Write this down: The Notebook has arrived on Broadway.
That's right, the musical adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' book has found a new home at New York's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with John Cardoza stepping into the role of a young Noah Calhoun.
And although the part was made famous on the big screen by Ryan Gosling—who starred alongside Rachel McAdams in the beloved 2004 film—Cardoza is bringing a fresh take on the character to the Great White Way.
"There is a sense of pressure there," he recently told E! News. "That being said, once we got into the rehearsal room, I tried to distance myself from the film as much as possible because I wanted to mitigate any temptation to imitate."
"And the show really is its own piece," Cardoza noted, "and it's so different from what's happening in the film that I was able to release a bit of that. And the team was so encouraging of bringing our own life experience to these roles, it kind of just seamlessly happened."
As the Boston Conservatory at Berklee graduate pointed out, he and Gosling both had the same source material—Sparks' 1996 novel—to work with. However, since the two actors have "lived two different lives," it allowed them to bring their own spin on the character.
Though Cardoza—who stars opposite actress Jordan Tyson as Young Allie—assured fans that an important part of the love story remains intact.
"People coming to see the show will be happy to know that the heartbeat of the piece is very much the same, but it is through the lens of different lived experiences," Cardoza told E!. "So it's gonna be a fresh new take on something really beloved."
Cardoza—who originated the role of Younger Noah when The Notebook musical made its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2022—actually portrays the youngest of three versions of the character in the musical, while fellow star Ryan Vasquez plays Middle Noah and Dorian Harewood takes on the part of Older Noah. Meanwhile, actress Joy Woods portrays Middle Allie and Maryann Plunkett plays Older Allie.
"Something that theater can do that a novel or a film can't is that we do have three different couples all playing the same characters," Cardoza shared. "And you see them at the different stages in their life, three very pivotal moments in their life. And what makes it such a successful theatrical device is the past and present are able to really interact with each other in real time in front of you, it's very visceral."
"I think when you get to the end of the story, you'll notice that you've taken a very similar cathartic journey as you would have from reading the novel or seeing the movie but you've experienced it in a very fresh way," he continued. "And you've heard it from the minds of Bekah Brunstetter and Ingrid Michaelson who are both these two incredible, poetic women."
Cardoza also praised playwright Brunstetter and Michaelson—who supplied the music and lyrics for the show—for allowing him to feel an extra special connection to his character.
"My mom passed away a few years ago, she passed away in 2020," he shared. "And one of the greatest gifts of this show is that my character starts off the show talking about the loss of his mother and his bond with her through music, which is not at all unsimilar to my experience with my own mother."
"So I've been able to carry her onstage with me every night in the most special way," he continued. "And I'm so grateful to Becca and Ingrid for writing the show that way and making her so present in everything that he does."
Tickets for The Notebook musical are available now.
Before you head to Broadway, revisit these behind-the-scenes secrets from the 2004 movie.