Review of Water for Elephants Broadway Tour in Baltimore, Maryland

If you’re new here, and stumbled upon this blog through the mythical powers of the Internet, welcome! I know a lot of visitors to my website are people who randomly come upon this website through search engines like Google, but I also do have a lot of visitors who come back. Regardless: my name is Ashley, and I started this blog in order to keep track of everything I’m coming across in the world.

I’ve worked at an Off-Off-Broadway space for about five years now, but because I don’t live in New York City (god, I wish I could own a nice brownstone in the city, but we’re never probably getting to that point), my interactions with the theatre world can be quite limited. However, I do have access to a local touring space: the Hippodrome in Baltimore City.

I usually only see shows at the Hippodrome though if I can get a deal or go with someone. I’m a bit antsy as a new driver in cities like Baltimore, especially considering I’ve never actually driven in a situation like this. Hence, when I do end up with tickets to the Hippodrome shows, I go with someone and usually end up paying for parking.

Most of those tickets are lottery wins. I do love a good lottery, and the Hippodrome only sells their lottery tickets for only $40. In this economy, as a girl who wants some solid entertainment, that feels like such a steal for a cute night out at the theater. I usually get good seats too when I win the lottery.

Water for Elephants is a show I actually skipped during my many trips to New York, although I did see some good feedback about the show online in the community spaces I typically read from. I remember very vividly when the movie came out, because that was peak Twilight Robert Pattinson era, which added to my disinterest because I remember not caring for the book or the movie.

But when I saw the Broadway tour was launching in Baltimore, I shrugged my shoulders and decided it was time to enter it. I usually have good luck with their lotteries (I’ve won six or seven now), but I wasn’t expecting much. Lo and behold: I won for a Thursday night towards the end of the run. I asked my friend if she wanted to go, she agreed, and we made a cute little girls’ night out of it.

Here’s my review of the show though! It’s a fun one, that’s for sure.

Jacob Jankowski, after the death of his parents, runs away to the circus to find himself.

The way this show staggers the past and present is this way: we begin in the present day, when Jacob Jankowski is an old man inside of a nursing home. His son promises to take him to the circus, but when it looks like he can’t fulfill that promise, Jacob becomes resentful. He then recalls his tale to the circus people in town, which becomes the past section of the show.

Older Jacob does wander around the stage almost like he’s lost in his memories, adding in certain points or looking melancholic when something happens. Anyways: in the past, he’s at Cornell, one of the best veterinarian schools, when he finds out that both of his parents died in a car accident.

Just days before his final exams, Jacob decides to leave school and see where the wind takes him. That’s how he ends up on the train for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, and this is where the rest of the story takes place. Jacob finds himself crossing paths with the hot tempered ringleader, August, and his wife Marlena, who’s devastated to see her star horse in so much pain.

Jacob becomes the veterinarian for the circus after he correctly examines the horse and determines that it needs to be put down. Animal cruelty is a part of the storyline for this show—August specifically is someone who treats the animals and people in his life poorly, which is how Marlena ends up growing closer romantically to Jacob, leading to even more problems down the line.

We see how Jacob also becomes one with the circus people, who also typically don’t have anyone or anything to go back to. But when hard decisions have to be made and tragedy occurs, the characters have to figure out how to navigate the extent of their situation and how any decisions might forever change their futures.

There are some really gorgeous moments throughout this show. I remember reading about the acrobatic and circus performances on the Broadway production in New York, and there are still quite a few scenes utilizing the talents of the performers in that department. Staging and lighting are a particular highlight for me throughout this, even though I thought the book was a little rushed and flawed at times.

Overall Thoughts

While I enjoyed watching this show, I thought that it wasn’t for me entirely. The weak book is something I can overlook at times with strong music, but only a few of the songs I found myself wanting to listen to after the fact. I’m even listening to those same songs while typing this review out.

Go to this show for the performances. I thought the actor who was playing Jacob had such a fantastic voice, and the people around us were raving about his performance too when we were getting out of the show. Those moments that are really gorgeous, too, like the dream sequence in “My Home” is something I’m genuinely going to remember as one of the best uses of the stage and lighting I’ve seen in a Broadway level production.

I think this show could use some tightening, but at this point that’s not going to happen. I’m happy with my budget I spent what I did, but I could see other people really enjoying this production. Go see it and give it some love if you have the chance! Support theater whenever possible.

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