{"id":125856,"date":"2026-07-14T11:40:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=125856"},"modified":"2026-07-14T11:40:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:40:33","slug":"scrutiny-mirvishs-water-elephants-marvel-creative-staging-design-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/07\/14\/scrutiny-mirvishs-water-elephants-marvel-creative-staging-design-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Mirvish\u2019s Water For Elephants Is A Marvel Of Creative Staging, Design & Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Zachary
Zachary Keller and Helen Krushinsk in Water For Elephants (Photo: Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

David and Hannah Mirvish and Networks Presentations\/Water for Elephants, book by Rick Elice, music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co., based on the novel by Sara Gruen, choreographed by Jesse Robb & Shana Carroll, circus design by Shana Carroll, directed by Jessica Stone (tour directed by Ryan Emmons), CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, closes Jul. 19. Tickets here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I came away from the musical Water for Elephants convinced that Broadway was only the beginning of its journey to glory.<\/p>\n

Background and the National Tour<\/h3>\n

Water for Elephants enjoyed a respectable nine-month Broadway run and earned seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. Although critics admired the production, it never became a runaway commercial hit.<\/p>\n

I suspect, however, the show\u2019s real life is on the national tour.<\/p>\n

Sara Gruen<\/strong>\u2019s 2006 novel has sold millions of copies, and the 2011 film introduced the story to an even wider audience. That gives the musical something many original Broadway shows never have \u2014 an enormous built-in audience.<\/p>\n

Even before I saw the show, two people independently told me they had rushed to buy tickets because they loved the novel.<\/p>\n

That got me thinking.<\/p>\n

Perhaps Water for Elephants was never destined to be defined by its Broadway run. Perhaps its natural home is the national tour, where millions of readers \u2014 and moviegoers \u2014 already know and love the story.<\/p>\n

A Quick Plot Outline<\/h3>\n

The story unfolds as a memory play.<\/p>\n

An elderly Jacob Jankowski visits a circus that has come to town, stirring memories of his own days under the big top.<\/p>\n

He tells his remarkable story to two young circus workers, recalling how, in 1931, a devastating tragedy changed the course of his life.<\/p>\n

As a veterinary student at Cornell University, the young Jacob is shattered when his parents are killed in a car accident. In despair, he abandons his studies, jumps aboard a moving train, and discovers he has landed with the famed Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.<\/p>\n

There he finds a new family among the circus performers, falls in love with the beautiful equestrian star Marlena, who is trapped in an abusive marriage to the volatile circus owner August, and forms an extraordinary bond with Rosie, the elephant who becomes the circus\u2019s greatest attraction.<\/p>\n

My Reaction to Water for Elephants<\/h3>\n

I should confess that, unlike many people in the audience, I had never read Sara Gruen\u2019s bestselling novel or seen the film. I came to Water for Elephants completely fresh, with no idea what to expect.<\/p>\n

What I found was one of the most imaginative and creative Broadway musicals I have ever seen.<\/p>\n

\"The
The cast of Water For Elephants (Photo: Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Choreography Plus Circus<\/h3>\n

What astonished me most about Water for Elephants was the seamless integration of choreography and circus arts.<\/p>\n

That is no accident. The production credits both Jesse Robb<\/strong> as choreographer and Shana Carroll<\/strong> as circus designer and co-choreographer, and together they have created something I have rarely seen on a Broadway stage.<\/p>\n

This is not a musical in which the dance numbers stop so the circus performers can take over, or vice versa. Instead, the two disciplines become one. Every large ensemble scene combines dancers and circus artists in a single, unified theatrical vocabulary. The result is nothing short of mesmerizing.<\/p>\n

Take the raising of the circus tent.<\/p>\n

As workers rhythmically hammer the tent pegs into the ground in perfectly synchronized choreography, aerial artists simultaneously soar above them as the towering poles and canvas rise into place.<\/p>\n

The choreography unfolds both horizontally and vertically, creating a stage picture of extraordinary imagination.<\/p>\n

Throughout the production, dance and circus exist not as separate entertainments but as equal partners in telling the story.<\/p>\n

There are, of course, stand-alone circus acts, and they are dazzling, but for me, the genius of Water for Elephants lies in its seamless fusion of choreography and circus arts into a single storytelling language.<\/p>\n

The company includes performers from both musical theatre and circus backgrounds, and their respective skills are woven together so completely that, by the end, they seem to be speaking the same theatrical language.<\/p>\n

Scenic Design<\/h3>\n

Takeshi Kata<\/strong>‘s scenic design is equally inspired.<\/p>\n

Rather than attempting a realistic recreation of a Depression-era circus, the production relies on theatrical suggestion, inviting the audience\u2019s imagination to do the rest.<\/p>\n

The circus tent itself is a perfect example.<\/p>\n

A sweep of fabric rises gracefully into the air, supported by a towering central pole, and before long the illusion of the vast big top is complete. It is astonishingly simple, yet utterly convincing.<\/p>\n

The circus train is just as ingenious.<\/p>\n

A skeletal framework suggests the outline of the railway cars, while a flatcar links them together. The actors sit within these spare structures and, through carefully choreographed movement, gently sway in unison, instantly conveying the rhythm of a train rolling across America.<\/p>\n

With the barest of means, Kata creates an unforgettable theatrical illusion.<\/p>\n

\"Zachary
Zachary Keller and Helen Krushinsk in Water For Elephants (Photo: Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Puppetry Plus Humans<\/h3>\n

The puppetry is another triumph, designed by Ray Wetmore<\/strong>, JR Goodman<\/strong> and Camille LaBarre<\/strong>, and directed by Joshua Holden<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Rosie the elephant requires five performers working in complete harmony, yet the artistry is so refined that one quickly stops seeing the mechanics and simply accepts Rosie as a living presence.<\/p>\n

The production\u2019s theatrical imagination extends well beyond the magnificent Rosie.<\/p>\n

Throughout the show, animals are brought to life through an inspired combination of puppetry, masks, costume, gymnastics and physical theatre.<\/p>\n

Agnes the orangutang scampers and swings with astonishing agility, Rex the lion is created through wonderfully expressive movement, and Marlena\u2019s beloved horse, Silver Star, becomes one of the production\u2019s most poetic creations.<\/p>\n

In the latter, puppetry and aerial artistry merge into a single performance, transforming what could have been a simple stage illusion into an emotionally affecting theatrical experience. It is yet another example of the production\u2019s extraordinary ability to fuse different performance disciplines into one seamless storytelling language.<\/p>\n

That the actors bringing life to these animals are credited in the program show how valued these \u201ccharacters\u201d are.<\/p>\n

The Score<\/h3>\n

There may not be a song that sends audiences out of the theatre humming, but that is beside the point. PigPen Theatre Co.<\/strong> has written a score that belongs to this circus world.<\/p>\n

The PPT Company is made up of seven guys who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University who write roots music.<\/p>\n

Their score featuring folk, bluegrass, country and even touches of gospel, perfectly evokes the travelling circus and the America of the Depression era.<\/p>\n

Just as importantly, their reflective narrative songs become the characters\u2019 inner voices, advancing the story without ever calling undue attention to themselves.<\/p>\n

The music is not trying to escape from the musical; it is trying to deepen it. In that, it succeeds admirably.<\/p>\n

The Cast<\/h3>\n

Another strength of the production is its casting.<\/p>\n

These are not idealized Broadway chorus boys and girls. The company looks like a genuine travelling circus, populated by people of every age, shape and size.<\/p>\n

They are characters first, performers second, and that authenticity gives the production enormous credibility.<\/p>\n

Older Jacob (Robert Tully<\/strong>) is the emotional anchor and narrator. With a gentle sense of authority, he keeps the audience focused on the memories. Young Jacob (Zachary Keller<\/strong>) is excellent casting because he immediately stands apart from the circus world. He looks like a preppy Cornell student, which makes his reaction to the oddities of the circus world believable.<\/p>\n

Owner and ringmaster August (Connor Sullivan<\/strong>) is charismatic enough that you understand why people follow him, yet he evokes an underlying menace that is not a surprise when it eventually surfaces. His wife, the horse trainer Marlena (Helen Krushinski<\/strong>) is suitably gentle, vulnerable and sympathetic.<\/p>\n

The elderly and crippled Camel (Javier Garcia<\/strong>) is the emotional heart of the circus family. Walter (Tyler West<\/strong>) is delightful, and the fact that the actor is an actual professional clown lends authenticity to his role.<\/p>\n

The over-the-hill head hoochee-coochee girl Barbara (Ruby Gibbs<\/strong>) is worldly, tough, funny, and compassionate; she understands the circus better than anyone. There always has to be a villain and that’s crew boss Wade (Grant Huneycutt<\/strong>) who is effectively intimidating.<\/p>\n

What impressed me most is that every performer, whether actor, singer, dancer or circus artist, contributed to the sense of an authentic circus community. There were no anonymous chorus members. Everyone belonged to this world.<\/p>\n

And we have to give kudos here to costume designer David I. Reynoso<\/strong> who came up with authentic looks for the rousts (the workers), the kinkers (the performers) and Rosie, not to mention the kinkers’ daywear.<\/p>\n

Projections and Lighting<\/h3>\n

The visual storytelling is completed by the imaginative use of projections (David Bengali<\/strong>) and lighting (Bradley King<\/strong>) which extend and enrich the stage picture.<\/p>\n

For example, the projections capture the movement of the circus train, the vastness of the big top and the silhouettes of the animals, while the lighting gives the production its warmth, mystery and emotional atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Together, these design elements deepen the theatrical illusion so it is easy to see why King and Bengali were recognized with a Tony nomination for their work.<\/p>\n

Their finest effect may come during the production\u2019s climactic sequences, which I will leave audiences to discover for themselves.<\/p>\n

The Drama<\/h3>\n

Having neither read Sara Gruen\u2019s novel nor seen the film, I can only judge the stage adaptation on its own terms.<\/p>\n

As a piece of musical theatre, Rick Elice<\/strong>\u2019s adaptation tells a compelling and deeply moving story, while Jessica Stone<\/strong>\u2019s original direction \u2014 beautifully recreated for the tour by Ryan Emmons<\/strong> \u2014 never allows the theatrical spectacle to overwhelm the human drama at its heart.<\/p>\n

End Note<\/h3>\n

As a final word, I can only say that Water for Elephants is one of the most satisfying musical shows I have seen in a very long time.<\/p>\n

For the sheer scale of its theatrical imagination, it is simply breathtaking.<\/p>\n

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For the sheer scale of its theatrical imagination, Mirvish\u2019s presentation of Water for Elephants is simply breathtaking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":125858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[42533,4780,52,62,63],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[35737,31304,31301],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Copy-of-Copy-of-REVIEW-13.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-wJW","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125856"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125856"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125862,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125856\/revisions\/125862"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125856"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=125856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}