On Thursday, August 8, 2024, Tony nominee Dorian Harewood of “The Notebook” was bestowed his undergraduate degree from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at Bond 45 in Manhattan.
CCM conferred a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) diploma in Musical Theatre to award-winning actor Dorian Harewood, thus officially recognizing his alumnus status from the University of Cincinnati. He left CCM prior to graduation in 1972 to pursue a job and his first acting role.
In 2024, Harewood earned a Tony nomination for “Best Actor in a Musical” for “The Notebook” for playing “Older Noah.”
“The Notebook: The Musical” producer Kevin McCollum, and a CCM alumnus himself, made the opening remarks, where he praised Harewood.
McCollum stated, “I am fortunate enough to be a part of a show called ‘The Notebook,’ which reminds us that we are only here for so long, and how we influence people and how we build our family and our community, and against all odds create a family.”
“Dorian was a part of the first theatre program at CCM,” McCollum said. “Today, we are here to honor to one of the finest talents we have in the world of entertainment… it took him 47 years to come back to Broadway. When this presentation is over, Dorian will be the oldest graduate of CCM.”
“We think you are amazing to the ninth degree,” McCollum exclaimed.
Joining McCollum in this diploma presentation was Jennifer Heisey, the VP and Chief Alumni Officer of CCM (who presided over the graduation), and Elaine Cox, the Senior Director of Development.
Harewood remarked, “I am very, very honored for this. I am grateful to Kevin for spearheading this and for surprising me with this. I’ve been reflecting on my time at the CCM, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the training I’ve got there has been invaluable to me. I consider ‘The Notebook’ the most unique show on Broadway today.”
Harewood went on to share how he got his start in classical music and musical theatre. “All of that knowledge from CCM has served me well over the years,” he recalled. “This is where I learned how to sing. I am so excited about being back on Broadway and being back on the stage. I love the stage, and I love the theatre. To be here and to have this honor is very humbling to me, so thank you everyone for coming.”
This celebration featured such co-stars from “The Notebook” as Tony winner Maryann Plunkett, Jordan Tyson, and John Cardoza, among other cast members.
Following his diploma presentation, a birthday celebration took place at New York City’s Bond 45, where he blew out the candles of his chocolate birthday cake. This made the occasion even more special and sweeter.
“We are so proud of him graduating,” Jordan Tyson said. “His work is so simple and honest but also off-stage, he is the same, and that is what I strive to be like. Simple and living in the moment.”
“It took him a while, but we are super proud of him. We are very excited for him. We love Dorian so any time we get to celebrate him is a good day,” John Cardoza added.
On playing the “Younger Noah” character (opposite Harewood’s Older Noah character), Cardoza said, “Dorian is one of the most gifted actors I’ve ever had the joy of sharing personal space with, so to learn every day from somebody who has such breadth of experience is just incredible.”
“Everything Dorian does is deep, nuanced, and honest. Dorian is what you strive for,” Cardoza exclaimed.
To learn more about “The Notebook” musical, check out its official website.
