Interview: THE NOTEBOOK's New Stars on First Bows, Beloved Songs & the Show’s Emotional Power

The Notebook on Broadway has welcomed three new cast members! Aisha Jackson has joined the company Middle Allie, while Anna Zavelson and Benji Santiago now star as as Younger Allie and Younger Noah. 

In BroadwayWorld's interview, the trio shares insights into their journeys with the production—from the emotions of taking their first Broadway bows to how the show’s themes resonate personally. They delve into the joy and vulnerability required for their roles, discuss their favorite musical moments, and reflect on the deep connection they feel with audiences who find themselves moved to tears each night. 

Read the full interview with the new cast members and check out photography by BroadwayWorld's own Jennifer Broski here! 

Anna and Benji, you are both making your Broadway debuts with this show. How does that feel? 

Anna: It feels unreal. It’s something that we’ve always dreamed of as children, and somehow the real thing, the real experience is even more than I could have ever anticipated. I just feel really thankful every day that I get to be here. 

Benji: Likewise. This is the definition of a dream come true. And it’s such a blessing to be in this role, and with Anna. The fact that we are going through this process together, and we have each other to lean on in such a momentous thing in our lives is paramount. It’s been amazing, every part of it has been incredible. 

What did it feel like for you two to take that first Broadway bow? 

Anna: It was kind of crazy. I was really nervous going into our first show, so finally getting to get it done, and take our first bow, and feel all the love from the cast and the audience, my first thought was relief [laughs]. It feels like such a huge scary task when you‘re thinking about it. But then, after finishing that first show, you realize we’re doing it for the next few months, we still have a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow, and the cast is going to be there to support us every step of the way.

Benji: I think we shocked ourselves. I’m really grateful to say that we were able to be a lot more present that day than I thought we were going to be. I really felt like I was able to live and experience everything in real time onstage. But it wasn’t until the very last song, ‘Coda’, that I think there was a little silent freakout of, 'Oh my god, we’re on Broadway!' Definitely during bows was so special. I thought the entire cast made it super special for us too. 

Aisha how has it felt for you to step into the role of Middle Allie? 

Aisha: I think she is so beautiful. Joy [Woods] has built this amazing foundation for this character, and I get to go in and make it mine. It’s exciting because I have the best scene partner playing opposite of me, Mr. Ryan [Vasquez]. We’ve been friends for a long time, we were Anna and Benji’s age when we did the OBC of Waitress. And so, from us having that time together as youngsters in the business and now doing this together is really beautiful. 

Also, the character Allie is so vulnerable, and I think we’re finding a person who seems like she has the perfect life, everything’s going well, and then something comes in and blows up her idea of what happiness is, or what her passion is, or what she wants to do, and who she wants to do it with. And it’s forcing her to ask the question of, ‘What do you really want?’

I think that’s beautiful, it’s a part of the human experience, trying to find ourselves and find out, ‘What do I want? Am I doing this because I want to do it or am I doing it because my parents told me to do it? Or am I doing it because society says I should get married, have kids, do this and this in such an order.' So, I think it’s beautiful we get to see her be brave and dig deep and challenge herself about all of the things that she thought to be true and kind of go, ‘Is that me or is that someone else?' It’s a challenge to dig in, and be present, and be vulnerable, and crack it wide open. But also, I feel very aligned with her, and with her journey, so it’s kind of easy to tap in. So, I’m excited to let it flow and see what happens. 

Have you learned anything about yourself in the process of finding who Allie is? 

Aisha: Yeah, I have discovered I am doing well at becoming more vulnerable with myself and with others. It’s actually a bit of a prayer of mine that I’ve had the last couple of years, to open myself up a little bit more. And I think this character gives me the perfect opportunity to be vulnerable, to open myself up. I think we do find Allie stepping into her power. And sometimes I’m a little afraid of the amount of power that I see in myself, and that I’m starting to develop. And so, I think this is a beautiful challenge for me to go and have a good time and not be afraid to fully step into my power and into my purpose. 

Do you all have a favorite song or moment in the show? 

Aisha: Mine is going to surprise you, because I love ‘I Wanna Go Back’. It’s such a beautiful song. I told Ingrid [Michaelson], “This is a worship song.” I’m a church girlie, and whenever I listen to it, I go on this whole other gospel extravaganza. That’s one of my favorite songs, it’s so tender and it’s such a beautiful moment for Older Allie, remembering all these different people in her life, and trying to pull herself out of this abyss. And we get to help her on that journey. And the melody, and the lyrics, it’s gorg to me. 

Anna: I would also say ‘I Wanna Go Back’. I love that song so much, I think it’s so beautiful. And the other two Allies that are singing the song are just kind of sitting and watching everything happen. So I feel like we get to portray this beautiful song, but Maryann [Plunkett] is doing all of the work! I also love ‘Carry You Home,’ I think it’s so much fun to get to get to do it on the stage, but also out of all of the songs we get to listen to, I’ll listen to that one over and over again. 

Benji: They stole my answer! I always say ‘I Wanna Go Back’. It’s such a beautiful song. And sonically too, I could listen to it forever. I also love the song ‘It’s Not Easy’. Ryan kills that song, and every night I’m backstage listening to it. It’s kind of this breaking point for the character where all of this love, and this hurt, and this anger, and this care pores out all in front of Allie, and the way that the song crescendos is heartbreaking, but it’s also so epic. I think it’s a very cohesive picture of how Noah feels about Allie. 

Audiences sob at this show, what is it like to be a part of a show that inspires such emotion? 

Aisha: I remember the first time I saw it in previews, and the woman in front of me was like sobbing, shoulders moving, I wanted to be like, ‘Are you ok? It’s going to be fine.’ But I think it’s beautiful to have something that raw and moving on a Broadway stage. When I told my gran that I was doing The Notebook she was like, “I don’t understand, how are they making it a musical? It’s so sad!” And I was like , “It’s actually really beautiful, and it’s raw, and it’s vulnerable and it pulls on the heartstrings,” but I think it gives the audience this sort of release emotionally, and that’s a gift sometimes. Sometimes people don’t release those emotions and allow themselves to go on that journey in their own life. And so, to be able to help them get there through music, and art, and these words, and this story, it’s a gift, for us and for them. It’s special. 

Anna: Piggybacking completely off of everything Aisha said, every night after ‘I Know’ right before ‘Coda’ there is a silence, and you just hear everybody’s collective sobbing. And sometimes they’re sobbing so hard that they start laughing, and they’re all laughing with each other, because we’re all aware that it’s okay now. Like somebody opened the floodgates and everybody’s allowed to cry. It’s so special that for our very first show, our very first experience on Broadway, we get to be a part of something that is this beautiful and is touching so many people’s lives. At the stage door we’re getting to hear from so many people who are going through so much in their own personal lives. And so many people who have stories of relatives with dementia. It’s really cool to know that we’re doing something that’s actively impacting people’s everyday lives. I saw the show very early on and my mom and I were both sobbing together, and honestly, that was such a memorable experience for the two of us, and that was before I even knew I would get to be a part of it. It’s really an honor. 

Benji: This show, I feel like it’s such a complete show, there’s not only so many moments of this beautiful melancholy, but there are so many moments of levity throughout the whole play. This show is so funny, it really is, it takes you through the whole range of emotion. And I think that’s what brings audiences together while we’re watching the show. I had friends come see the show, and it’s a group of boys, and I had one of my friends say, “Yeah man, I really wanted to cry but I wasn’t going to, and then I saw our other friend sobbing and I was like, ‘It’s ok for me to cry now'”. So, it makes it okay, the fact that everyone is going through it together makes people more comfortable to have that reaction.