INTERVIEW: Charles E. Wallace on the emotional power of ‘The Notebook’

Photo: Charles E. Wallace appears in The Notebook on Broadway. Photo courtesy of Lelund Durond Thompson / Provided by BBB with permission.

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There are many universal themes in the Broadway musical The Notebook, which was preceded by the successful book by Nicholas Sparks and the tear-jerker movie starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. There’s romance that spans generations. There’s the complicated nature of falling in love. But perhaps the most salient theme of the story is the tenderness that’s needed when taking care of a loved one. That’s on full display at the Schoenfeld Theatre, where The Notebook is enjoying an open-ended run.

The show follows the travails of Allie and Noah, played by different actors throughout various times of the characters’ lives. Also appearing is Broadway veteran actor Charles E. Wallace, whose roles include Father, Son and Others, meaning he’s on and off stage quite a lot, bringing energy and multiple characterizations to this dramatic tale.

“I didn’t know what The Notebook was when I auditioned for it, and after my initial self-tape audition, then a callback, I watched the movie,” Wallace said in a recent phone interview. “I was like, oh my God. Then I thought, well, this seems like a great story to be a part of, and so when I booked the job, it just felt like it was a story that was worthy of being told and I wanted to be a part of. Plus the fact they had already done it in Chicago, and it seemed as thought it was well-received. I just wanted to be a part of it.”

Wallace called his role of the Son an archetype for the many people who have been in a similar situation of taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia. To help him better understand this character (plus his other ones on stage), he relied on the expertise of the two directors, Michael Greif and Schele Williams, who helped shepherd the musical along. On the creative team, they were joined by Ingrid Michaelson (music and lyrics), Bekah Brunstetter (book) and Katie Spelman (choreography).

“They were very open,” Wallace said of the two directors. “Before we worked on a scene, we’d go to the table with that particular scene and flesh it out in terms of talking about it and getting the perspectives of the directors. So working on it, I mean, I loved the process. It was very open. … And working on the piece was very emotional, too, for me. … We were working on it one day, and the one scene where the younger Allie sings with the older Allie, when we first worked on that, I was a mess. I cried through the whole thing. They were like, ‘Do you want to stop?’ I was like, ‘No, no, let’s keep going. Let’s keep going.’ There were times that each of us had our own breakdown in terms of the topic.”

The experience of having two directors on a theatrical project was a first for Wallace, who has appeared on Broadway in Miss Saigon, Amazing Grace, Smokey Joe’s Cafe and Jekyll & Hyde. “It was a very unique experience and a very fulfilling one at the same time because you get a couple perspectives,” he said. “When I joined the cast, they had already done it in Chicago, and so they had their working relationship down. So it was pretty seamless. I didn’t feel that I needed to listen to one director or the other, or this one had more knowledge; it was just a seamless and coherent process.”

Bringing to life a sad story can be challenging, but Wallace finds renewed energy each time the lights turn on and the actors take the stage. He’s even been asked by friends how he could report to work for eight performances per week and not feel down on himself. This can be trying material, with many in the audience fighting back tears.

“One person asked me, ‘How do you go to work today in a sad story?’ Well, we don’t look at it as a sad story,” the actor said. “It’s a love story, and basically there are so many phases that one goes through in their life within a love story. … We just see that as being a part of life, and we celebrate this wonderful love story.”

Wallace began his performance career in the field of dance. He remembers constantly dancing around the house as a young person, and then he started to take formal training of the art form when in high school. He had an aunt who was also interested in dance, and she inspired him to continue with performance as a professional goal.

“I continued at Michigan State for two years until I transferred to a school in New York because I figured that was the best way to get to New York,” Wallace said. “Then started doing concert work and figured I wanted to do theater. I went to acting school and studied voice. It was one thing after another.”

Another dose of inspiration came when he saw The Wiz in its pre-Broadway run in 1974. That experience was a foundational one and led to a lifelong mentorship by the show’s choreographer, George Faison. To this day, he considers Faison his big brother. “That sort of sparked it,” said Wallace, who is now making good on that inspiration by appearing in yet another celebrated Broadway show.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

The Notebook, featuring Charles E. Wallace, continues at the Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway. Click here for more information and tickets.