Water For Elephants: The Musical is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Sara Gruen. Diane’s Book Club read the book and loved it. A young man loses his parents in a traffic accident and joins the “Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth” circus during the Great Depression. Jacob Jankowski was forced to withdraw from the Veterinary program at Cornell University after the death of his parents. The greedy owner of the circus, August, hires Jacob because of his veterinary knowledge to care for the circus animals.
The circus buys an elephant named Rosie and August beats the beast when it doesn’t follow his orders. Jacob solves that problem, but encounters another problem when he falls in love with August’s wife, Marlena.
I found the gymnastic exploits on the stage to be incredible! Think of Cirque du Soleil squared! The music was fairly bland and unmemorable. Clearly Water For Elephants: The Musical is more of a visual experience than an auditory one for me. The story was predictable. But the cast held my attention until the unsurprising end. GRADE: B-
Musical numbers:
| Act I Overture – Orchestra Prologue – Company “Anywhere/Another Train” – Jacob, Camel, Wade, Company “The Road Don’t Make You Young” – Company “Easy” – Marlena “The Lion Has Got No Teeth” – August, Jacob, Company “I Choose the Ride” – Camel, Jacob, Company “Ode to an Elephant” – Mr. Jankowski, Jacob, Marlena, August “Just Our Luck” – Mr. Jankowski, Barbara, Camel, Walter, Vera, Sue “I Shouldn’t Be Surprised” – Marlena, Mr. Jankowski “Silver Stars” – Jacob “The Grand Spec” – August, Company | Act II “Funny Angel” – Mr. Jankowski “Zostań” – Company “Squeaky Wheel” – Barbara, Walter, Camel, Jacob “You’ve Got Nothing” – August, Jacob, Marlena, Camel, Walter, Wade “What Do You Do?” – Marlena “Wild” – Marlena, Jacob “The Road Don’t Make You Young (Reprise)” – Wade, Company “Go Home” – Jacob, Company “Zostań (Reprise)” – Jacob, Mr. Jankowski, Company “I Choose the Ride (Reprise)” – Company |
No elephants on-stage, I take it? (Not that I’d think that a good idea…) Puppets?
Todd, you guessed right! Massive puppet elephant! Puppet lions and monkeys. And world-class gymnastics!
Read the book. Didn’t see the show.
Jeff, Diane’s Book Club enjoyed WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. Many of the Book Club members also saw the movie version.
I do not get why so many musicals have poor music. Wouldn’t that be the top priority? Instead staging seems to be where the effort goes.
Patti, I agree. We’ve seen several musicals this year with plenty of on-stage spectacle and pazz while the music is either too loud–drowning out the voices–or insipidly bland.
Not much to say! I like elephants and I’ve ridden one!
Bob, somehow I’m not surprised to learn you have ridden an elephant! Patrick rode an elephant in India during a wedding.
I’d say Patrick’s experience beat mine!
Bob, GOOGLE sent Patrick on trips 180 days last year! Fortunately, Patrick likes to travel.