Water For Elephants the Musical • August 25, 2026 • Eccles Theater
There’s something special about walking into a theater and feeling like you’re about to be transported somewhere completely different. That’s exactly what happens with Water for Elephants at Eccles Theater. From the moment the circus begins to take shape onstage, the production creates a world filled with colorful characters, impressive movement and plenty of theatrical magic.
The lobby of Eccles Theater began to fill up. We quickly realized that doors had been held and we weren’t let into the Delta Performance Hall until about three minutes before what was supposed to be showtime. The delay didn’t seem to be a big deal to anyone. Everyone seemed to understand they must have had a good reason to hold doors, and that we’d get a great production as a result. If anything, it just heightened anticipation even more.
While the circus itself provides much of the spectacle, the heart of the show belongs to its three central characters: Jacob Jankowski, Marlena and August.
Zachary Keller played Jacob Jankowski, a young man whose life takes an unexpected turn when tragedy leaves him without the future he had planned. Keller gave Jacob an appealing, everyman quality that maked it easy to connect with him. He started out uncertain about where his life is headed, but as he becomes part of the traveling circus, we get to watch him grow into someone more confident and willing to take risks.
A big part of that transformation comes through his relationship with Marlena, played by Helen Krushinski. Marlena is the kind of character who could easily get lost in the middle of all the circus spectacle, but Krushinski gives her plenty of personality and strength. She isn’t simply the woman caught between two men. There is a determination to her performance that makes it clear that Marlena has dreams and ambitions of her own. Helen Krushinski has an amazing voice. Her vocals stood out as a major highlight of this show.
The chemistry between Keller and Krushinski is an important part of the production. Their relationship develops gradually, and there is a natural quality to their interactions that helps make their connection believable. Their scenes together provide some of the show’s quieter and more emotional moments.
Then there’s August, played by Connor Sullivan. If Jacob represents the possibility of a new beginning, August represents the danger that can come with being trapped in a world where someone else holds the power. Sullivan brings plenty of charisma to the role, but there is always something unsettling underneath that charm. August can command a room one moment and make you uncomfortable the next, creating the tension that drives much of the story.
The supporting cast also helps make the circus feel like a real community. Robert Tully’s Mr. Jankowski brought an amazing perspective to the show. Javier Garcia’s Camel, Rudy Gibbs’ Barbara, Grant Huneycutt’s Wade and Tyler West’s Walter all add their own personalities to the colorful collection of performers and workers surrounding Jacob, Marlena and August.
Even with such a strong cast, the production itself is impossible to overlook. Water for Elephants isn’t just a musical that happens to take place in a circus. It actually feels like a circus. The staging, choreography, acrobatics, aerial work and puppetry are all incorporated into the story, creating some of the show’s biggest crowd-pleasing moments. The stage is constantly changing, and there always seems to be something happening somewhere.
The animal puppetry is especially fun to watch. Rather than simply being decorations onstage, the animals become part of the story, and the performers bring them to life with impressive movement and personality. It’s one of those theatrical elements that reminds you why seeing a live production can be so different from watching a movie. It was incredible to see the actors transform into these circus animals. It was easy to suspend disbelief. A major highlight was the gradual reveal of Rosie the elephant at the close of Act One. This musical can get pretty dark. The acrobatics and other performances within the circus were a nice break from the darker bits of the storyline. They did an amazing job of transporting us in to the circus world.
There is also a wonderful contrast between the excitement of the circus and the more serious story unfolding underneath it all. The bright costumes, movement and spectacle provide the fun, while Jacob’s journey and the complicated relationship between Jacob, Marlena and August give the show its emotional weight.
Ultimately, Water for Elephants succeeds because it gives audiences a little bit of everything. There is romance, drama, humor, danger and plenty of visual spectacle. Most importantly, the production knows when to let the circus take center stage and when to step back and let its characters carry the story.
Water For Elephants is playing at Eccles Theater until August 30. There are limited tickets available. For more information on ticket availability and to purchase, click here.
