WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is Coming to Broadway in 2024

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is making its Broadway premiere next year! The Broadway premiere of the new musical WATER FOR ELEPHANTS will begin previews on Saturday, February 24, 2024, and open Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street). 

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS has a book by three-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher), a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co. (The Tale of Despereaux), is based on the critically acclaimed and New York Times Bestselling novel by Sara Gruen and is directed by Tony Award nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo).  WATER FOR ELEPHANTS unites innovative stagecraft with the very best of Broadway talent in an authentic and deeply moving new musical that invites us all to give ourselves to the unknown. Broadway casting to be announced soon.

“What excites me most about WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is working with our enormous design and creative team, an incredible group of artists from different avenues of storytelling. From Broadway veterans to puppeteers to circus artists- we have an eclectic collection of internationally acclaimed and innovative creators,” said director Jessica Stone. “What’s amazing about the culture of the circus is that you’re dependent upon one another to do a trick safely, so as a team we really all must lean on one another.  If we do our jobs well and connect with our audience we will, quite literally, get the story off the page and into the air.” 

After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.  

Tickets for WATER FOR ELEPHANTS go on sale Wednesday, September 13 at 9am at Telecharge.com (212.239.6200) and range from $59 - $199 (including $2 facility fee).  The playing schedule for WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is as follows: Tuesday through Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, and Sunday at 3pm.  Please Note: There will be no matinee performance Saturday, February 24, Wednesday, February 28, and Wednesday, March 6, and no evening performance Tuesday, February 27.  Beginning Friday, March 22, the playing schedule will be as follows: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 8pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm.  For groups of 10 or more, visit groups.broadway.com (1-800-BROADWAY).

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS features circus design by Shana Carroll (The 7 Fingers), choreography by Jesse Robb (Miss Saigon) and Shana Carroll, scenic design by Drama Desk Award winner Takeshi Kata (Clyde’s), costume design by David Israel Reynoso (Sleep No More), lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Bradley King (Hadestown), sound design by Tony Award nominee Walter Trarbach (Spongebob Squarepants), projections by David Bengali (The Thanksgiving Play), hair & makeup design by Campbell Young Associates (A Beautiful Noise), puppetry design by Camille Labarre (Into the Woods), music supervision and arrangements by Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Some Like It Hot) and Benedict Braxton-Smith (Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls), orchestrations by Tony Award winner Daryl Waters (New York, New York), production stage management by Timothy R. Semon (Company), and casting by Tara Rubin Casting. 

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS had its world premiere in Atlanta on The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre, running from June 7, 2023 through July 9, 2023.  Check out what the critics had to say.

The Atlanta cast included: Stan Brown as Camel, Joe De Paul as Walter, Bryan Fenkart (Waitress) as August, Sara Gettelfinger (A Free Man of Color, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Barbara, Tony Award nominee Harry Groener (Crazy for You, Spamalot) as Mr. Jankowski, Isabelle McCalla (The Prom, Aladdin) as Marlena, Wade McCollum (Wicked, My Fair Lady) as Wade, and Ryan Vasquez (Hamilton, The Wrong Man) as Jacob.