Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...“Water for Elephants,” now playing in Chicago at the Nederlander Theatre, is set during the tawdry 1930s days of the American circus. This 2024 Broadway musical, an adaptation of the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and the 2011 Reese Witherspoon movie, thus requires an ensemble of both legitimate circus artists and traditional Broadway ensemble members who can sing the theatrically serviceable score, composed by the ensemble known as the PigPen Theatre Co. Indeed, its fusion of those two demands, under the combined auspices of Jessica Stone (the original theater director) and Shana Carroll (the circus designer) is its greatest achievement."
Chicago Sun Times
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The circus acts are the highlights of the show. The acrobatics were impressive, and when they were sprinkled in around the choreography in the bigger numbers, it all felt well integrated, like Broadway dancing taken up a notch. At several moments, the directing paid homage to the attention overload of the classic three-ring circus, where there are so many things happening simultaneously you don’t know where to look."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...To my delighted surprise, I was reluctantly lulled into the oddly familiar tale of a struggling circus. The drama is compelling as true love erupts, to the disapproval of the power-wielding ringmaster. The scenography, the costumes, the circus tricks, and even the music (particularly when it strayed occasionally into folk territory), elicited vicarious nostalgia in me. And when they tossed in a handful of animal puppets and a subplot about standing up to animal cruelty, I was fully hooked."
Stage and Cinema
- Recommended
"...Water for Elephants, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, premiered on Broadway in March 2024 and closed that December after just 300 performances. With a book by Rick Elice, music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co., and original direction by Jessica Stone, it received only lukewarm notices. I heard little about it, largely because no one I knew had seen it. Consequently, I went into the non-union Broadway tour at the Nederlander Theatre with fairly low expectations. I was blown away."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Somewhat Recommended
"...This play is problematic for me, as it could, with a few theatrical changes, be a delightful experience for those unfamiliar with the book or its film adaptation. However, for those who have already immersed themselves in Gruen's enchanting tale of romantic love, it might come across as somewhat lacking in creativity, one-dimensional characterization, and excitement. The play has a limited run in Chicago until Jul 5, making it challenging to address some of its flaws. Still, it provides an opportunity for the creative team to enhance its engaging elements. With focused attention, it could resonate more deeply with audiences before its departure."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...If someone were to ask me to describe Rick Elice’s “Water for Elephants” in one word, that word would have to be “SPECTACLE”! This is a musical ( music & lyrics by Pigpen Theatre Company) based on the book by Sara Gruen. It is a story about love, and life as a young man , Jacob ( Zachary Keller), hops a train, unaware of where it might be headed, in order to rekindle his life. As it turns out, the train he ends up on is a Circus Train and this play is the telling of his adventures, his new friends/family, and his new love."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is impressive for how it faithfully brings Sara Gruen’s beloved novel to life. All the beloved characters from her book are there. Director Jessica Stone has nicely guided her talented cast and brought all the color and spectacle of the big top to the stage. Although audiences probably won’t leave the theatre humming the songs, it’s the animals and the gravity-defying performances by a gifted ensemble of performers who sing, dance, flip and dangle high above the stage that provide the thrills and chills of the greatest show on earth."
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...The musical Water for Elephants, presented by Broadway In Chicago and based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel, is the rare touring Broadway production that feels like two forms of live entertainment fused perfectly. It is a sweeping musical, yes, but it is also a full-blown circus spectacle – and, more impressively, it manages to blow you away on both fronts."
The Fourth Walsh
- Highly Recommended
"...This show has everything… sizzling romance, dramatic tension, slapstick comedy, physical artistry, breathtaking feats and imaginative puppets. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is a show of shows!"
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Broadway in Chicago's touring production of Water for Elephants is a remarkable example of how a beloved novel can be transformed to the stage while retaining its heart and spectacle. Through its breathtaking acrobatics, imaginative puppetry, and emotionally resonant performances, the production captures both the magic and hardships of life under the big top. More than just a visual spectacle, the musical explores themes of resilience, found family, and hope in the face of adversity. By the final curtain, audiences are left not only impressed by the extraordinary talent on stage, but also moved by a story celebrating the enduring power of compassion and belonging."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Under the direction of Jessica Stone and circus designer Shana Carroll (Jesse Robb worked with Carroll on the choreography) this is a show that does not skimp on the value for your entertainment dollar. My adult daughter, taking a night off from her husband and children, and I—along with everyone near enough to us to hear—were thoroughly entertained and completely engrossed. And that was in no small part due to the unusual nature of a show that is part musical and part circus. My daughter described it afterwards as living in the world of Cirque du Soleil “but with a real plot.”"
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre may well be the most thematically appropriate venue in the country for the first national tour of “Water for Elephants.” The endlessly ornate venue opened in 1926, a scant five years before the musical based on Sara Gruen’s 1931-set novel about a travelling circus trying to outrun the Great Depression. There are literally elephants in the vestibule of the 100-year-old Nederlander, their tusked heads holding orb-like lamps. There’s also at least one elephant built into the house, a fanciful pachyderm amid the sea of gryphons and other fantastical creatures sculpted into the walls around the seats."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...I loved the singing and dancing. My favorite songs were “The Road Don’t Make YouYoung,” “Squeaky Wheel,” and “Zosta?”. Although I did not realize Zostan was the Polish command for “stay,” I misinterpreted it as stop. The elephant Rosie only knew Polish commands. In fact, I believe that without prior knowledge of the Gruen book or Witherspoon film, the storyline could be compromised and misunderstood by the over-the-top circus theme. In fact, we find out that the circus is all about illusions and deceptions that enthrall us but are not real. The title Water for Elephants is an inside joke."
Allie and the After Party
- Recommended
"...Taking the book that became a movie and now bringing it to the stage, Water for Elephants follows runaway Jacob Jankowski as he becomes the vet for the Benzini Brothers circus. Part love story, part self-reflection, part actual circus, Water for Elephants hits the mark for a circus spectacular and dramatic play."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...If you have ever wanted to run away and join the circus—a common childhood dream of previous eras—“Water for Elephants” is the musical for you."
