Long before they were cast as Older Noah and Older Allie, Rody Vera and Celeste Legaspi already knew something about the joys and heartbreaks at the heart of The Notebook. 

DAILY TRIBUNE recently sat down with the theater veterans, who will portray the beloved couple in Theatre Group Asia’s international premiere of The Notebook, The Musical, opening in September at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. Joining them in the multi-generational production are Morissette and Laurence Mossman as Middle Allie and Middle Noah, and Sheena Belarmino and Benedix Ramos as their younger counterparts.

For Legaspi, 76, an OPM icon and titan of Filipino musical theater, the story’s themes of memory and loss strike a deeply personal chord.

“I cried,” she recalled of watching the 2004 film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The story reminded her of her mother’s decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, an experience that now informs her complex portrayal of Older Allie.

“Does she know that she’s old?” Legaspi said of her character, Older Allie. “Does she realize that she’s old? Because she has Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t know that she’s old.”

The role also resonates with her as someone who has spent more than five decades with the same partner, anchoring the show’s epic romance in raw authenticity.

“I’ve been married to my husband for 52 years,” she said. “Love changes through the years. I know that. Young love is so different from love at 50. Oh God, it’s so different.”

For award-winning playwright Vera, 65, the strongest connection comes from Noah’s grueling role as caregiver.

“Celeste says she has a strong affinity with the role because of her mother. For me, I latched onto it because of the caregiver aspect,” he said.

Having cared for someone who depended on him, the award-winning playwright understands the deep emotional complexity behind Noah’s unyielding devotion.

“I’ve had experience — not with Alzheimer’s — but with really taking care of a person who needed to be taken care of,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s not that easy.”

What appeals to him most is that the story acknowledges the burden often carried by caregivers behind closed doors.

“Usually what’s shown is the suffering of the patient. But the suffering and experience of the caregiver — and especially in this particular case, the husband caring for his wife — that’s the biggest appeal for me.”

Adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, The Notebook, The Musical solidified its critical-darling status on Broadway, earning three Tony Award nominations in 2024 and a Grammy nomination for its lush score. The production explores love across a lifetime through three distinct generations of Noah and Allie.

Despite their decades of experience, both actors admit they still feel the pressure of taking on such iconic roles.

“There are higher expectations,” Vera said.

“Higher expectations. And I have a name to protect,” Legaspi added with a laugh.

Part of what eases those nerves is their confidence in Theatre Group Asia. Vera, who previously appeared in TGA’s Into the Woods, praised the company’s collaborative environment.

“I’ve been part of a TGA production before, and I love the process,” he said. “It’s very professional. I find it’s a safe space for an actor or performer.”

Legaspi is equally enthusiastic about the production’s ambitious staging.

“I like the way the script is put together, and I’m looking forward to the mounting,” she said. “The technical aspects today are much more advanced.”

When rehearsals begin in August, Vera and Legaspi will bring more than years of stage experience to The Notebook. They will also draw from lives that have already acquainted them with many of the story’s deepest truths about memory, caregiving and enduring love.