Quote of the Day: After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age. Press blurb for Water for Elephants, National Broadway Tour, with a stop at the Orpheum in Minneapolis, MN through March 8, 2026. 

The cast of Water for Elephants, National Tour, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Water for Elephants is a gorgeous circus-themed show about memory, love, integrity, and discovery. Based on the novel by Sara Gruen and the 2011 film adaptation by Richard LeGravenese, the story is told as a memory by the main character Jacob Jankowski. In the opening scene, he is in a retirement home. When he hears that the circus is coming through town, he goes out to see it. He connects with a couple of the performers and starts to tell his story. The set, lighting, and tone shifts into his memories and the Benzini Bros. circus of 1931 comes to life! Robert Tully plays the older Mr. Jankowski, and  Zachary Keller plays the younger Jacob Jankowski. The two actors do a beautiful job of tag-teaming the story. The creators of the show seamlessly weave us through the two time periods. 

Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushiniski, and Zachary Keller in Water for Elephants, National Tour, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

For the performance that I saw on Tuesday night, understudy Zakeyia Lacey performed the role of Marlena, and she was fantastic. I didn’t even know it was the understudy until the show was over. She gave an endearing, heartfelt performance, and had wonderful chemistry with Keller (young Jacob). They had a special tenderness to their performance. The scene that won my heart was when Jacob (who had studied to be a vet) noticed that Marlena’s show horse Star has become lame. He delivers the devastating news that the only humane thing to do is to put him down. Her song, “Easy,” is gorgeous. They depicted the horse through puppetry and an actor/aerial acrobat. As she was singing her good-bye to her beloved horse, he roles up in the ribbon, suspended above the stage and drops to gasps and maybe even some tears from the audience. 

Helen Krushinisi, Robert Tully, Zachary Keller, and Yves Artieres in Water for Elephants National Tour, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Helen Krushinisi, Robert Tully, Zachary Keller, and Yves Artieres in Water for Elephants National Tour, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

It takes a special kind of performer for a production of Water for Elephants. Many of them are trained circus performers who do various circus acts on stage to help tell the story, so cues and timing, blocking, all of it must be precise. They are also musical theater actors who sing, dance, and act. My friend Joanna said they aren’t just the triple-threat, they’re quadruple-threat actors! (And probably more, as they are all tremendously talented and expertly trained.) They also have use of puppetry like the horse I described above, a giraffe, a dog, and the elephant – that was brilliant. Rosie, the elephant, is represented by her ears, at first, as an actor holds them up to the sides of her head while standing on the shoulders of another actor/acrobat. When she is learning her tricks, they have a fascinating moment of bringing in each of her large legs, to the beat of the music, and the words sung or spoken. And, there are also moments where she is the gorgeous gentle creature in her entirety, and I don’t know how many people are her puppeteers. It was all so magical and wonderful.

Helen Krushinisi, Zachary Keller, and Ella Huestis in Water for Elephants National Tour, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Connor Sullivan plays the mean ringmaster August, who abuses both his wife and the elephant. Javier Garcia plays an endearing Camel (his name, not the animal) and has a wonderful singing voice as well. Grant Huneycutt is good as the sometimes scary henchman of the circus, but has his moments of connection, and his singing was great. Tyler West was hilarious as Walter, the clown. He had some great bits that added some much needed comic relief. The entire cast is tremendous. 

All of the elements in this musical must be precise in order for it to work. The standing ovation goes to the entire cast, crew, and creative team. I appreciated that the stage hands popped out at the curtain call to receive their much earned applause. The live orchestra, led by Sarah Pool Wilhelm, is gorgeous. Instruments include harmonica, strings of all sorts – mandolin, bango, guitar – percussion, a bit of brass and reeds, and keys, of course. It had a bluegrass/folk feel in much of it, as it is set in the 1930’s, circus inspired songs, and big band. It was fantastic. Original Director is Jessica Stone, Tour Director is Ryan Emmons. Here is the list of the creative team from the press release:

*Water for Elephants features circus design by Tony Award nominee Shana Carroll (The 7 Fingers), choreography by Tony Award nominees Jesse Robb (Miss Saigon) and Shana Carroll, scenic design by Drama Desk Award winner Takeshi Kata (Clyde’s), costume design by David I. Reynoso (Sleep No More), lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Bradley King (Hadestown), sound design by Tony Award nominee Walter Trarbach (Spongebob Squarepants), projections by two-time Tony Award nominee David Bengali (Good Night, and Good Luck), hair & makeup design by Luc Verschueren/Campbell Young Associates (A Beautiful Noise), puppet design by Ray Wetmore & JR Goodman, Camille Labarre (Into the Woods), puppet direction by Joshua Holden, music supervision and arrangements by Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Some Like It Hot) and Benedict Braxton-Smith (Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls), orchestrations by Tony Award winner Daryl Waters (New York, New York), Benedict Braxton-Smith and August Eriksmoen, fight direction by Cha Ramos (Jagged Little Pill), associate circus designer by Antoine Boissereau, associate choreography by Paige Parkhill, and casting by The TRC Company, Claire Burke, CSA & Frankie Ramirez, CSA.

You can see Water for Elephants at the Orpheum in Minneapolis, MN through March 8, 2026. Or, check out their tour schedule for National Tour of Water for Elephants for a stop in a city near you (and to see videos from this amazing production). This show was on my must-see list for Hennepin Theater Trusts season, and I’m so glad I made it to media night. I found Gruen’s novel fascinating, and the film adaptation was good (starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Hal Holbrook, and Christoph Waltz), and I loved the musical adaptation. (It’s definitely for ages 8 and up, contains violence, abuse, and adult themes. Also, use of flashing lights, smoke, haze, and gunshot sound effects.) 

Go. Create. Inspire!

Journaling Prompt: Do you enjoy the circus, seen any Cirque du Soleil shows? How do you feel about them?