Theater Review: ‘Water for Elephants’ brings circus magic to Fresno
By Doug Hoagland
It was, fittingly, a circus Tuesday night at Saroyan Theatre.
The musical “Water for Elephants” – the inaugural offering of Broadway in Fresno’s 2026-27 season – brought the story of a Depression-era circus to pulsing life with trapeze and aerial arts, acrobatics, and a menagerie of puppets (animals on the outside, actors’ hands or sometimes whole bodies on the inside).
A minimal set design gave the dancers and gymnasts a wide berth to launch their bodies into muscular stunts and athletic choreography, creating the three-ring excitement that circuses, in their heyday, brought to crowds.
Combined, these elements exploded into bursts of crowd-pleasing energy. You could sense the audience holding its collective breath at some of the aerial feats. Of particular note: Yves Artieres portraying the doomed horse, Silver Star. Airborne on a long, rope-like piece of fabric, he gracefully swung high over the stage and toward the audience before executing a dramatic drop to symbolize the moment the horse is put out of its misery.
Even as some of the gymnasts in the national touring company balanced atop one another (the three-high stack was a standout), the feats never overshadowed a narrative driven by love, loyalty and cruelty. A capable cast – anchored by strong performances – kept everything in balance.
Zachary Keller plays Jacob Jankowski, a young man who runs from family tragedy, jumps on a moving train and ends up with the Benzini Brothers Circus in 1931. Keller’s commanding tenor served him – and the audience – well, and he handled his dramatic duties with an easy naturalness. Another hold-your-breath moment came as he sat on a trapeze and sang while ascending higher and higher above the stage.
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Keller’s role is pivotal in the memory-play structure of the show. He portrays the younger version of Jacob as his older self (a solid Robert Tully) looks backward to his time of working with the circus as a veterinarian without a diploma. His patients include the horse, Silver Star; a lion, Rex; and Rosie, an elephant with an instinct for justice. More on her later.
Helen Krushinski plays Marlena, a circus star married to the troupe’s volatile owner and ringmaster August (an adept Connor Sullivan). Acting on their characters’ mutual attraction, Krushinski and Keller share a chemistry that begins with flirtation before it turns to passion. She owned the stage with vocal intensity in a duet with Keller in “Wild.” In the song, Marlena declares a ferocious break from her husband.
Another nice turn came from Grant Huneycutt in a smaller role as circus foreman Wade, who’s pushed to betray his conscience. Huneycutt convincingly embodied the bully – and then the bullied – adding a palpable undercurrent of menace (as the bully) and panicked dread (when bullied).
Huneycutt joined Keller and a third actor – Fresno-connected Chris Carsten – in the crucial opening number “Anywhere/Another Train.” Carsten has several potential assignments in “Water for Elephants.” On Tuesday night, as an understudy, he stepped into the role of Camel, a circus roustabout who becomes a compassionate father-figure to young Jacob.
Carsten – a veteran actor who has toured the country in multiple national Broadway productions – calls Fresno home. His children live here, and he performed notably in a Good Company Players’ production of “A Man for All Seasons” in 2022. With a pro’s ease, Carsten’s Camel – afflicted with illness and addiction – inspires the loyalty of young Jacob and a clown named Walter (a scene-stealing Tyler West). Tuesday’s audience welcomed Carsten home with extra appreciation as the cast took its bows.
Now, back to Rosie, the 10-foot-high pachyderm who plods across the stage while batting her long eyelashes. She is reportedly modeled after an Indian/Asian elephant and built using rattan, a natural material, combined with lightweight steel supports. A rotating set of actors (the audience only sees their feet) operates Rosie.
Humans are drawn to real elephants because their immense size is paired with an emotional depth, evidenced by a strong family loyalty (among other traits). On Tuesday night, Rosie literally commanded the stage whenever she appeared, decisively showing that while elephants can show empathy, they will only take so much abuse.
Now about the title: In the show, the older Jacob hears a fellow resident in a nursing home talk of once working on a circus and carrying water to the elephants. Jacob knows that it would be impossible for one person to bring as much water as an elephant drinks in a day. While irritated by the lie, he is prompted to remember his time with the circus.
As older Jacob will declare in his reminiscing: “I choose the circus, I choose the ride.” On Tuesday, the Fresno audience got the reward of tagging along.
“Water for Elephants plays again at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
