Ryan Vasquez. Photo Credit: Ben Rivera.
Actor and singer Ryan Vasquez chatted about starring in “The Notebook” musical on Broadway.
Vasquez plays the “Middle Noah” opposite Joy Woods who portrays the “Middle Allie.”
“The Notebook” musical is directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, and it features music and lyrics by multi-platinum-selling pop singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. It is based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. It is being performed at the Schoenfeld Theatre.
Vasquez on portraying Middle Noah
On playing Middle Noah, he said, “It’s great. It has been a long journey, of course, to it, but it has been very special.”
“What is nice about the role and the show is that it’s really three-dimensional and deeply human,” he said.
“Middle Noah really has it all, like we do as people. Middle Noah is funny, wounded, and complex. It is nice because it is raising the bar in terms of what it means to be a leading man or person in a show now,” he added.
“When you come to see our show, ‘The Notebook’ is a story about the human experience and human life. Not all tears are sad, there is a lot of joy and wistful remembering, and they have done an excellent job with that,” he elaborated.
“The show is funny and full of life. It is not weepy in the way people would assume. Neither is the book and neither is the movie. It really is a deep story about life, loss, and love. It’s not just your typical love story,” he acknowledged.
“Now, we are able to see colors of people and really look into the nuance of what it means to be a fully fledged person. I’ve been grateful for that because it is not limiting in any way,” he added.
‘Leave the Light On’ song
Vasquez complimented “Leave the Light On,” where he sings the lead vocals, for being a “gorgeous song.”
“I really think that the musical score is the lifeblood of the show,” he admitted. “I am excited for the album to come out on April 19. I think that will really bring in folks to theatre, so that will be exciting.”
Ingrid Michaelson as a musical composer on Broadway
“It has been amazing getting to work with Ingrid,” he said about composer Ingrid Michaelson who is making her Broadway debut in this capacity.
“It is great to see a lot of pop artists writing scores for musical theatre. It’s not necessarily a jukebox show; it’s a real full score that Ingrid wrote, and I hope that is able to bring more folks into the musical theatre again,” he elaborated.
Working with Joy Woods
On working with Joy Woods as his female love interest (Middle Allie) on the show, he said, “It’s awesome. Joy is amazing. She is so grounded, and she keeps the show nice and human. It’s not over the top, and it’s a gorgeous performance. To see somebody up-and-coming in that way is really exciting.”
Working with Dorian Harewood as the Older Noah
Vasquez had great words about veteran actor Dorian Harewood as the “Older Noah,” who makes his Broadway return for the first time in 46 years. “It has been an education to work with Dorian and with Maryann [Plunkett],” Vasquez said. “Some folks have their DNA in these roles, so to be able to share this role with Dorian has been beautiful too.”
“While we are working alone, to make these people whole, we are able to lean on each other and collaborate in what the role is going to be, so that’s great,” he added.
Working with John Cardoza as the Younger Noah
“John [Cardoza] is incredible as well,” he said. “What is cool about this show is while we are each making an individual person, where Allie and Noah are unique in these three areas of their lives, just like we are as people, and we are always growing.”
“So, we are really able to approach and be our full authentic selves in those sections of the show but it is great to inhabit the same space together because we are able to learn from each other’s mannerisms and attitudes, and we’ve made one big coherent person as a group, so it has been nice to be able to do that as a team,” he elaborated.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, he said, “I very much see the harms of social media and the digital age. I see them as prevalent, especially with the younger generation. The digital age has brought an element of accessibility, where it has brought people to our world, and it inspires people to come and see productions, which is exciting.”
“The digital age has its pros and cons,” he admitted. “One thing that I really love about live theatre is that it really requires you to sit and be in community with other people and be physically there with the actors that are on stage with you.”
“There is no escaping it through an infinite scroll or an app that you can be distracted by, so it’s a nice reprieve from the digital world, especially to be able to sit down in a theatre, and I am thrilled for that,” he elaborated.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Find what makes you unique, and lean into those things. Nobody will ever be you. I am grateful that I get to show many parts of myself in ‘The Notebook’ and it’s not because I’m trying to be Ryan Gosling or I’m trying to recreate some performance. I am able to be myself and those are the moments that spark. There is beauty in the individuality.”
‘Water for Elephants’ in Atlanta, Georgia
Vasquez also recalled doing “Water for Elephants” at the Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. “I really enjoyed that, and I still have many friends that are in the show right now that is being performed at the Imperial Theatre,” he admitted.
“This is emblematic of the fact that Broadway is really back, and we are in this boom of shows. There are over 10 new musicals coming to Broadway this year, and that’s exciting. We’ve been pushing the narrative, and it really does feel celebratory in this way,” he added.
Wade McCollum
Vasquez opened up about working with actor Wade McCollum. “Wade is so great, such a talent and he is so smart,” he said. “From Atlanta to now, he has really flushed out that character, and he humanizes him with needs and traumas. He is so intelligent. Wade has been a huge part in humanizing that character, so I really look up to Wade.”
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, Vasquez shared, “Being in ‘Hamilton’ was such an experience. It showed me the reach that theater could have and the responsibility of that. I’m really proud of the jobs that I’ve taken (such as ‘Wicked,’ ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Waitress’), and the impact that those shows have had.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Vasquez said, “Blooming.”
“It has been such a long road to open this show, and the opening of this show corresponds with so many other things. It’s a reopening of the world, in a way. The show is about how you spend your time and how you spend your days.”
“Now, to be able to share ‘The Notebook’ story with the world is very special,” he admitted.
Dream collaboration partners in Broadway
He noted that there are many people that he would love to someday work with on Broadway, one of which is actor and singer Christian Borle, whom he loves and respects. “Our community is small. You get to overlap with most people, which is nice,” he admitted.
Vasquez had great words about Tony winner Danny Burstein. “Danny is such a talent as well,” he said. “Danny is so incredible.”
Superpower of choice
His superpower of choice would be “to facilitate community building.”
Favorite motto to live by
On his favorite motto to live by, Vasquez said, “Be yourself because everyone else is taken.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Vasquez said, “Having happiness and being stress-free.”
Closing thoughts about ‘The Notebook’
For his fans and viewers, he concluded about “The Notebook” musical, “It’s a way to come and to be moved. We see so much for entertainment’s sake now and I think ‘The Notebook’ is a place to go to have a cathartic experience and be moved by the possibilities of life. It’s a profound experience if you let it be.”
To learn more about “The Notebook” on Broadway, visit its official website.
For more information on Broadway performer Ryan Vasquez, follow him on Instagram.