"Water for Elephants" brings spectacle, acrobatics and more to Denver Center for the Performance Arts

If you're looking for a last-minute gift for the holiday season or a way to start your 2026 in a theatrical space, purchasing tickets to see Water for Elephants may be your best bet. The musical, which started as a novel, will make its first stop in Denver in early February.

"Water for Elephants is about a man named Jacob Jankowski, who loses everything," said Helen Krushinski, the actress portraying Marlena in the show. "He hops a train that happens to be attached to a circus."

"He ends up becoming a vet for the circus," said Zachary Keller, the actor portraying Jacob.

Ahead of their visit to Denver, the cast and crew of the musical invited CBS News Colorado for an exclusive preview of the production in Kentucky. There, Keller spoke about how the show not only tells the story of a man joining the circus, but how the show also makes the audience feel part of the process.

"(The actors) are setting up the circus, they are setting up the tent, they are setting up the pole (on stage). You see the acrobats doing their tricks in this moment, and it is cool," Keller said.

First a novel, then a movie, and now a musical, Water for Elephants makes those in the theatre feel like they have a front row seat to a circus.

"There's acrobats, there's life-size puppets," Keller said.

While Keller and Krushinski did not have backgrounds in circus performing before the show, they said they have come to love how the show has helped them improve their performing abilities.

"I am a dancer. But, I am in no way a circus artist or acrobat," Krushinski said.

"Learning about circus culture is very interesting to me, learning how to do the tricks that they do," Keller said.

In an effort to help immerse the audience into a vibe of a real circus, the creative team for the musical went around the world to hire some of the most talented circus acrobats and signed them on to join the touring musical.

"If you are into amazing spectacle and tricks, we have the acrobat flying over our heads at points, and on top of that we have life-size puppets," Keller said.

However, bringing life-size puppets of elephants, horses, and more onto the stage does not come easy. There's a lot of training that goes into trying to make the puppets seem like they have a life of their own.

"You have to make sure their head is moving, make sure their tail is wagging, make sure they are breathing," Keller said.

Keller and Krushinski encouraged people to buy tickets for their show now, promising that it will provide them an experience that will entertain people of all ages.

"It is such an amazing experience to get to see people respond to this," Keller said.

Water for Elephants plays the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Buell Theatre starting February 11. The show closes on the 22nd.

For more information on tickets, click here.

CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.