Gordon and I drove over to Hollywood last night to see Water for Elephants. We missed opening night because of a conflict so we didn’t have a problem with parking. We drove right in and got a choice spot. And we had different seats than our usual ones. They were better—we hoped. We normally sit in row F, which I like, and these were row C. We worried that they might be too close to the stage but they worked out beautifully. The usher stopped to welcome us, saying that we’d enjoy the seats; the people who normally sat there loved them. I don’t know why he felt the to strike up a conversation. Maybe he missed his ‘regulars’. Or maybe he was just feeling friendly. It was a pleasant interlude.
I didn’t know what to expect from the musical. I’d read the book and seen the movie and still couldn’t remember much about it. It didn’t leave much of an impression. And regulars skipping out on good seats? Not a good sign. I thought it’d be boring. Boy, was I wrong. It’s the story of a young man who runs away and joins the circus because he has nothing in his life to return to. He’s taken all the Cornell courses he needed to be a vet but he skipped his final exams. He correctly diagnoses what is wrong with the horse of the star act and is hired by the owner/ringmaster as resident vet and the play is set in motion. The music worked but I can’t remember one hummable song. The staging was magnificent. The fragmented sets stood in for the railroad cars, the circus tent…everything. And the choreography was astonishing. Acrobats were included so the dance numbers included “flying” acts. They must have hired Cirque de Soleil performers. And the puppets were amazing. The actors moving the elephant legs made it seem like real. The fragmented horse was gorgeous. I really can’t say enough about these performances. They combined circus acts, dance routines, and puppetry. I oohed and ahhed all night. Absolutely loved it.
Another interesting note: the actor who plays the older version of the lead part actually started his career as ringmaster for Ringling Bros./B&B circus. No wonder he was so good at the part. But he was just first among many. Everybody is a star in this show.
Go see it. There’s nothing like it anywhere.