Water for Elephants Soars into Hollywood
REVIEW: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
BY RYAN M. LUEVANO
Based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, Water for Elephants brings the sawdust, spectacle, and heartbreak of the Depression-era Benzini Brothers Circus to life on stage, now playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through September 27 before heading to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa this November. With a book by four-time Tony nominee Rick Elice and a score by PigPen Theatre Co., this is a show built for circus enthusiasts and longtime fans of the film and novel alike, promising them a night under the big top they won’t soon forget.
Tour director Ryan Emmons, recreating Tony nominee Jessica Stone’s original staging, keeps the action moving with a dynamic, restless energy that never lets the production sit still. Every scene feels vivid and alive, and Emmons has a gift for making the chaos of circus life feel lived-in rather than choreographed for effect.
That said, it’s the choreography, by Tony nominees Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, that is the most thrilling part of the whole production. Blending traditional Broadway dance with high-flying acrobatics, aerial silk work, and puppetry, the show finds its purest expression in its big physical numbers. “The Road”/”The Road Don’t Make You Young” opens the first act with an eleven-minute chronological sequence that fuses ensemble, dancers, and acrobats into a single, grueling rhythm, setting the pace of life with the Benzini Brothers Circus through pure physical storytelling. “Easy” offers the show’s most romantic sequence, a soaring, breathtaking aerial silk dance woven together with vocals.
“The Lion Has Got No Teeth” and “Squeaky Wheel” round out the standouts, the former a lively, character-driven circus piece and the latter a comedic, character-focused number built on distinctive physical work and ensemble interplay. And the elegant, grand puppetry design bringing the circus animals to the stage leaves just enough to the imagination while still delivering real visual excitement, rounding out a production that understands exactly what makes the circus magical.
The cast rises to meet it. Zachary Keller is a dynamic and lovable leading man with real heart, performing every song with strength and conviction. Helen Krushinski matches him note for note, and hers is the story we follow most closely; her rendition of “Easy” is peaceful and sublime. Connor Sullivan brings unexpected depth to the production’s villain, and his character’s inner turmoil is palpable, making for a genuinely compelling watch. Tyler West is the show’s comic engine, his vaudeville-inspired antics balanced beautifully with brilliant character work for a performance that feels fully rounded.
Where the show falters is in its foundation. The book lacks dramatic momentum until well into the second act, the music never quite finds heart or melodic interest, and the lyrics are ordinary at best, rarely rising to meet the visual imagination on display elsewhere.
Even so, Water for Elephants is a fun and mesmerizing night at the theater, one that genuinely brings the circus into the house. It’s the performers, the outstanding puppetry, the visuals, and the dazzling acrobatics and dance numbers that make this show worth the ticket.
MORE INFORMATION:
WHEN:
Hollywood Pantages Theatre: September 8 – 27, 2026. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa: November 10 – 22, 2026.
WHERE:
Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
HOW:
Tickets available at BroadwayInHollywood.com. For Costa Mesa, tickets available at SCFTA.org.
