Photo: Midge Zuk

As an associate music director, Alex Golden ’17 makes the Broadway production of The Notebook really sing.

At Bucknell, Alex “Goldie” Golden ’17 was always busy — working as an orientation leader, music directing an a cappella group or directing music as part of her senior thesis. “I look back and wonder, ‘Did I sleep?’ ” says Golden, who majored in theatre. That fast-paced schedule prepared her for life as a music director.

“Young music directors tend to take on a lot of far-flung contracts. I‘ve done theatre in Indiana and Massachusetts. I’ve toured with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Mamma Mia!,” says Golden, who has hit most of the continental U.S. while touring on productions. “But all of that adds up. Every job I’ve had has led to the next job, which has now led me to New York City.”

During The Notebook‘s 10-month run on Broadway in 2024, Golden worked as the production‘s associate music director and associate conductor. If there is a dictum that undergirds her work, it is that practice makes perfect.

“It begins with three weeks in the rehearsal room, where I teach music to the actors and act as a liaison with the rest of the creative team,” she says. Then comes tech rehearsal, where she helps integrate design elements — like a scene featuring live rain on stage — and works with the orchestra. When the production went live, Golden attended eight shows weekly. “Even after our 250th show, we were still refining things,” she says.

Golden’s role came full circle when she found herself working alongside composer, singer and songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, who composed The Notebook’s music. “At Bucknell, my a cappella group, Two Past Midnight, performed Ingrid Michaelson songs,” says Golden. “Years later, I was able to translate her new music into the show and teach it to the actors.”