Water for ElephantsBe the first to receive more information on licensing Water for Elephants. Please click any LICENSE button above and fill out the form for your organization. Also, check out Water for Elephants (High School Edition) – Now Available for Licensing! Water for Elephants, based on the bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, is a dazzling, heart-filled musical about Jacob, a young man desperate to escape his past, who jumps aboard a moving train uncertain of the road ahead. Finding himself on the ride of a lifetime, Jacob joins the colorful company of a traveling circus and is hired by the imperious ringmaster, August, as caretaker to the animals. Jacob soon develops an unspoken attraction to the star performer and August’s wife, Marlena. A last-ditch effort to save their struggling show brings an elephant into the troupe, drawing Marlena and Jacob dangerously close, forever changing the circus’s fate. Nominated for 7 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, Water for Elephants features a book by four-time Tony Award® nominee Rick Elice (Peter and The Starcatcher, Jersey Boys) and a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co. (The Old Man and The Old Moon). Hailed by The New York Times as a “miracle,” Water for Elephants will fill your heart and make you feel alive. |
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Roles
2W, 5M, 1 Any +Ensemble
Musicians
12
Acts
2
Duration
2 hrs 30 mins |
Creators
PigPen Theatre Co.
Music & Lyrics By PigPen Theatre Co. began creating their unique brand of theatre, music, and film as freshmen at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2007. They have since produced their original plays in New York City and toured the country –...
Rick Elice
Book By Jersey Boys, Rick’s first Broadway credit, co-authored with Marshall Brickman, won the Tony Award®, the Grammy Award and the Olivier Award for Best Musical, and is in the record books as the twelfth longest-running show...
Videos
Reviews
"Dazzling and thrilling."
Time Out New York
"★★★★ Stunning and emotional."
The New York Times
"A gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical."
The New York Times, Critic's Pick
Orchestration
12 Musicians
PIANO/CONDUCTOR (w/ Optional Harmonica)
KEYBOARD 2
REED 1 (Clarinet, Piccolo, Flute, Alto Sax)
REED 2 (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax)
TRUMPET (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
TROMBONE (Trombone, Bass Trombone)
VIOLIN
CELLO
BASS (Acoustic, Electric)
DRUMS
GUITAR 1 (Steel String Acoustic, Nylon String Acoustic, Banjo (5 string), Tenor Banjo, Archtop)
GUITAR 2 (Resonator [opt.], Nylon String Acoustic, Steel String Acoustic, Mandolin)
Casting
Mr. Jankowski - 60s-70s
An elderly man who used to work as a vet at Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth. While he is now in assisted living, he is full of life and the memories from his youth. He takes joy in recounting his story to anyone who will listen.
Jacob - 20s-30s
The younger version of Mr. Jankowski. A young man coming into his own. Jacob had been training as a veterinarian before a personal tragedy propelled him to run away from life as he knew it. After hopping a train, he finds himself amongst the performers of Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth and joins the show as the animal caretaker.
August - 30s-40s
Owner and ringmaster of Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth. He is compelling and utterly charming, but there is a certain darkness beneath the surface that keeps everyone around him on edge, and a quiet cruelty running through him that shows up in the way he treats the animals of the circus and his wife, Marlena.
Marlena - 20s-30s
The Star Performer at Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth and wife of August. Marlena is a talented equestrian who has a profound, almost spiritual connection with her horses. She joined the circus after running away from home at a young age, and after ten years of marriage, she has developed a tough skin and learned how to look out for herself.
Barbara - 30s-40s
A former headliner, now a dancer with Benzini. A long-time member of the circus, Barbara is brassy but kind.
Camel - 40s-60s
The been-there, done-that head roustabout at Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth who likes to use big words and is the first to show Jacob the ropes at Benzini, quickly becoming a father-figure to him.
Wade - 20s-30s
A former army sergeant, now a roustabout at Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth, and August’s “fixer." Wade has a large and imposing stature. He keeps his friends close and has a healthy distrust of strangers.
Walter or Wallis
All Genders - mid 20s-40s
A clown and audience favorite at Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Walter/Wallis is slow to warm but, once won over, is a loyal friend.
Ensemble
All Genders - All Ages
Characters from the ensemble include VERA, SUE, CARETAKER, ORDERLY, ROUSTABOUTS including TALL ROUST, TICKET ROUST, ROUSTS 1-4 (sing in quartet), FAST BARKER, SLOW BARKER, CHANTEUSE and ANIMALS: QUEENIE (Labrador Retriever), REX (Lion), ROSIE (Elephant), SILVER STAR (Horse), AGNES (Orangutan), among other animals.
Credits
Based on the novel by Sara Gruen
