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Water for Elephants is now available for licensing exclusively to high schools. This exciting opportunity allows high schools to stage the show beginning in early fall 2025, alongside the launch of the musical’s First National Tour.
The acclaimed Broadway musical features a book by Rick Elice (The Addams Family, Peter and the Starcatcher) and music and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. (The Old Man and The Old Moon).
Water for Elephants, which was nominated for seven 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, will kick off the tour in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The Broadway production garnered critical praise for its imaginative storytelling, with The New York Times naming it a Critic’s Pick and a “miracle” for its seamless artistry.
Based on the 2006 bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants was also adapted into a movie in 2011, starring Reese Witherspoon. The Broadway musical, which debuted in February 2024, features captivating characters, a sweeping love story, riveting songs, and boundless opportunities for rich ensemble performances. The show takes audiences on a charming and emotional adventure through the unforgettable world of a traveling circus during the Great Depression.
“We are overjoyed to offer high schools the chance to stage Water for Elephants, knowing they will bring their own innovative ideas to life through their productions,” says Ted Chapin, Chief Executive Officer of Broadway Licensing Global, the parent company to its signature musical imprint, Broadway Licensing. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with the producers of the First National Tour. By concurrently licensing high school productions, together we are building the widest possible audience for this extraordinary new musical.”
Additional musicals in the Broadway Licensing catalog penned by the authors of Water for Elephants include The Cher Show with a book by Rick Elice and The Old Man and The Old Moon, The Nightmare Story, and The Mountain Song by PigPen Theatre Co.
Further announcements will be made regarding licensing availability for community and professional theatres. Schools interested in producing Water for Elephants can apply for the licensing rights at broadwaylicensing.com.
About Broadway Licensing
Broadway Licensing Global and its family of imprints (Broadway Licensing, Dramatists Play Service, Playscripts, Stageworks, and Broadway on Demand) is a global leader in theatrical licensing and distribution.
Representing an astonishing 40 Tony Awards® and 49 Pulitzer Prize-winning works, BLG titles epitomize the greatest collection of iconic authors, composers, lyricists, and underlying rights holders across the globe, including Katori Hall, Stephen King, Michael Korie, John Leguizamo, Alan Menken, Arthur Miller, Lynn Nottage, PigPen Theatre Co., Tom Stoppard, Paula Vogel, Tennessee Williams, Doug Wright, Don Zolidis, and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.
Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy
