At just 24 years old, actress, singer, and dancer Joy Woods is flourishing in what she calls her most meaningful role to date. The rising Chicago performer, who grew up surrounded by theater arts, is best known for previous stints in shows like Broadway’s “Six” and the Off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Today, she’s one of three leading ladies in the Broadway musical rendition of “The Notebook.” 

Based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel that also inspired the timeless 2004 classic starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, Broadway’s “The Notebook” follows an epic romance between star-crossed lovers Allie and Noah at three different points in their lives (each portrayed by three different actors). Coming from different worlds, the two try to hold onto a lifetime of love as forces threaten to pull them apart. The new production, which opened at New York’s Schoenfeld Theatre on March 14, features Woods as Middle Allie, a role that, despite nerves, she’s building from scratch for its first-ever turn on stage.

“I wasn't replacing [anyone], and it wasn't a revival of anything. It was something that I had to really trust myself that I could bring to life on my own,” Woods tells BET.com of originating the Broadway part she was initially “scared” to take on. “It was a lot of proving to myself that I could do it, and it feels like I'm doing it.”

When Woods got the call to join “The Notebook’s" Broadway cast — which includes John Cardoza (Younger Noah), Ryan Vasquez (Middle Noah), Dorian Harewood (Older Noah), Jordan Tyson (Younger Allie), and Maryann Plunkett (Older Allie) — she wasn’t sure she had the life experience or knowledge to pull off Middle Allie’s story. She hadn’t even seen the movie adaptation until the day before rehearsals. “I felt way too young to be playing the role,” Woods admits. “I knew that she was in a completely different place in her life, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it justice.”

In the time between “The Notebook”’s critically acclaimed stage debut in Chicago in the fall of 2022 and its official Broadway opening, Woods is confident she’s “done a little more growing up” to prepare for her biggest role yet. Spending time with her character and having conversations with her, she says, helped her “learn more about [Allie] through living my own life.” “It's nice to have her as almost a role model in a way because she gets an opportunity to step into her womanhood and personhood every night, and that's something I'm still working on doing myself,” Woods remarks. “I'm only 24. I've got life ahead of me. I know that I am not perfect, and I step on toes and say the wrong things all the time, but it's really affirming to know that someone like her, who does the same things, is capable and deserving of a life that I kind of want too.”

It took Woods some time to find the more personal connections in “The Notebook,” like Allie’s “elegance and regality” that reminds her of her upbringing. The actress’ first impression of watching the beloved love story on screen was seeing a cast of “all white folks” portray a tear-jerking romance. It was gripping, but it didn’t quite resonate with her. “I was like, ‘This is a beautiful story, but I don't really see how this applies to me other than the idea of love and loss,’” Woods notes. It’s not until her Broadway production boldly tapped a racially diverse cast for its leads that Woods realized how unique and universal the story could become.

“I didn't think anything of the casting until I heard criticisms about it,” she notes of Black actors playing Younger and Middle Allie and Older Noah, while white actors portray Younger and Middle Noah and Older Allie. The actress says it was “easy to brush off” negative comments from critics that weren’t “based in anything other than judgment or hate.” Focusing on the production’s sole mission “opened up so much freedom to not adhere to what the book or the movie did,” but rather “play into the humanity of the show.” “Maybe I'm just a diehard theater girl,” says Woods, “but the idea of suspending this belief [of race], following a story, and trusting that these people are going to do their job and play the soul of one person throughout their lives, that's something that I really resonated with and trusted.”

Allowing audiences, no matter the color of their skin, to see a bit of themselves in Allie and Noah’s heartbreaking tale on Broadway is something Woods found “really, really relieving and freeing.” She hopes that she and others alike can inspire this trend of diverse casting for historically white-led roles to continue for Black women and all women of color looking to break glass ceilings. In turn, perhaps we’ll see more actors of color simply exist in their work without audiences fixating on their skin. “I'm looking forward to seeing more stories that include us without having to include a sort of trauma porn in that kind of way,” Woods says.

Woods’ Broadway run with “The Notebook” is a notable career milestone so far for a few reasons. Not only has she reached leading lady status, but she’s also checked another achievement off her list: recording an original cast album. On April 19, “The Notebook (Original Broadway Cast Recording)” dropped, featuring music and lyrics by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. The album includes Woods’ emotional highlight, “My Days,” a track about looking back on life and believing it was lived as fiercely and fully as possible. “[It’s] such a special song,” Woods gushes. “I feel so honored to be able to sing it every night.”

Recording her song and others with her castmates was an even more exceptional experience for the actress, one she embraced wholeheartedly. “The tradition of recording Broadway albums is that you do it the Monday after opening,” Woods says. “So boy, were we tired, but we pulled through. And it was good. We had a listening party last Sunday, and it was so affirming to hear everything that we know the album and the show is. I couldn't even bring myself to cry. I was just so happy and proud to be affirmed in that way.”

Woods is betting more opportunities like “The Notebook” will find her in the future. While the actress’ latest Broadway gig is well underway, her career is still just getting started. Her aspirations include more stage productions, some of which she hopes will incorporate the dance background she developed in her youth. “I have to stretch a little,” she laughs, “but I hope I can be ready when that [time] comes. And I hope that that part of me can be recognized soon and that I can get back to that part of myself and be able to share that with people.” 

The camera-shy stage star also hopes an onscreen project or two will eventually come into her life. For now, though, she’s embracing anything life lays before her, as she understands timing isn’t always up to her. “The universe has other plans for me that I never see coming every single time,” says Woods. “What happens in that respect will happen.”

Tickets for “The Notebook” on Broadway are available now. The official Broadway cast recording album is also available on streaming.