‘Water for Elephants’ to close on Broadway

The musical adaptation of the bestselling 2006 novel by Sara Gruen opened at the Imperial Theatre and received eight Tony Award nominations in 2024.

The circus is leaving town. Water for Elephants has set a Broadway closing date of December 8 at the Imperial Theatre. At the time of closing, the show will have played 326 total performances.

Water for Elephants began as a 2006 bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, telling the story of a young man named Jacob Jankowski who runs away with the circus following a family tragedy. The vet school dropout finds a new career, family, and romance with Marlena, the wife of ringmaster August.

The musical adaptation of Gruen’s story features an adapted script by Rick Elice and songs by PigPen Theatre Co. Water for Elephants premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2023 before transferring to Broadway in spring 2024 under the direction of Jessica Stone (Drama Desk Award winner for Best Direction of a Musical). The show earned critical acclaim and eight Tony Award nominations, including for Best Musical.

“On paper, it’s straightforward rom-dram stuff. On stage at the Imperial Theatre, everything ascends thanks to its energizing and poetic elements,” New York Theatre Guide’s Water for Elephants review reads. Jacob’s story unfurls amid legit acts – acrobats, daredevils, trapeze swingers, and more – that add a different dimension.”

The current Water for Elephants cast includes Kyle Selig as Jacob Jankowski, Isabelle McCalla as Marlena, Gregg Edelman as Mr. Jankowski, Paul Alexander Nolan as August, Stan Brown as Camel, Joe De Paul as Walter, Sara Gettelfinger as Barbara, and Wade McCollum as Wade.

Photo credit: Isabelle McCalla and Kyle Selig in Water for Elephants. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)