THE ELEPHANT IN THE MUSICAL

Circus artistry and inventive puppetry soar
where the musical itself falls short

Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushinski, and Zachary Keller

Water for Elephants, based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, with a book by Rick Elice and music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co., opened Wednesday, September 9 at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. The musical follows Jacob Jankowski (Zachary Keller), a young man who, after losing nearly everything during the Great Depression, jumps aboard a passing train and inadvertently joins a traveling circus. There he finds a new family, a new purpose, and Marlena (Helen Krushinski), the star attraction and wife of the increasingly volatile circus boss August (Connor Sullivan). The production features tour direction by Ryan Emmons, recreating Jessica Stone’s original direction, with circus design by Shana Carroll and choreography by Jesse Robb and Carroll.

Its greatest strength is the circus work, not merely because it is impressive—which it is—but because it is so thoroughly integrated into the storytelling. The acrobatics never feel like an intermission from the musical. Instead, movement, apparatus, character, and story seem to grow out of one another organically, with actors and circus performers working as a remarkably cohesive company.

Helen Krushinski and Zachary Keller

The puppetry may be even better. Rather than hide its mechanics or attempt photorealistic animals, the designers, Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, and Camille Labarre, embrace theatrical abstraction. Silver Star, Marlena’s white horse, can be little more than a head and a length of flowing white fabric. The people operating the animals remain visible. Materials look like rags, torn cloth, wood, or objects salvaged from the circus itself. Rosie, the show’s elephant, is introduced almost coyly. At first we get a trunk. Later, a leg. Elsewhere, a silhouette. By the time Rosie fully appears, the moment has acquired genuine emotional weight.

Zachary Keller and Helen Krushinski

Nowhere does everything come together more beautifully than in “Easy.” Krushinski begins the number with stark, rubato vocals, at times nearly unaccompanied except for sparse, restless percussion. Musically, it evokes both woman and wild animal: tenderness, unpredictability, power. Meanwhile Yves Artières, portraying Silver Star, takes to the silk in an aerial sequence that is worth the price of admission on its own. Artières has the electricity of a master. His command of his body and the apparatus is so complete that technique disappears and only expression remains. The scene is flawless. For several minutes, Water for Elephants becomes transcendent.

Helen Krushinski, Robert Tully, Zachary Keller, and Yves Artieres

Unfortunately, the rest of the score rarely reaches that height. PigPen Theatre Co.’s music is well-crafted, and its palette of early jazz, Americana, folk, bluegrass, and Dixieland suits the world beautifully. Some of the vocal arranging is terrific, and there are scattered moments of real invention. But much of the score is enjoyable only while it is happening. Once a song ends, it evaporates.

Helen Krushinski and Zachary Keller

Elice’s book fares better. The story is clear, well-paced, and populated by characters we care about. There are few surprises thematically—we have forbidden love, found family, ambition and its costs—but the plot itself offers enough freshness to keep the ride engaging. At no point does the production overstay its welcome, and the ending was considerably less bleak than I had anticipated.

The larger problem is the acting. Krushinski is an exceptional singer. Her musicianship and vocal ability are beyond dispute. But Marlena is supposed to be the gravitational center between Jacob and August, and Krushinski never fully accesses the dramatic depth the role demands. If we deeply understand her fear, desire, conflict, and longing, the love triangle becomes combustible. Instead, the emotion too often remains on the surface. It is particularly frustrating because Krushinski has the potential to transform the production almost single-handedly. The voice is already there. If her acting could rise to the same level, scenes that currently function intellectually might become devastating.

Water for Elephants

Keller fares somewhat better as Jacob and sings spectacularly, but his performance, too, stops short of leaving a deep emotional imprint. Robert Tully’s older Jacob effectively frames the story, though more emotional specificity there could have given the retrospective structure considerably more weight. Sullivan, meanwhile, pushes too hard to establish August’s menace. We understand that this is a dangerous man because the story tells us so, but we rarely feel threatened by him. Menace is usually more frightening when the actor doesn’t have to convince us it exists.

Tyler West, on the other hand, is excellent as Walter and steals nearly every scene he enters. Javier Garcia also delivers terrific vocals as Camel, while Grant Huneycutt brings astonishing power to Wade.

Zachary Keller and the cast of Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants is an uneven musical in a very strong production. I was entertained. I was satisfied. I was rarely moved by the story itself. What stays with me instead are images: a white piece of fabric becoming a horse; fragments becoming an elephant; an aerialist suspended above the stage while a woman sings to an animal she loves.

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photos by Matthew Murphy

Water for Elephants
National Tour
Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles
Tues.–Thurs. 7:30; Fri. 8; Sat. 2 & 8; Sun. 1 & 6:30
ends on Sept. 27, 2026
2 hours and 20 minutes, including intermission
for tickets, visit Broadway in Hollywood
tour continues; for dates and cities, visit Water for Elephants

for more shows, visit Theatre in LA

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