Theater Review: Water for Elephants, The Musical

Set in the 1930s during Prohibition, Broadway’s newest book/movie/stage adaptation, Water for Elephants, The Musical, makes a colossal, elephant-sized imprint on a crowded theatre landscape. This “spectacular” show takes the word quite literally, fully immersing the audience in its extravagance and over-the-top excitement. Is there any surprise that many in the ensemble have worked for Cirque du Soleil? Particularly notable: actor Grant Gustin (The Flash, Glee) making serious waves in his Broadway debut! The Glee cast is really having a moment right now. Between recent runs in Funny Girl, Shucked, and current limited run Little Shop of Horrors, Grant Gustin becomes the latest Glee graduate to ring in a celebrated New York City stage performance. The charisma speaks for itself—Gustin shines here as aspiring dreamer with nothing left to lose, Jacob. A nightmarish sequence even allows Gustin a chance to “run Barry run” on a daily basis, akin to his decade-long tenure on CW’s The Flash. Come one, come all, and step right up to see the Benzini Brothers Circus in Water for Elephants, The Musical!

A barebones set with a sprawling blue curtain greets the audience well before rising. Old Jacob (Gregg Edelman) stumbles out onto the stage just as a modern circus breaks down to travel on the road. He promises he once worked for the Ringling Brothers for six years, but that is not even the most notable part of his prior expertise. At first, the ramblings of an old man imply he may have dementia, or is unwell. Charlie (Paul Alexander Nolan) offers to send for a taxi so Jacob can be on his way. After he name-drops the most famous circus disaster in history, Charlie and his associate, June (Isabelle McCalla), significantly shift gears, begging Jacob to recount the legendary tale of The Benzini Stampede…

In these early scenes, faux blades of grass and tall telephone poles are among some of the features sparsely poking their way out behind the actors. Little stuffed animals represent the ones in the circus, and tall pieces of billboards are being hoisted down as Old Jacob begins to recall his tale. The transition into the 30s—the central setting where the majority of the runtime is spent—plays out brilliantly. After a grand entrance, Gustin’s Young Jacob steals the show. He belts out “Anywhere” as he climbs up the side of a train, represented by dynamically shifting pieces of scaffolding that eventually even out to one piece of car.

From here, we quickly meet some major characters of the show. Worker boss Wade (Wade McCollum) and Jacob’s new roommate, the clown, Walter (Joe De Paul), are among the fresh faces. A trio of Little Shop of Horrors style powerful women—including the matronly Barbara (Sara Gettelfinger)—have just been promoted from the “cooch tent” to a prime spot under the big top. A clear standout is friendly older drunkard, Camel (Stan Brown), who acts as Jacob’s window into the carney world. Identical to the film, Jacob initially takes on a job as a shit-shoveler due to the circus being so short-handed. Cue an intricate musical number, showcasing everything from giant jumprope stunts to swings and sledgehammer dances.

Upon meeting the beautiful Marlena (also Isabelle McCalla), Jacob notes that her horse should be put on immediate stall rest. Ringleader August (also Paul Alexander Nolan) offers Jacob a generous $3 per week to come on as the official animal veterinarian despite being unqualified for the job. However, at the circus, nothing is as it seems anyway. “The Lion Has No Teeth,” aside from lifting lines directly from the 2011 feature, also marks the first time that Water for Elephants goes full-tilt Greatest Showman. August makes for a stellar host, emphasizing the illusions that comprise the circus. The elephant eventually gets introduced, leading to an expansion of Jacob’s title. Jacob and Marlena are put on a time crunch, given just three weeks to train elephant Rosie for a new act!

The classical staging of the show in general evokes an old Hollywood feel, and in the plethora of circus-act performances, transports us to another era entirely. This extends down every level, from that unmistakable single-spotlight to slapstick moments of humor and innumerable, jaw-dropping stunts. From hula hoops to body contortions to carney folk being hung up like a pole, these stunt people do some seriously impressive work. Set design equally astonishes, adorned with massive banners about the carney attractions. The prowess of the stage performers perfectly compliments the use of animals throughout the production.

More often than not, when Water for Elephants embraces the fantastical through interpretative dance and the literal personification of its various creatures, the show becomes entirely irresistible. Taking inspirations from Broadway’s The Lion King, major animals are represented by performers that embody either pieces of the animal, or the entire beast. In the case of titular elephant Rosie, a group of five (Caroline Kane, Paul Castree, Michael Mendez, Charles South, Sean Stack) stunningly bring her to life. Whether floppy ears or just her trunk, the physical embodiment of Rosie presents a bold characterization of her own accord, surpassing her animalistic roots. Nearly as captivating, Silver Star the horse—played by French actor Antoine Boissereau—comes off as peaceful and majestic. Boissereau swings dangerously high from a flimsy-looking cloth, eventually balancing on just his neck in one of the show’s many gag-worthy moments. Needless to say, every bit of applause was more than earned.

Along the way, old Jacob constantly interjects into the past action. Given his condition, this choice makes sense as he relives the moments of his past fleetingly. Occasionally, having the old man in a scene just hanging out on stage off to the right distracts from whatever is occurring. Incorporating Old Jacob happens more seamlessly in the movie version, where he was just a bookend. In the same breath, some moments truly sing thanks to the joint parallelism between Old and Young Jacob. Their voices blend beautifully in “Zostan.”

Then, there is the love story. In my opinion, this was one of the least successful aspects of the movie. Maybe these two just have a chemistry only present in the source material, or that Robert Pattinson feature just portrayed their love as more of a circumstance of inconvenience rather than an actual love spark. Gustin and McCalla have that spark. We watch as Jacob and Marlena meld together as one. Water for Elephant’s crowning glory happens after intermission, once we finally arrive at the Benzini Stampede. Instead of playing out with obnoxious, difficult to follow action, every animal actor and all the humans freeze onstage as if photographed on the spot. It feels like the entire show has led up to this moment, and its conclusion is every bit as perfect as I had hoped.

The sole aspect that loses a few points for me here involve the sanding down of the animal abuse. I wish we got to witness at least one of August’s actual outbursts on either Rosie or Marlena. We catch up on these moments only in their aftermath. Rosie, the most perfect specimen in this whole shindig, could be even more effective emotionally and in the climax if her treatment was portrayed slightly more explicitly. Marlena’s spousal torment does not feature as much of an exclamation point, either. Likewise, the deaths of two major characters could use further attention. Still, Water for Elephants, The Musical resonates with its massive scope and inspirational story of rising from nothing.

My favorite musical numbers were “Silver Stars” (Jacob’s best solo) and the gentle “Easy,” whilst the scope of others emphasizes the largeness of the company to dazzling effect. Perhaps the overall focus on the circus elements and throwback nature will throw off those expecting something more modern. Sideshow features and television are love them or hate them. It may not be a substitute for HBO’s tragically unfinished Carnivale, but this Broadway smash certainly waves the banner high for 2024’s musical season. Water for Elephants, The Musical astonishes in the best way imaginable, favoring spectacle and classic Hollywood romance. Come for the beauty of the animals, and stay for a surprisingly catchy soundtrack!

Galavant under the big top with Broadway’s Water for Elephants, The Musical, now playing at The Imperial Theatre. For more information including ticketing, please head over the show’s official website.