Choose the Right/Ride in ‘Water for Elephants’ musical tour
In Utah culture, “CTR” is inescapable. With a proliferation of CTR rings and necklaces, merchandise, and everyday shorthand, the phrase is malodorous, especially to former-but-yet-recovered Mormons.
It evokes years of being taught pious worthiness and righteousness through a simplistic moral command. As a sadly still indoctrinated (now militant) former Mormon, hearing “choose the right” and not “choose the ride” is an easy mistake. And that was an error I made seeing the “Water for Elephants” national tour at the Eccles.
The songwriters deliberately chose abstract, cyclical lyrics, which may explain my confusion.
In the musical, Jacob, as the main character, faces the conflict between his veterinary oath and the realities of circus life and the Depression-era moral ambiguity. His decision to join a ragtag traveling circus is captured in “I Chose the Ride,” a song that encapsulates the show’s theme.
In this production, the actor playing Jacob, Zachary Keller, is one of the production’s great strengths, with his powerhouse voice and thoughtful acting. His “Silver Stars” solo demonstrates his commanding vocal presence.
But the depth of talent extends beyond its leading man.
Helen Krushinski as Marlena has a luminous voice with emotional nuance. She impresses with “Easy,” beautifully accentuated by breathtaking aerial silks work by Yves Artières. Her beloved injured horse is portrayed through the aerialist’s movement, a surprising departure from the imaginative puppetry of the other circus animals.
The other character in the love triangle is August, Marlena’s abusive husband, played by the imposingly tall Connor Sullivan, fresh off playing Billy Flynn in the “Chicago” national tour. Sullivan has stage presence and a commanding baritone.
None of this diminishes the thrilling, high-flying acrobatics of the ensemble, which are themselves an essential part of the storytelling. Trapezes, aerial silks, aerial hoops, and intricate Chinese pole maneuvers are used not simply for spectacle but to advance the storytelling.
After hearing comments about “Water for Elephants,” I sat in the theater with concerns. But the production has been redesigned for the tour, including a reconstructed Rosie the elephant that moves with remarkable grace.
The tour also includes a redesigned, reconstructed Rosie the elephant that moves with realistic grace. The touring production also incorporates changes to the book, trimming clunky subplots and emphasizing the central emotional stakes.
The first act spends too much time establishing life in the traveling circus, while the second rushes character development and departs from major plot points in Sara Gruen’s enormously popular novel. Fortunately, the production’s physical storytelling accomplishes what the book cannot.
Yet I can’t agree more about the mediocrity of the lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. (who/what is that?). Its/their credits are vastly little-known minor works.
The serviceable book by the four-time Tony-nominated Rick Elice is not his strongest work, alongside sterling “Peter and the Starcatcher,” “The Addams Family” and “Jersey Boys.” The first act spends too much time establishing life in the traveling circus, while the second rushes character development and departs from major plot points in Sara Gruen’s popular novel. Thankfully, the physical storytelling can accomplish what the script cannot.
I found the show a crowd-pleaser, with soaring onstage talent and design talent complemented by astonishing athleticism. Combining the exhilaration of the circus with the emotional involvement of a Broadway musical, “Water for Elephants” has a cast seemingly without limits: singers become acrobats, acrobats become actors and puppeteers become creatures.
Throughout the thrilling evening, the audience feels as if it has run away with the circus—and joined it
.
►Broadway at the Eccles, through Aug. 30, 2026
