“A gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical. Miracles do happen, even on Broadway.”
Now playing On Broadway at the Imperial Theatre
The critically acclaimed bestselling novel WATER FOR ELEPHANTS comes to vivid life on Broadway in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical.
After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.
Directed by Tony Award®️ nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo), with a book by three-time Tony nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher) adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel, and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co., WATER FOR ELEPHANTS unites innovative stagecraft with the very best of Broadway talent in an authentic and deeply moving new musical that invites us all to give ourselves to the unknown.
Reviews:
“Apt, rousing music… Pro forma power ballads… Trenchant lyrics…The songs ace the double-duty test, never repeating catchy choruses just to drill holes in our ears but to expand, modify and turn ideas in different directions. ”
- Jesse Green, The New York Times, Critic’s Pick
“PigPen has a knack for showmanship and a keen understanding of what music can do onstage. Water for Elephants isn’t just the frontrunner for the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical, it’s a bold assertion that this still young artform has plenty of tricks left to reveal. It is most certainly the best new musical on Broadway.”
- Zachary Stewart, Theatermania
“The score by the collective PigPen Theatre Co. ranges across styles capably, from the country-flavored ‘The Road Don’t Make You Young,’ to a jubilant boogie-woogie tune, ‘The Lion Has Got No Teeth,’ describing how illusion is at the heart of any circus’s appeal, and a more traditional, moody love-cementing duet for Jacob and Marlena. The songs are flavorful and well-wrought, and perhaps the show’s most accomplished achievement.”
- Charles Isherwood, Wall Street Journal
“The score by the musical collective PigPen Theatre Co. captures the tuneful Americana mood of the era, and mixes it up with songs ranging from swing to folk. Especially fine is the infectious ‘The Road Don’t Make You Young,’ the romantic ballad ‘Wild’ and ‘Zostan,’ the rollicking celebration of Polish commands. ‘Water for Elephants’ could be the greatest show on Broadway.”
- Frank Rizzo, Variety
“Water for Elephants has a book by Rick Elice, and songs by the seven-man collective PigPen Theatre Co., which specializes in dark-edged musical story theater. This team knows how to craft magic moments out of spare parts. They have found the right tone for this adaptation of Sara Gruen’s novel… ‘One beautiful, one bestial / One strong, one celestial,’ August sings of Marlena’s animal act. (Somewhere, Stephen Sondheim is chuckling.)”
- Adam Feldman, Time Out New York
Photos by Matthew Murphy, Arya Shahi, Evan Zimmerman, and Emilio Madrid