‘Water For Elephants’ Musical Sets Broadway Closing

Water For Elephants, the Jessica Stone-directed musical adaptation of the bestselling Sara Gruen romantic novel, will play its final performance at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre on Sunday, December 8, having played 301 regular performances and 25 previews since February.

Though one of the better reviewed musicals of the spring 2024 season, the show didn’t quite attain the must-see status of some other spring arrivals like The Outsiders, Stereophonic, Hell’s Kitchen, The Great Gatsby or Cabaret. Still, the musical, which originally starred Grant Gustin, held its own, sometimes topping $1 million in weekly grosses, or coming close.

The figures have been slipping in recent weeks through, with Gustin ending his limited run to be replaced by Kyle Selig (to be sure, the production was losing steam before the September 3 switch).

The most recent box office figures – for the week ending September 29 – were at the lower end of the Broadway roster, with just 62% of seats filled at the Imperial. The show grossed $623,896 that week, compared to $953,653 for the week ending September 1.

The circus-themed musical, with a gorgeous set design and some genuinely thrilling choreography and very cool animal puppets, will launch a national tour in Baltimore at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in the Fall of 2025. Additional cities will announce their engagements over the next several months.

A cast album for Water For Elephants has been released by Ghostlight Records. The musical’s score is by PigPen Theatre Co., and the album is produced by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Ian Kagey.

The show’s book is by Rick Elice adapted from Gruen’s novel, and choreography is by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll.

In addition to Selig, the current cast includes Isabelle McCalla, Gregg Edelman, Paul Alexander Nolan, Philippe Aymard, Stan Brown, Sara Gettelfinger and Wade McCollum. The musical is produced by Peter Schneider, Jennifer Costello, Grove Entertainment, Frank Marshall, Isaac Robert Hurwitz, Seth A. Goldstein, Jane Bergère, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jason M. Brady, Carl & Jennifer Pasbjerg, Erica Rotstein & Crista Marie Jackson, Jana Bezdek & Jen Hoguet, John H. Tyson, Rich Entertainment Group, Jeremiah J. Harris, John Gore Organization, Jeff & Shannon Fallick, Patti & Mike Sullivan, Rodney Rigby, Larry Lelli, Bonnie Feld, Yonge Street Theatricals, Larry J. Kroll, The Shubert Organization, Nederlander Presentations, Nancy Gibbs, Jack Lane, Amy & PJ Lampi, Gwen Arment & Vasi Laurence, Mark Parkman, Fairview Productions, Nothing Ventured Productions, Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw, Glasshouse USA, Willette & Manny Klausner, John Paterakis, Hope Tschopik Schneider, Patty Baker, The Burcaws & Q’d Up Productions , Crescent Road, Cynthia Stroum , Sally Jacobs & Warren Baker, Tawnia Knox & Stuart Snyder, Madison Wells Live & Takonkiet Viravan, Terry H. Morgenthaler, Pamela Moschetti, Gabrielle Palitz & Fahs Productions, The Roehl Family & Chema Verduzco, Shapiro Jensen Schroeder , Tre Amici Productions, We Eat Dreams Productions , Rachel Weinstein, Margot Astrachan, Maik Klokow, and Mehr-BB Entertainment.