Water for Elephants, based on Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel, is a musical that blends circus acts, original songs, and dance numbers. It’s a unique stage show about a young man, Jacob, who joins the circus as an animal caretaker. The drama begins when he falls for Marlena, the star equestrian performer who is married to the heartless ringmaster.

The musical is touring nationwide and is currently playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA, until September 27. It will head to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, from November 10 to 22, 2026.

Portraying the lead, Jacob Jankowski, is Zachary Keller, whose credits include the regional premiere of John Proctor Is the Villain (Studio Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Signature Theatre), along with And Then There Were None (Drury Lane Theatre). TV credits include Shameless, Law and Order, and Chicago Med.

“It was an interesting experience, and I think you touched on it,” Keller said. “There’s something for everyone in this thing. There are life-size puppets, there are acrobats flying through the air, there are dance numbers, and there’s great music by PigPen Theater Co. And on top of that, it’s really a heartwarming story. The rehearsal process was really interesting because we would all be off in different rooms learning different things.”

With so many moving parts in the show, one of the most intriguing parts of this production is Rosie the elephant.

“It starts off where you just see an ear, because that was the first thing that Jacob remembers noticing about Rosie, and then you see the trunk,” the performer explained. “That was the second thing, like once the trunk hugged Marlena, that was a big step. And then you see the legs once Rosie finally starts being able to understand Jacob, and then you finally see the whole elephant itself.

“So it’s a memory play in that way, and that’s why some of the other puppets, they’re not complete puppets. You have just the tiger head, or you have just the lion head. You have just the zebra head, so you don’t remember the whole thing. That’s kind of how memory is sort of fragmented. You can’t remember all the specific details, but I thought that was a fascinating take.”

Audiences most likely won’t see the same type of show twice thanks to the different rotations of acrobats.

“The show is shifting, and if you come to see the show twice, more than likely you’re going to see a different show, at least in terms of the tricks,” Keller said. “So it’s interesting in that way.”