Lasting Impressions at Water For Elephants
Blog By: Shia Edwards
I never expected a musical to linger in my mind for days after the curtain fell, but something about this one truly left a lasting impression. The musical Water for Elephants, was truly a breath taking performance. The performers showcased remarkable acrobatics, impressive flexibility, stunning vocals, and lively choreography. Before, I enjoyed the masterfully crafted show, I was excited to work in playbill distribution for the night. As a DPAC Performing Arts Ambassador our role is to create captivating content surrounding DPAC for viewers, like the blog you are reading right now! Additionally we shadow roles that manage the internal and external behind the scenes affairs of the show, like ticketing, lobby map, playbill distribution and more. As mentioned earlier I was stationed with playbills this time, and I have to say, it might be my favorite position! This role involves a more social shadowing experience, and I love interacting with guests and sparking even more excitement for the show they’re about to see. When my shift was over, my fellow ambassadors and I made our way up to the balcony for the start of the show.
As soon as the curtains opened, I was invested. I noticed myself listening harder to the songs than I ever had before, so I could catch every drop of detail in the story line. The performers strength could be seen from the back of the theater. As they flung their body through the air, contorted their bodies in several shapes, and held on the pieces of the set, or aerial silks by a single body part, my heart rate sped with anticipation. Watching these stunts while following the beautifully written storyline was so fascinating. My favorite moment in the show had to be when the Elephant, named Rosie in the show, finally appeared on stage, as you could see the hard work of the tech crew to create such a majestically towering puppet. Another favorite moment of mine was during a scene of chaos, where all the animals of the circus are released, and the ringleader of the show is murdered(That’s the only spoiler you’ll get!). The lights strobe on and off to where you can only catch a bit of the mayhem at a time. This awesome lighting effect built so much eagerness within me to see what would happen next. Throughout the show as a whole, I was on the edge of my seat, and by the end, on the verge of tears from the graceful closing of the show. I completely recommend this show for those who love the feeling of suspense but also a story of free spiritedness.
