Water for Elephants Final Weekend at the Pantages

The Water for Elephants national tour is almost out of Hollywood. The Pantages lists the run as September 8 through 27, so this weekend is the last shot at seeing it here before the trucks pull out. If you've been putting it off, this is one of the better LA events this weekend, and it's a nice change from another night at a bar.

The story comes from Sara Gruen's 2006 bestseller, which also became a 2011 movie. Jacob Jankowski is a vet student whose life falls apart during the Depression. He jumps a moving train, lands with the Benzini Brothers circus, and ends up caring for the animals. He falls for Marlena, a star performer. Her husband August runs the show and has a cruel streak. Then there's Rosie, an elephant the rest of the outfit has given up on. The whole thing is framed as an old man's memory, so even the big circus numbers carry a little grief.

Why people keep recommending it

The musical opened on Broadway in 2024 and picked up seven Tony nominations. The hook is that the circus actually happens in front of you. Acrobats tumble, climb and fly through the scenes. The animals, Rosie included, are built from puppetry and performers' bodies rather than anything on wheels.

PigPen Theatre Co. wrote the score, and it leans folk and Americana: fiddle, guitar, stacked harmonies. People who mostly spend their weekends at concerts in Los Angeles tend to like this one more than they expect to, because it sounds closer to a string band than a brass-heavy Broadway pit.

A heads-up for families: there's real violence from the ringmaster, and a few scenes get dark. Teenagers should be fine. Younger kids may find parts of it upsetting.

The building

The Pantages opened in 1930 and hosted the Oscars through the 1950s. The ceiling in the photo above is in the entrance, and the lobby past it is even more ornate, all gilded figures and sculpted plaster. Show up early enough to look around before you head to your seat. These days it's the main LA home for touring Broadway shows.

Practical info

When: A Sunday, September 27 performance, per the Ticketmaster listing. Check that page for the exact curtain time before you go. Where: Hollywood Pantages Theatre, on Hollywood Boulevard just east of Vine. Tickets: Through Ticketmaster. We couldn't confirm a price, so look at the seat map before you commit.

The easiest way in is the Metro B Line to Hollywood/Vine, which lets you out a short walk from the doors. Weekend traffic on Hollywood Boulevard is slow, and the garages near Vine and Argyle fill up close to showtime, so give yourself extra time if you drive.

For more things to do in Los Angeles, browse the Los Angeles neighborhood page or see what else is coming up on our concerts page.