Broadway Beyond Louisville Review: Broadway in Cincinnati presents WATER FOR ELEPHANTS at The Aronoff Center

Having first seen Water for Elephants: The Musical on an early tour stop in Louisville, KY, I came to the Arnoff Center with a sense of familiarity for the show. But also, very curious about how it might resonate a second time. From the moment the curtain rises, the production draws the audience into its dreamlike world, where love, survival, and the search for belonging unfold. Experiencing the show in a new city revealed fresh nuances in the performances and staging, proving that even a story I already knew could still surprise and move me in ways I didn’t expect.

Adapted from the beloved novel, the show itself follows Jacob Jankowski (Zachary Keller), a veterinarian – almost. Jacob joins the circus by chance after running away from the horrific tragedy of losing both his parents. As he familiarizes himself with the carnival workers, he meets Marlena (Helen Krushinski) and her husband August (Connor Sullivan). August is owner and ringmaster, while Marlena is the star.

When August discovers that Jacob has veterinary training, he hires him to join them on the road officially, giving him closer proximity to Marlena with whom he shares a growing, mutual attraction. After the tragic loss of their star horse, August decides to purchase Rosie, a strong-willed elephant meant to help revive the act. As Jacob and Marlena work together to train her, their bond deepens and they fall more and more in love. Framed as a memory, the story unfolds through an older Jacob (Robert Tully), looking back on his time reflectively and with longing. 

The performances here are very strong. Zachary Keller is a bright new star on the scene and he carries the show wonderfully. With great vocals and a commanding presence, I cannot wait to see what future roles await him. Helen Krushinski does great as well, her vocals are quite lovely, and her chemistry with both Keller and Sullivan is strong. Her stand out for me was the beautifully sung “Easy” early in the first act. Connor Sullivan is the villain of our story, and he fills those shoes well. His August oozes charisma, and it was a joy to watch as he fell more and more into depravity. Robert Tully is well suited to his role as older Jacob, and really anchors the evening as the narrator. He’s got a warmth about him, almost evoking an old friend you’re catching up with.

The standout of the show for me lies in the staging. The acrobatics and arial work are truly a sight to behold. The stunts come quickly and often, and the audience (myself included) are simply in awe of a lot of the feats achieved. Jessica Stone’s original direction is also really phenomenal. She takes what could be a paint-by-numbers musical and injects innovative soul into every moment, giving the show distinct character.

As for the writing -and this is the sticking point for me - The score by Pigpen Theatre Co., just wasn’t very striking. The songs are pleasant enough in the moment, but with no continuity or through line, none of them really hold much weight. The music serves the story as well as it needs to, but the next great score this show is sadly not. The book by Rick Elice is done well enough, but often feels very safe. Like the score, it serves the show as it needs to, but there’s nothing too inspiring or deep about the work he’s done here.

In the end, I did quite enjoy my revisit to the circus. The four central performances are very impressive, paired with the acrobatic stunts and Jessica Stone’s mindful original direction, the so-so material is elevated to the best that it can be. At its core, this is a good night at the theatre, and I think the positives definitely outweigh any of my aforementioned gripes with the writing. Jessica Stone (in her original vision) really cannot be under-praised for this, as I truly think with a less creative person at the helm, this could’ve been a slog, but is thankfully mainly a delight.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

Now - May 3rd

Aronoff Center For The Arts

650 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH 45202.