We chose a local town to perfectly describe a Broadway Musical that’s coming to Walton Arts Center this season. Get to know your NWA neighbors and learn about these shows - then make plans to experience both!
Come one. Come all!
Fort Smith and Water for Elephants share a bold, adventurous spirit rooted in grit, showmanship and a flair for drama.
Once a frontier town brimming with lawmen, legends and traveling entertainers, Fort Smith feels like the perfect backdrop for a circus train rumbling through the night loaded with colorful characters, high-stakes dreams and a touch of old-fashioned romance.
The city’s rich history and Wild West heritage echo the musical’s themes of resilience and reinvention, while its modern revival through murals, music and a thriving arts scene mirrors the magic and spectacle of the big top coming to life on stage.
Both Fort Smith and Water for Elephants remind you that behind every dazzling performance lies real courage, compassion and a community that refuses to give up on wonder.
Step Right Up for Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth!
The critically acclaimed bestselling novel comes to “thrilling, dazzling” life (Time Out New York) in a unique, spectacle-filled new musical! Hailed as a Critic’s Pick, The New York Times calls it “stunning, emotional, heart-filled and gorgeously imaginative.”
After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where theroad will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.
Welcome to the Circus! Meet the Characters
JACOB JANKOWSKI: A young man of strong values with a deep love and understanding for animals, Jacob’s pre-determined life is suddenly shattered by loss. He hops a random train out of sheer desperation, hoping to find a new reason for being somewhere, anywhere. When the train turns out to be home to a traveling circus, he becomes part of a new family, the bonds quickly become like iron, and the trajectory of his life changes forever.
MARLENA: Supremely gutsy and wildly talented, young Marlena runs away with the circus and marries the mercurial Ringmaster. In no time at all, she becomes the star attraction—a fabled equestrienne and horse whisperer. What’s more, she has the gift of “getting” people the same way she “gets” animals. Her life isn’t what she dreamed, but when Jacob Jankowski suddenly shows up at Benzini, her whole world changes again.
AUGUST: The owner and ringmaster of Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth, August is charming, bright and seductive, doling out favors and dazzling the crowd. His word is law, both inside and outside the ring. When he likes you, the sun shines on you and life is glorious. But when he darkens, the sun is gone and the world grows cold.
MR. JANKOWSKI: Slipping out of the nursing home, Mr. Jankowski attends a traveling circus show, and his story comes tumbling out of him—the story of young Jacob Jankowski, whose whole world exploded when he jumped a circus train 50 years ago.
WALTER: Master Knife-Thrower and World Famous Clown at Benzini Brothers, Walter is wary of strangers and fiercely protective of his friends. He may be slow to warm up to Jacob, but when his dog, Queenie, takes a liking to him, Walter soon follows suit.
CAMEL: A veteran roustabout, Camel is the first to show Jacob the ropes and his first friend at Benzini. He’s well-read, keenly interested in language, and a lifelong student of human behavior. Only one problem: where camels can survive long stretches with very little to drink, this Camel can barely go five minutes without a slug of his bootleg moonshine.
BARBARA: A cooch dancer by trade, Barbara is the brassy mother hen of the circus. She knows who she is and where she comes from, and if anyone’s got a problem with that, too bad. She may be loose in the hip, but she’s tight in the lip—and knows every secret in every single car on the Benzini train.
WADE: A roustabout at Benzini Brothers, Wade is August’s right-hand man and his muscle when it comes to August’s dirty work. Whenever the boss tells him to do something, his only response is “Sir, yes sir!” He’s entirely at home with violence, but sadly devoid of any sense of humor, irony, or metaphor.
NETworks Presentations announced the cast for the North American Tour of the hit Broadway musical this summer, and it includes a cast member with local ties. Grant Huneycutt from Greenwood is a 2025 graduate of Oklahoma City University with a degree in musical theater. Huneycutt will portray Wade on his first national tour. Additional cast include Zachary Keller as Jacob, Helen Krushinski as Marlena, Robert Tully as Mr. Jankowski, Connor Sullivan as August, Javier Garcia as Camel, Ruby Gibbs as Barbara and Tyler West as Walter.
Water For Elephants is based on the critically acclaimed, New York Times Bestselling novel by Sara Gruen. The Broadway musical has a book by four-time Tony Award® nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher), a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co. (The Tale of Despereaux), with tour direction by Ryan Emmons, recreating the original direction by Tony Award-nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo).
“The score by the collective PigPen Theatre Co. ranges across styles capably, from the country-flavored ‘The Road Don’t Make You Young,’ to a jubilant boogie-woogie tune, ‘The Lion Has Got No Teeth,’ describing how illusion is at the heart of any circus’s appeal, and a more traditional, moody love-cementing duet for Jacob and Marlena. The songs are flavorful and well-wrought, and perhaps the show’s most accomplished achievement,” said Charles Isherwood of the Wall Street Journal.
Critics and Audiences Agree!
“A Dynamic tale! It elevates the musical to new and literal heights.”
-Variety
"Many wonder await audiences in this gorgeously imaginative Broadway musical.”
-The New York Times
Get your tickets now and see this the musical that Variety calls, “Spellbinding entertainment!
Performance Dates and Times
Tuesday, February 24, 7 pm
Wednesday, February 25, 7 pm
Thursday February 26, 1:30 and 8 pm
Friday, February 27, 8 pm
Saturday, February 28, 2 and 8 pm
Sunday, March 1, 2 pm