‘Water for Elephants’ Delights Broadway Audiences Musical-Meets-Circus Extravaganza

Water for Elephants, an extravagant circus-meets-musical, premiered at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. This production, a collaboration between Rick Elice, who wrote the book, and PigPen Theatre Co., which was responsible for the score, marks the impressive Broadway debut.

Adapted from Sara Gruen‘s novel, Water for Elephants follows the story of Jacob Jankowski (played by Gregg Edelman), a retired veterinarian drawn to the circus. As the crew dismantles the set, Jacob lingers, and quizzical workers discover that he found his purpose at the circus after he fled his final exams at Cornell.

Grant Gustin portrays the younger Jacob, who, amid the Great Depression, hops aboard a train with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The Benzinis faced financial ruin in 1929, and their new owner, August Rachinger (Paul Alexander Nolan), is yet to redefine the circus’s identity. Initially, August contemplates whether or not to throw Jacob off the train, but when he learns of his Ivy League background, he has a change of heart.

Jacob is entrusted with the care of Silver Star (Antoine Boissereau), a beloved show horse and the favorite of headliner Marlena (Isabelle McCalla), who happens to be August’s wife. The love triangle unfolds in the precarious state of the circus as it teeters on the edge of bankruptcy.

Under the masterful direction of Jessica Stone, whose production premiered at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre last summer, Water for Elephants integrates real circus acts into the narrative, guided by the astute expertise of Shana Carroll. Roustabouts skillfully hammer stakes into the ground and juggle heavy mallets. Performers leap and dive over ropes. Boissereau delivers a heart-wrenching portrayal of Silver Star’s battle for survival through a poignant aerial act.

While Broadway has previously put on circus-themed productions, such as the (poorly received) adaptation of The Little Prince, Water for Elephants distinguishes itself as it weaves every stunt into the fabric of the story crafted by Elice and PigPen.

Takeshi Kata‘s set, reminiscent of scaffolding on castors, allows for seamless transitions that vividly convey the circus’s movement from one town to another via train (enhanced by David Bengali‘s projections). Lighting designer Bradley King employs sharp angles and dreamy saturation, as the story as it progresses through Jacob’s memories.

Water for Elephants is a frontrunner for the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical and stands as the finest new musical on Broadway.

Water For Elephants is now playing at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. Get tickets here.

The publisher receives a commission through recommended links in this content.