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Water for Elephants Review:

The Circus Has Officially Taken Over Portland!

Tickets available at www.BroadwayinPortland.com

Every once in a while, I walk into a Broadway show thinking I have a pretty good idea of what I’m about to see.

Water for Elephants was NOT one of those shows.

I knew the basic story. I knew there was a circus. I knew there would be music and some acrobatics.

What I did not expect was to spend half the night wondering, “HOW are they doing that?” while simultaneously getting completely sucked into the story.

Water for Elephants is beautiful, emotional, romantic, a little dark, and absolutely packed with those big WOW moments that make seeing a Broadway show live so much fun.

Based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, the story follows Jacob Jankowski, a young man whose life changes dramatically after losing his parents. With essentially nothing left, he jumps aboard a passing train—which just happens to belong to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.

And, well… things get complicated from there.

There’s a struggling circus, a beautiful performer, a rather unpleasant husband, some questionable decisions, a love story and, of course, Rosie the elephant.

Basically, all the ingredients needed for a perfectly normal Tuesday night in Portland.

The Cast Was Fantastic

Zachary Keller plays young Jacob Jankowski, and he gives Jacob exactly the right combination of innocence, determination and vulnerability. You immediately understand why this young man, who has basically had his entire life ripped out from underneath him, would grab onto this strange little circus family and not want to let go.

Then there’s Helen Krushinski as Marlena, and WOW.

She has a gorgeous voice, but what I loved most was that she brought much more to Marlena than simply being “the love interest.” There is a strength and sadness underneath her character that makes you genuinely root for her.

One of the most beautiful moments of the entire show comes during “Easy,” when Marlena sings while Silver Star, her horse, is represented through an incredible aerial performance. It is one of those scenes where the music, movement and storytelling come together so beautifully that the entire theater seems to get quiet at once.

Connor Sullivan as August also deserves some serious credit because he manages to be charismatic, intimidating and increasingly unsettling—which is exactly what August needs to be. There were definitely moments when I wanted someone to accidentally launch him out of the circus cannon.

And Robert Tully as the older Jacob gives the story its heart. Water for Elephants is ultimately being told through Jacob’s memories, and having his older self looking back at this extraordinary chapter of his life adds a layer to the story I wasn’t expecting.

Can We Talk About the Acrobatics?!

This is where Water for Elephants separates itself from just about every other Broadway musical I’ve seen.

The circus performers are RIDICULOUS.

And I mean that in the best possible way.

People are flying through the air, balancing on each other, climbing ropes, flipping, tumbling and being tossed around the stage while I’m sitting comfortably in my seat thinking I deserve an award when I successfully get out of bed without pulling something.

The circus choreography is woven right into the story, so it never feels like the musical suddenly stops so someone can perform a trick.

Instead, the acrobatics actually become part of the language of the show.

There were several moments where you could literally hear the audience gasp.

And that’s one of my favorite things about live theater. You can watch incredible things on TV all day long, but there is something completely different about watching someone fly through the air 30 feet in front of you and realizing there is no rewind button if this goes badly.

And Then There Are the Animals…

I wasn’t quite sure how they were going to pull this part off.

Because obviously Water for Elephants needs an elephant.

And I’m fairly certain Keller Auditorium has a strict no actual elephants backstage policy, lol.

The puppetry ended up being one of my favorite parts of the entire production.

Rather than trying to hide the performers controlling the animals, the show lets you see how the illusion is being created—and somehow your brain very quickly stops paying attention to the humans and starts seeing the animal.

Rosie’s entrance is especially magical.

She isn’t simply rolled onto the stage as a giant elephant puppet. The production lets her slowly come to life, piece by piece, right in front of the audience.

It’s clever, whimsical and surprisingly emotional.

The same goes for Silver Star, Marlena’s horse. The combination of puppetry and human movement creates something that feels much more alive than I expected.

The Costumes & Set Pull You Straight Into the 1930s

Visually, this show is gorgeous.

The costumes have that slightly worn, Depression-era traveling-circus feel rather than looking overly polished or costume-y, which makes the whole world feel much more believable.

There is also an incredible amount of engineering hidden inside what looks like simple period clothing because these performers still need to flip, climb and fly through the air in it.

The set works the same way.

Instead of trying to literally build an entire circus onstage, the production uses lighting, projections, rigging, movement and relatively simple pieces to let your imagination fill in the rest.

One minute you’re looking at a train.

The next you’re backstage at a circus.

Then suddenly the entire stage feels like the big top.

There is always something happening.

What About the Music?

The music and lyrics are by PigPen Theatre Co., and the score has a folksy, Americana sound that fits the Depression-era circus setting perfectly.

This isn’t necessarily the kind of musical where every song is designed to become a giant radio hit. Instead, the music feels like part of the world you’re watching.

Songs like “The Road Don’t Make You Young,” “Anywhere/Another Train,” “Easy” and “I Choose the Ride” help move the story along while still giving the performers some really beautiful moments.

And personally, I think that’s exactly what this show needs.

There is already so much happening visually that the music doesn’t need to fight for attention with someone doing a backflip 15 feet in the air.

More Than Just a Circus Show

Here’s what surprised me most.

For all the spectacle—and there is a LOT of spectacle—Water for Elephants actually has a lot of heart.

Underneath the circus tents, elephants and acrobatics is a story about losing the life you thought you were going to have and finding the courage to choose another one.

It’s about grief.

Starting over.

Finding your people.

Falling in love.

And realizing that sometimes the completely unexpected detour becomes the part of your life that matters most.

That theme hit harder than I expected.

Is Water for Elephants Worth Seeing?

Absolutely.

Especially if you’re looking for a Broadway show that feels different.

Go for the story.

Go for the music.

Go for the gorgeous costumes and staging.

But seriously…

GO FOR THE ACROBATICS.

I cannot emphasize this enough.

There are moments in Water for Elephants that you simply cannot appreciate the same way on a screen. You need to be sitting in that theater when someone launches themselves into the air and 3,000 people collectively forget to breathe.

It’s part Broadway musical, part love story, part circus and part “WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I JUST WATCH THAT PERSON DO?”

And somehow it all works.

Water for Elephants is one of those shows that reminds you why live theater is so special.

It’s imaginative, visually stunning, surprisingly touching and just plain FUN.

If the circus is coming to your town, grab your tickets, take your seat and enjoy the ride.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll walk out wondering two things:

1. How did they make that elephant feel so real?

and

2. Why can I suddenly not stop thinking that taking an aerial silks class sounds like a reasonable life decision?

(It isn’t. I’m staying safely on the ground.)

Tickets will be available at www.BroadwayinPortland.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

The performance schedule for the Portland engagement of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is:

Tuesday, September 29 7:30 pm

Wednesday, September 30 7:30 pm

Thursday, October 1 7:30 pm – ASL performance

Friday, October 2 7:30 pm – Audio Described performance

Saturday, October 3 2 pm and 7:30 pm

Sunday, October 4 1 pm and 6:30 pm – Open Captioned performance

For more information please visit: www.waterforelephantsthemusical.com

#W4EMusical #ChooseTheRide #WaterForElephantsMusical

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