Grant Gustin heads to the circus

“Do you want to feel something?” Water for elephants begins with that simple but important question, an unspoken promise to the audience that something great is just around the corner. There are heartstrings to tug, tears to provoke, awe to inspire, and this is the musical to do it…. Or is that it?

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Sara Gruen, which inspired Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon’s 2011 film, the musical follows retiree Jacob Jankowski (seasoned Broadway veteran Gregg Edelman), who recently escaped the confines of a nursing home. old people where he fears the simplicity of life and the horrors of liquid rice pudding. When he flees, it is to enjoy the wonders of a traveling circus that instantly unleashes his past, and so, we are thrust back fifty years, watching the story of a young Jacob, whose world explodes when he unknowingly jumps a circus train. .

This is where The flash Enter alumnus Grant Gustin, perfectly charming as our protagonist and an ideal conduit for the audience as he finds his footing with the ragtag circus crew.

Gustin’s Jacob clashes with company muscle Wade (a scene-stealing Wade McCollum) and forges a sweet friendship with wise-guy Camel (Stan Brown making a confident Broadway debut at age 61). Jacob, a veterinarian in training, even makes friends with the circus animals. But the relationship that engulfs him completely, and, for better or worse, the entire story, is the tense love triangle he enters with plucky star attraction Marlena (Isabelle McCalla) and her volatile ringmaster husband, August (Paul Alexander Nolan, exuding confidence like a con man). ).

Like his portrayal of Barry Allen, Gustin plays Jacob with ease, offering a welcoming air despite the turmoil obviously brewing beneath his surface. The last Happiness The student who takes over Broadway certainly succeeds as a pivotal presence to the story: he’s plausible, but not thought-provoking. So it’s no surprise that he spends a considerable portion of the musical stepping aside to let the real stars take center stage.

Circus performers, or perverts as they are often reminded, bring Water for elephants to the life.

The Jessica Stone-directed musical is never more compelling than when the stage is within reach. This is where the promise is fulfilled: Do you want to feel something? The magic of the Benzini Brothers Circus will make it happen. The performers exude charisma and spread infectious enthusiasm even when they are not displaying their death-defying feats. And when they are, it’s undeniably exciting business.

The confines of the Imperial Theater stage may limit the pure potential of the circus spectacle, but the musical makes that reality easy to forget. The purpose of his dazzling acts varies: sometimes to immerse us in Jacob’s circus experience and other times to mix with dream sequences that abandon the literal to focus entirely on emotion. One particularly fascinating sequence interprets the death of an animal as an aerial dancer on silks. Antoine Boissereau is evocative with just his body, filling the number with pathos that he blends perfectly with the eerie melody sung by McCalla’s Marlena.

Unfortunately, the songs, with music and lyrics by Pig Pen Theater Co., fail to inspire the same sense of wonder. There are a few exceptions: “I Choose The Ride” becomes the emotional beat of the musical, and “The Grand Spec,” as the name promises, is a particular highlight that fully unleashes the circus acts. Musically, the highest moments occur when the company intervenes alongside the protagonists and the voices rise to an emotional peak. But overall, the songs emulate the effect of a traveling circus in a rather unfortunate way: they’re there one moment and gone the next. The melodies don’t last long and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired.

The choreography at least is something to behold, particularly when the entire company takes the stage, mixing dance with elaborate acrobatics. It is here that Gustin, like Jacob, finds his way. During the ensemble numbers, he blends in with the new family, slowly learning their routines, picking up on his movements and adopting them as his own. Circus designer Shana Carroll, who also works as a choreographer with Jesse Robb, does an impressive job: movement guides the production even when the music is not up to the task.

As he did with Hadestown, lighting designer Bradley King seamlessly transports us between Takeshi Kata’s sets. The production is almost sparse at times, giving us the touchstone we need to imagine the circus in its entirety. That’s all you need anyway; the company fills the stage.

As you might expect when turning a novel into a children’s musical experience, the edges of the story soften noticeably. The adaptation doesn’t always know how to handle the violence in its text, whether it’s people hurting each other or lashing out at animals. It happens, it goes unnoticed, the story moves forward.

Outside of the ensemble’s dedicated circus performers, nothing else lives up to greatness: even the romance between Marlena and Jacob has a certain smallness to it. But the sentimentality of the program remains. It’s endearing, much like Gustin’s performance, so easy to charm and even easier to forgive when the company returns in their rhinestones and dazzling leotards to twirl above us or leap across the stage.

At least we never wonder how the circus drags Jacob along. The romance may fall short and the songs lack a certain sparkle, but the magic of the circus is winning. Grade B-

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