Nicholas Sparks, one of the most beloved romance novelists of all time, has revealed news that his hit-selling novel, The Notebook, will head to Broadway as a musical.

The playwright and “This Is Us” supervising producer Bekah Brunstetter will write the book and Ingrid Michaelson, known for songs “Girls Chase Boys” and “You and I,” will handle music and lyrics. Kevin McCollum, known for producing plays like “Avenue Q” and “In The Heights,” and Kurt Deutsch, founder of Sh-K-Boom and Ghostlight Records, will produce the play in association with Sparks, Deadline reports.

“I am thrilled to work with Bekah and Ingrid in order to make The Notebook a reality on Broadway,” Sparks said of the announcement. “They are amazingly talented, and obviously, the story is near and dear to my heart.”

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The 1996 novel, which was turned into a film in 2004 and starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, is set in the 1940’s, following the love story between Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton. After spending a summer together falling in love, the pair are split apart when Allie moves away. It isn’t until years later that the duo reconnect and Allie must make a choice between her fiancee and long lost lover.

Brunsetter explained that when she first heard the idea that The Notebook could become a musical, she was “instantly drawn to the idea.”

“The story hits home for me in two big ways: it takes place in my home state of North Carolina, and Alzheimer’s runs deep in my family,” Brunsetter said. “I was sent a few songs Ingrid had already written for it, and that week, I spent my drives to and from work car-listening, memorizing, imagining the story unfold with music, imagining how I might layer worlds, dramatize memory, and before I even knew that I had to write the book for this, it was already starting to happen in my head.”

Michaelson said she had loved the movie and the story for years and the thought that she could turn this love story into music “overwhelmed” her.

“The concept of unending devotion and love wrapped up in memory and family is something very close to my own personal life,” she said. “The story sings to me so perfectly. I actually started writing that very night of the first meeting, before I even had the job! I cannot wait for the world to hear these characters come to life in a musical way.”

Additional creative team members and the production timeline has not been announced at this time.

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