Our annual Segerstrom at the Frida series showcases films that inspired upcoming stage adaptations at OC’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts! Join us as our 2025 series continues with 2004 tearjerker The Notebook!

Directed by Nick Cassavetes and based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook tells the decades-spanning love story of Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams), two young lovers from different social worlds who fall deeply for one another during a summer in the 1940s. Their bond is tested by class divides, war, and the passage of time, but through it all, Noah remains steadfast in his devotion. Framed by an elderly man reading their story from a notebook to a woman in a nursing home, the film explores memory, endurance, and the transformative power of love. Highlighted by lush cinematography and sweeping emotion, The Notebook has become a hallmark of early 2000s romantic cinema.

“a love story for the ages”- The New York Daily News

You’ve seen the movie —  now experience the stage adaptation of The Notebook, coming to Segerstrom Center for the Arts January 27 – February 8, 2026!  Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, The Notebook tells the story of Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. “Full of butterfly-inducing highs and beautiful songs” (Entertainment Weekly), The Notebook is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.

The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (The Wiz, Aida), and features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s “This Is Us”), and choreography by Katie Spelman.

Visit scfta.org/events/2026/the-notebook for info and tickets!