARE worthy.' Congratulations to EVERYONE making art because it's the one thing we were made to do. We are all worthy."

In addition to her message, Michaelson shared a snapshot of the nominees for Best Original Score, acknowledging their remarkable contributions. From Adam Guettel's Days of Wine and Roses to David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's Here Lies Love, Michaelson celebrated the diverse tapestry of musical expression represented in the 2024 Broadway spring season. With a special shoutout to Shaina Taub, she offered words of encouragement, urging her fellow artists to "Take over the world."

Produced by Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch, The Notebook features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC's “This Is Us,” The Cake). The production is 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 cast of The Notebook features 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, Andréa 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.
 
Allie and Noah, two people 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. Based on the book that has sold millions of copies worldwide and a film that is one of the highest-grossing romantic dramas of all-time, the musical adaptation of The Notebook comes to Broadway following a critically acclaimed world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in the fall of 2022. 
 
The Notebook features scenic design by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, and projection design by Lucy Mackinnon. The production’s music supervisor is Carmel Dean, who also collaborated on arrangements with Ingrid Michaelson and on orchestrations with John Clancy, and the music director is Geoffrey Ko. Victoria Navarro is the production stage manager. Casting by The Telsey Office, Patrick Goodwin, CSA.