Morissette, Laurence Mossman find their way back to Phl stage for ‘The Notebook’ musical

MANILA, Philippines — “The Notebook: The Musical” will make its international debut in Manila this September, marking two comebacks for its newly announced leads, Morissette and Laurence Mossman: her return to musical theater and his return to the Philippine stage.

The Theater Group Asia (TGA) production finds Morissette rejoining the Philippine musical theater scene 14 years after she made her stage debut in Repertory Philippines’ “Camp Rock: The Musical” in 2012. Since then, the Cebuana singer, dubbed in the industry as “Asia’s Phoenix,” has built her career on recording studios and concert stages here and overseas.

For Filipino-Kiwi Laurence, the show places him once again on the Philippine stage following his work in international theater productions, including the Manila run of “Miss Saigon.”

Together, they will play Middle Allie and Middle Noah in the musical to be mounted at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. The production is considered a milestone as the first stop outside the US for the stage adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ beloved novel and the 2004 hit film.

“Super thrilled,” Morissette said of her first reaction to being cast as Middle Allie.

“I’m a big fan of the books of Nicholas Sparks and then, of course, having watched the movie as well. I think there’s so much love, especially in our country, for ‘The Notebook,’” she further told The Philippine STAR in an exclusive interview.

The offer came at a time when she was also ready for a new chapter in her career.

“I feel like it was fitting because I had also just finished my 15th anniversary concert in the industry and I was also looking for where to go next from doing all that,” Morissette shared.

“I think it was just time to, I guess, return to roots also. I’m just very grateful that I was entrusted with the role and I’m very, very excited. Such a beautiful story. The songs are beautiful, the story is beautiful and I feel like a lot of people will be able to relate to it.”

Laurence said he is just as excited not only about playing the male lead, but also about the fact that the Philippines gets to see the musical’s international premiere.

“The Filipino audience can count themselves very, very lucky that they get to see it first outside of the US,” he said.

“It’s such an exciting work. On top of that, seeing the people who have been cast, it’s literally like the top of the top of Filipino artistry.”

He added, “To have this international premiere here in the Philippines just says a lot about Filipino artistry and the trust that the writers and everyone involved have in the Philippines, as well as TGA.

“Personally, to be able to do this role of Middle Noah in the international premiere is just incredible. I’m excited. I can’t wait.”

Unlike the film version, the stage musical presents Allie and Noah across different stages of their lives, letting audiences see how love changes, endures and deepens over time.

Morissette said she had seen the film years ago and revisited it as part of her preparation.

“I’ve seen the film so long ago and that was part of my preparation also — just watching it again. Now that I’m a grown-up also, like, this is what happens pala,” she said.

“I started with the movie and then I read the book. Just being able to really understand not just Allie, but also Noah, like what they were thinking and what they were going through in specific scenes, it just added a layer to our preparation going into this role.”

Laurence also watched the film when he was younger and is now reading the novel, finding the material different now from when he first encountered it as a teenager.

Of course, the pressure is not lost on both actors. TGA is coming from high-profile musical productions such as “Into the Woods,” “A Chorus Line” and “Request sa Radyo,” but both said the pressure has also become a source of gratitude and inspiration.

Laurence added, “I think the Philippine audience is going to see the best work from us in this wonderful show. It’s a show about love and what better place, what better country to do a show about love than the Philippines?”

For Morissette, doing “The Notebook” allows audiences to see her in another light. A lot has happened in her life as well since she first did musical theater when she was around 15 with “Camp Rock: The Musical” and later did “The Mister Kupido Musical.”

“I think the kind of Morissette that people will see now (is different), just because in the past decade, there’s just been so much that happened. Even my singing style has evolved. I also learned how to better take care of myself, not just physically, but especially vocally.”

She recalled learning the hard way during her early years in the biz that she could not just sing “recklessly.”

“You’re a kid when you’re 15. You’re like, ‘I can do it, I can keep going, I’m literally invincible.’ And then you realize the first show, wala ka nang boses. That happened to me,” she said.

She continued, “I think ultimately also, what I want people to take away from me getting into ‘The Notebook: The Musical’ is also that hindi lang puro birit for me. It’s definitely not just about the high notes.

“I mean, we have songs like that that people will be able to hear, but I feel like for me, I want it to be more the storytelling of it all.

“I’m just excited to be able to show a different kind of performer, a different kind of Morissette out there that people don’t usually see.”

As for Laurence, he said “The Notebook” lets him enter anew the romantic leading man territory after years of taking on very different characters.

“This is my first romantic lead role since ‘Kinky Boots’ (in the 2017 Atlantis production),” he said.

In the 2024 Manila staging of “Miss Saigon,” he noted that he played Thuy, the “kontrabida.”

“So it’s nice to come back to a romantic role and actually just put your heart on your sleeve again. That’s what the audience really relates to,” he said.

Asked about the musical chemistry they will need to build as Allie and Noah, Morissette revealed that she and Laurence had only properly met that day for this STAR interview, although she had previously met him through friends who were part of the “Miss Saigon” cast.

Laurence joked, “In short, we’re still breaking the ice.”

“But I’m just super thrilled to be working with Laurence this way. We’re first time also, but I’m looking forward to learning from you,” she was quick to tell him.

But he said that for intimate scenes and a love story of this kind, the process is built on trust.

“You learn to trust your scene partners. It’s not just you, it’s literally everybody else around it — the intimacy coordinators and things like that — to build the trusting environment for you and your scene partners to do the best work possible,” he said.

“We’ve got that all set up for us. I’m really, really excited and really trusting of the environment to put our hearts on our sleeves and make some really cool choices for ultimately what is going to be a beautiful love story on stage.” — Nathalie Tomada