Interview: From San Diego to the National Tour: Javier Garcia on Water for Elephants

Forget the big top. The circus has found a new home at the San Diego Civic Theatre, where Water for Elephants brings acrobatics, music, puppetry and plenty of theatrical magic to the stage. Based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, the hit Broadway musical brings the spectacle and spirit of a 1930s circus to San Diego from August 18 - 23. For San Diegans, there’s an especially exciting reason to see it: San Diego native Javier Garcia is stepping into the role of Camel for his National Tour debut. 

Garcia is no stranger to the stage. His credits include Oaken in Frozen with 5 Star Theatricals, Don in Kinky Boots with 3D Theatricals , and a performance alongside Kristin Chenoweth at the Hollywood Bowl. But Water for Elephants represents something new, not only his first national tour, but a chance to bring his family along for the ride. Garcia has been touring since September 2025, and the tour has been extended through May 2027. “It's my first time being on the road with this tour but this time I can bring my family with me, similar as Circus families,” he says. His wife and two-year-old daughter are traveling with him, making the experience a family adventure as well as a professional milestone. Now, he gets to come home to San Diego, where his family and friends will finally get to see him perform in the tour.

As Camel, Garcia plays a character with plenty of heart. A former gunner dealing with PTSD and alcoholism, Camel is the supervisor of the circus and becomes a mentor and father figure to Jacob, the young man at the center of the story. Bringing Camel to life meant exploring his physical deterioration as the character's struggles with addiction take a toll on his body, but Garcia was especially interested in Camel’s ability to maintain his joy despite everything happening beneath the surface. “He’s very joyful in the show, and barely lets himself sink into that depressive part of his life.”

That quality hit close to home. For Garcia, Camel became an opportunity to channel his own grandfather. “He was very warm, and while he had his things going on, he never let that affect how he was around people or bring the mood down.” It is ultimately the message Garcia hopes audiences take away from Camel’s journey: “you can still have joy in his life, even when struggling.”

And then there is the circus itself. Water for Elephants is not a traditional musical. The production combines live music, singing, dancing and acting with elaborate acrobatics, movement and puppetry to create a fully realized circus world. Garcia may not have the most physically demanding role in the company, but he says watching his fellow performers from backstage has left him continually amazed.

Audiences, he says, have noticed. “Everybody that comes to see the show praises the acrobatics. Te deja con la boca abierta.”

Garcia’s years performing mariachi and musical theatre have prepared him for the demands of a national tour, but Water for Elephants has also challenged him to approach performance differently. While mariachi and live band performances often leave room for improvisation, he says this production has taught him to trust the creators’ vision. “My instinct wants to add things, but I have to reel it back in, because we have to respect the original vision.” As the only Mexican-American actor in the current cast, Garcia has also found small ways to bring his culture into the performance, including Spanish words and “a bit of quebradita moves.” For him, those moments are about representation and showing young Latino performers that they belong on major stages. “You can play any role you want. Put yourself out there. Do those auditions and be seen. We deserve to be on these stages.”

And now, that stage is coming home.

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