Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable
contrast.
Register 50 Seats Remaining
Take a deep dive into the story at the heart of "Water for Elephants" and how it transformed in book, film and stage.
See other dates and locations for this program on our events calendar.
Water for Elephants dazzled New York audiences upon its March 2024 premiere, with spectacular acrobatics, mesmerizing puppetry and a driving score by the PigPen Theatre Co.
The musical, based on Sarah Gruen’s 2006 novel of the same name, follows the young veteran Jacob Jankowski as he joins the circus, the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, soon becoming enamored with the animals, spectacle and the beautiful performer Marlena.
Beneath the tent’s brightly-colored silk awaits a glittering world of artistry and cruelty, and Jacob fights to protect all those, animal or human, who fall under his care. Gruen’s novel is framed by the perspective of 93-year old Jacob, recollecting his circus adventures though his memory is fleeting, and so too does the stage musical use the old Jacob as a narrator, giving context through the veil of many decades.
This talk will trace the story’s adaptation from novel to film to stage musical, highlighting themes of remembrance, escapism and empathy as Jacob and Marlena’s story comes to life in song.
TAGS: | General |
The Brecksville Branch is conveniently located across the street from the Brecksville Community Center and the Kids Quarters playground area. In 2006, the branch suffered extensive flood damage that required the building to be closed for nearly six months while repairs were made. The newly remodeled building reopened on January 14, 2007.