Left to right: A screengrab from the 2004 movie 'The Notebook, a selfie of Ingrid Michaelson (Photo credit: New Line Cinema/Ingrid Michaelson's social media account
Singer and composer Ingrid Michaelson will star in a one-time solo show after the end of an upcoming performance of The Notebook on Broadway in New York. The show will feature songs from her latest album, For The Dreamers, her first album in five years.
Ingrid Michaelson wrote the music and lyrics for the hit Broadway show The Notebook, and will hit the stage to perform four songs, including some from the new album, which will be released on August 23. The Notebook hit the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre stage for audiences in March 2024, earning mixed reviews. One critic says, “But you’re way more likely to fall asleep than feel emotional as this musical is bogged down in its own sentimentality. The songs often feel tedious and monotonous rather than cathartic or emotional.”
Before Broadway came calling, The Notebook started as a best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks, released in 1996. It follows the lives of Noah and Allie through the 1940s as young teens who fall in love and document their ups and downs in their decades-long romance. Known as a tear-jerker, the story ends with the main characters growing old together.
The Notebook was made into a 2004 movie starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, which audiences and critics alike both loved. The movie brought in a gross total of $115 million worldwide and is the 15th highest-grossing romantic drama of all time.
Speaking about having the chance to write for such a classic love story brought to life onstage, Ingrid Michelson said in an interview, “The story sings to me so perfectly. I actually started writing that very night of the first meeting, before I even had the job! I cannot wait for the world to hear theses characters come to life in a musical way.”
Prior to her forthcoming album, she had an impressive resume to tout. One of her biggest hits, The Way I Am, was released in 2006 and spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. She has since released eight studio albums and has also written songs for television shows.
There is a bit of a connection happening between Broadway show and pop music. Before Ingrid Michelson’s efforts with The Notebook, another fellow pop singer used her talents for Broadway. Sara Bareilles, known mostly for her infectious mid-2000s hit Love Song, wrote the score for the 2016 musical Waitress. Waitress is a story about a woman working in a diner dealing with an abusive husband. The play was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Original Score.
The Notebook is currently on Broadway. The touring company will hit the road in September 2025 for its first North American Tour. The first stop is Cleveland, Ohio, at the Playhouse Square.