Water for Elephants – The Musical

Last Christmas my wife and I were gifted with tickets to Water for Elephants, the Broadway musical currently on tour around the country.

While I’d heard of the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and was aware of the movie starring Reese Witherspoon, I knew nothing about the actual story and plot line.

To my pleasant surprise, the production is a memory play in which an elderly Jacob Jankowski reminisces about his life with a traveling circus during the Great Depression.

The story begins with Jankowski visiting a modern circus, which triggers his memories of 1931.  

Following the death of his parents, Jankowski hops a train belonging to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.  Over time he ingratiates himself with the circus’ volatile ringmaster August.  It doesn’t take long before he falls in love with August’s wife Marlena, the star performer.

The performance takes a unique twist when the circus acquires an elephant named Rosie, who as it turns out, only understands commands in Polish, which Jankowski speaks.

What follows is a love story and a performance filled with great music, exceptional acrobatics and creative puppetry which brings the circus animals to life.

Water for Elephants is currently on tour around the country.  See the following website to find a performance near you.

https://waterforelephantsthemusical.com/tour/