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<\/a>The cast of \u201cWater for Elephants.\u201d (Photo by Matthew Murphy\/MurphyMade)<\/p>\nMuch like the traveling Benzini Brothers Circus, the national tour of \u201cWater for Elephants\u201d is here for a few nights only. That true-to-life aspect of the performance makes it, in my opinion, the best way to engage with Gruen\u2019s work. <\/p>\n
No matter her skill as a writer, I\u2019m uninterested in detailed descriptions of the hungry and abused animals. Instead, we can skate over big cats trapped in cages with the song \u201cThe Lion Has No Teeth.\u201d And the puppeted animals on stage, masterfully embodied by the ensemble, bring whimsy to what could just be depressing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The film, meanwhile, had mixed reviews<\/a> due to the lack of chemistry between Robert Pattinson, as the kind-hearted, naive Jacob, and Reese Witherspoon, who played the older animal trainer trapped in a marriage with the controlling circus owner August.<\/p>\n The pair are supposed to bond as they train middle-aged elephant Rosie, spurring August\u2019s jealousy. In this cast, Zachary Keller and Helen Krushinski played the tragic lovers careening between ill fates and a hopeful future.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plus, unlike the 2011 film, audiences viewing the musical know that the feats of acrobatics on stage are being done in one take. These are real human skills that performers have honed through a lifetime of work to entertain their audience, and they\u2019re showing them night after night, no matter the wear on their bodies. The aerial silks, trapeze, adagio, corde lisse and Chinese pole also give the feeling of actually being at the circus.\u00a0<\/p>\n Circuses are supposed to be a spectacle, so they are uniquely suited to the musical medium, with the bonus of singing and a plot. The barn-raising song \u201cThe Road Don\u2019t Make You Young\u201d is a particular favorite. The musical was adapted by writer Rick Elice with music and lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Co.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unlike the circuses in town this fall (Ringling Brothers is back after 11 years), \u201cWater for Elephants\u201d offers a behind-the-scenes look at the \u201ckinkers\u201d (performers) and road crew as they travel by train across a country struggling to afford fun. That part at least might be true today too.\u00a0<\/p>\n The night I attended, several actors were shuffled around as Connor Sullivan, who typically plays the charming-on-the-surface ringmaster August, was replaced by John Neurohr as the show\u2019s tempestuous villain. Neurohr is easily believable as a charismatic character hiding a sinister streak, helped along by the fact that he resembles a modern villain, Andrew Tate<\/a>. Although thankfully for Neurohr, costume designer David Reynoso had him in more flattering threads than those for which Tate is known<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n By the way, Reynoso is based in San Diego<\/a> and his costumes, which blend the wear of the Great Depression with the illusion of camp for its performers, earned him his first Tony nomination.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>Helen Krushinski sings to an injured stallion, embodied by aerial performer Yves Artieres. (Photo by Matthew Murphy\/Murphy Made)<\/p>\n<\/a>Don\u2019t worry, Helen Krushinski and Zachary Keller have great chemistry as star-crossed lovers. (Photo by Matthew Murphy\/MurphyMade)<\/p>\n