Much like the circus at its center, the musical “Water for Elephants” is a dazzling spectacle — but also a bit messy, and with a lot of darkness lurking in the shadows beyond the Big Top lights.
The musical is based on the best-selling 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and the book’s 2011 film adaptation starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. I am often critical of movies-turned-musicals, but books-turned-musicals are an even bigger challenge — developing characters and portraying nuanced plot beats is a lot harder when you’re doing it in two hours and 25 minutes (including intermission).
That being said, “Water for Elephants” fills its three rings with great performances, awe-inspiring acrobatics and amazing puppets that may make it worth the price of admission. The touring production, part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series, runs at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh through April 5.
The musical had a relatively brief run on Broadway, from March to December 2024. With music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. and a book by Rick Elice, it received seven Tony Award nominations.
The plot is a story within a framing device. At the start, we meet an old Jacob Jankowski (Robert Tully) who has left his assisted living facility to attend the circus. After the show, he meets two of the workers who run the show and reveals that he worked in the business during the Great Depression and was a witness to an infamous circus disaster. The clock rewinds to the 1930s, where a young Jacob (Zachary Keller) has just jumped onto a circus train. The veterinary student had just discovered that both of his parents had died in a car accident and decided to hit the road.
After advising horse trainer Marlena (Helen Krushinski) on an injured stallion, Jacob is persuaded by her husband — and the circus’s owner — August (Connor Sullivan) to come on board as the company’s vet. With nowhere else to go, Jacob agrees, and he helps Marlena to train the newly acquired elephant Rosie for the show. But when sparks fly between Jacob and Marlena, August’s dark side threatens to bring the big tent down on all of them.
While it’s not gratuitous and it is very relevant to the plot, be aware that there is plenty of violence — toward people and animals — in the show.
This cast makes you want to know these characters.
Tully is affable and endearing, adding depth as he haunts so many of the scenes of his memories. His younger self, Keller, possesses a stunning voice and shoulders the heaviest emotional beats with authenticity, and his chemistry with Krushinski is the gravity around which the plot revolves. For her part, the female lead does a gorgeous job with challenging and beautiful songs in both acts. Sullivan is imposing and bombastic, but it is in his quietest and most threatening moments when he really takes control of the stage, as in a pivotal confrontation in Act II with circus worker Wade (Grant Huneycutt, giving a standout performance).
The show’s music is often satisfying and evocative, but it can’t seem to figure out what it wants to be. Several of the songs utilize the folky Americana style that’s become popular in some modern period musicals, but the rest have more of a jazzy, traditional showtune feel.
While the first act’s songs are all pulling their weight, the second act goes off the rails, often featuring musical numbers that stop the show in its tracks. A lot of plot is crammed into that latter half, but with an often-shifting tone and not enough space for the scenes to breathe, it isn’t paced as effectively as it could be.
Tour director Ryan Emmons made a great show out of a messy script, especially with the help of circus designer Shanna Carroll and choreographer Jesse Robb. Not only are all of the acrobatics and aerial tricks dazzling, but the more run-of-the-mill dance numbers are also a thrill. Puppet designers Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman and Camille LaBarre also deserve applause, as does puppet director Joshua Holden, especially for the lifelike elephant Rosie.
Lighting designer Bradley King and sound designer Walter Trarbach made the show’s climax cinematic and memorable, with flashing lights and the chaotic thunder of crowds and animals. And costume designer David I. Reynoso showed the tarnished glamour of the Great Depression-era circus between glittery performance costumes and worn working-class pieces for when the stage lights are off.
Did parts of ‘Water for Elephants” leave me shaking my head? Definitely. But the cast and the acrobatics still make it worth the price of admission to the Big Top.
“Water for Elephants” runs through April 5 at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series. Tickets and details at trustarts.org.