When a veterinary student, down on his luck in the Great Depression, decides to start all over and finds a train to jump on that turns out to be a circus train, well, almost anything can, and does, happen.
While the Broadway stage has created amazing special effects and dramatic combinations in its long history, nothing like the smash-hit “Water for Elephants” has ever been attempted.
Yet for Connor Sullivan, who landed the role of ringmaster and antagonist after a career as an experienced Disney singer and cruise line performer, this role is as transformational for him as it is for audiences who see him perform.
“If you’re willing to go along for the ride, it can be some of the most inspiring storytelling moments that you’ll ever experience,” said Sullivan in an interview with ENE.
Connor Sullivan as August, the circus owner & ringmaster, and the cast of “Water for Elephants” on stage soon.
“You must have so much trust, and you must really have such a sense of family and a community to put a show like this together, he said.
For Sullivan, this is his first true test on a Broadway-caliber stage, and thus far audiences seem to have fallen in love with this newfound ringmaster and his ability to command the stage.
The New York Times, which can sometimes be brutal, gave the touring production an enthusiastic review, calling it a “stunning, emotional production,” and says, “it leads with movement, eye candy and awe.”
Therefore, enter the Segerstrom expecting a thrilling world of circus magic on stage, featuring jaw-dropping acrobatics, stunning puppetry, and immersive staging.
Have you ever thought about running away to the circus? It might sound enticing: jump on a train that’s pulling out of the town where there’s nothing left for you, and see what happens. It’s a circus; it must be exciting, right?
The musical “Water for Elephants” is an awe-inspiring theatrical production.
When young veterinary student Jacob jumps on that train, little could he have known he had put himself in the middle of drama, both in the ring and in the heart of the lead aerialist, Marlena, who happens to be married to the jealous owner of this rundown show.
Enter Sullivan, the August ringmaster and Marlena’s husband; as her attention grows for the young vet, Jacob, the beautiful trouble begins.
“Jacob is interested in my wife, and I know that,” Sullivan says of August’s character. “I am jealous of Jacob’s closeness with Marlena and his connectedness with the other circus performers,” said Sullivan.
“Jacob and Marlena never really have an affair,” he said, though August, towards the end, loses his temper and orders the valuable Jacob thrown off the train.
Photo by Matthew Murphy for Murphy Made.
This is certainly not the famed Ringling Brothers Circus, but “Water for Elephants” is apparently a smorgasbord to behold.
Based on Sarah Gruen’s 2006 novel of the same name, critics and audiences overwhelmingly agree that the circus magic makes it an unforgettable night at the theater.
One of the show’s choreographers, circus designer Shana Carroll, brings Cirque du Soleil experience and 20 years as a circus performer. She has frequently been asked to help a director include circus acts in a production, but has always said no. She didn’t want to place an act in a show just for the sake of having something.
Carroll wanted the circus to be an integral part of a show, and she found it with “Water for Elephants.” Her co-choreographer, Jesse Robb, also worked at Cirque du Soleil, and they share an acrobatic language.
According to Sullivan, seven cast members have real circus skills and make everything look easy. Many of them have multiple skills that extend what they can do, he said.
“Breathing extraordinary life into the show is the highly talented ensemble of acrobats, contortionists, and aerialists,” says another critic.
“The exceptional physicality of the entire company is worth the price of admission alone, and their jaw-dropping circus acts are out of this world.”
In addition to these experts are the lead actors who learned from Carroll how to swing from a trapeze and make their roles more realistic. “I have so much fun up there,” says one of the actors who has just learned how to swing from a trapeze. “I think the reason I’m not scared is that I was taught by the foremost trapeze artist in the world,” she said in a statement.
Sullivan said he refused to spoil the ending, but after he orders Jacob off the train, Marlena must decide how to move forward and whether they can save the circus.
“I hope the audience leaves with a message of hope and community,” said Sullivan, “reaching your arms out to other people and knowing that you are not alone.”
Regardless of the circumstance, “you can find a fresh start wherever you are in life,” he said.
Step right up for “Water for Elephants” on the Segerstrom stage Nov. 10 – 22. Visit scfta.org for info, 714-556-2122 for ticket info.