Hurry! Hurry! Hurry to the Big Top for Broadway’s Water for Elephants at The National Theatre
Water for Elephants – The Broadway Musical
Broadway at The National
The National Theatre
Jordan Wright
December 10, 2025
The Cast of Water for Elephants. (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Step right up to a heart-stopping, tender-hearted musical steeped in early 20th century circus culture and enhanced by life-sized puppets. If you loved the huge puppets in Life of Pi, The War Horse, and other spectacular productions like Disney’s The Lion King, this show is for you. What sets Water for Elephants apart from those mega hits, is a cast peppered with Cirque du Soleil alums. So wow! The acrobatics are breathtaking!
Setting the story is a young Polish man, Jacob Jankowski, played and sung beautifully by Zachary Keller, who we saw last year in the role of Hero in Signature Theatre’s A Funny Thing Happened at the Forum. Jacob has lost his beloved family in a car crash, and the family home has been taken by the bank. In despair, he sets out to find his future and discovers a strange life and passionate love in a traveling circus. Done as a flashback with Jacob’s father appearing throughout, it forms a circle of thrills and chills, romance and heartbreak, among the most fascinating characters you’ll ever encounter.
Zachary Keller (Jacob Jankowski) and the cast of Water for Elephants. (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Jumping on a freight train, Jacob, a veterinarian student, meets these unique characters with the ragtag Berzini Brothers circus. After some dustups with the circus workers, he is hired to care for the wild animals – a horse, a lion, a llama, a zebra, a tiger, a bear, an orangutan and a giraffe are revealed. But it is when the circus’s cruel yet dashing ringmaster, August and his beautiful wife, Marlena, come into Jacob’s life that the story takes a turn and Rosie, the elephant, becomes Marlena’s star act.
Based on the best-selling, historical novel by Sara Gruen with a beautiful score written by the Pigpen Theatre Co., this musical received 7 Tony Award nominations including “Best Book”, “Best Musical” and “Best Direction”.
Helen Krushinski (Marlena). (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Twenty-one great numbers backed by a full orchestra, fill this magical production with stirring ballads, spirited hoedown dancing and more flips, cartwheels, throws, aerialists and lifts than a three-ring circus.
It’s “tip top” and a must see this season!!!
The cast of Water for Elephants. (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
With Robert Tully as Mr. Kankowski; Javier Garcia as Camel; Connor Sullivan as August/Charlie; the fabulous voice of Helen Krushinski as Marlena/June; Grant Huneycutt as Wade; Tyler West as Walter; Bradley Parrish as Sal; Ruby Gibbs as Barbara; Nancy Luna as Agnes, an orangutan; Yemie Woo as Sue; Zakeyia Lacey as Vera; Yves Artières as Silver Star, a horse; Adam Fullick as Rex, a lion; John Neurohr as Caretaker; Ella Huestis, Bradley Parrish, John Neurohr, Carl Robinett, Grant Huneycutt as Rosie, an elephant; Ella Huestis as Nurse Rosemary; Carl Robinett as Orderly and Bradley Parrish as Worker.
Book by Rick Elice; Original Direction by Jessica Stone; Circus Design by Shana Carroll; Scenic Design by Takeshi Kata; Choreography by Jesse Robb & Shana Carroll; Costume Design by David I. Reynoso; Lighting Design by Bradley King; Puppet Design by Ray Wetmore & Jr. Goodman and Camille LaBarre; Projection Design by David Bengali; Orchestra Conducted by Sarah Pool Wilhelm.
At The National Theatre through December 14th at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004, For tickets and information call the box office at 800.513.7540 or visit www.TheNationalDC.com.