Critical Review at Hennepin Arts

There is always more to a story than meets the eye. Water for Elephants is a relatively new musical that made its way to the Orpheum Theatre on March 3rd. This production held potential to fully portray themes of love, abuse, and resilience. Despite the entertaining talents of the acrobats, the plot became buried beneath all of the spectacle of a circus performance. A man named Jacob Jankowski endures the tragedy of losing his parents and, in turn, joins the circus. After becoming the circus veterinarian, he falls in love with the wife of the ringmaster, which enters him into a dangerous love triangle. Through his experience working with the Benzini Brothers Circus, Jacob learns what really happens behind all the glitz and glamour of show business.  The one aspect of this show that really stood out to me was the ensemble performance. Incorporating circus-style tricks gave energy and life to this production. In the song “The Lion Has Got No Teeth,” the ensemble matched the fast ...

On Tuesday, March 3, I attended the musical Water for Elephants at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. The production shows creativity and ambition, using inventive staging techniques to bring the story to life. While the show demonstrated impressive technical ideas and featured a strong lead performance, it ultimately did not leave me with the sense of fulfillment I often experience after other musicals. One of the most impressive aspects of the show was its use of transitions. Directed by Tony Award-Nominated Jessica Stone, this production found clever ways to move between scenes without slowing the pacing. In particular, Marlena’s costume changes were handled seamlessly, allowing the character to shift between moments in the narrative almost instantly. Instead of feeling disruptive, these quick changes felt natural to the storytelling and helped keep the audience engaged. Another transition that stood out involved the two versions of Jacob. The story frequently shifts between Jacob...

You’ve heard the saying “run away and join the circus,” but what happens when you actually do? Water for Elephants , playing at the Orpheum Theater now until Mar. 8, jumps between past and present to tell an exciting and touching story about the circus life. When Jacob Jankowski (Zachary Keller) loses everything, his solution is to run. By accident, he gets on a train carrying an entire traveling circus, and the people he meets, the animals he sees, and the things he learns change him forever.  When you think of the ambiance of a “classic” circus, you can almost see the striped tents and smell the peanuts and cotton candy. This show, directed by Jessica Stone, uses its production elements to fully immerse you in the world of an early 20th century circus and creates that homey ambiance. The lighting by Bradley King makes use of very “traditional” techniques, especially during the circus’s performances, by using many circular spotlights, brightly flashing light bulbs, etc., to ad...

From the very first notes, Les Misérables proved once again why it remains one of the most emotionally powerful works staged. The story, based on the book by Victor Hugo of the same name, follows the life of Jean Valjean, as he breaks his parole to start a new life. The music of Les Misérables is one of the most beautiful and emotionally devastating scores. Composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Alian Boublil, the score carries the emotional weight of the story in a way that words alone never could. Each musical motif returns at just the right moment, that immediately immerses you in its world, reminding the audience of pain, hope, and redemption. Whether you love it or hate it, Les Misérables is an undeniable emotional powerhouse. The performance of Randy Jeter as Jean Valjean was truly splendid, made even more impressive by the fact that he was an understudy. He embodied the role in such a way that was honest and compelling, speaking volumes about his strength and confi...

Les Miserables is currently taking the Orpheum theatre by storm from Feb. 17-22. This musical has been dubbed “one of the greatest musicals ever created” (Chicago Tribune) with 130 million people, including me, being proud supporters of that statement. The gut-wrenching story follows various time periods in the early 1800s backdropped by a grimy and poverty-ridden Paris, France. Les Miserables recounts a myriad of narratives all intertwined by themes of unrequited love, sacrifice, broken dreams, forgiveness and hope.  Randy Jeter’s Jean Valjean instantly had me engrossed within the production's opening number. The lengthy lines of non-stop singing in “Soliloquy” felt effortless because of his incredible vocal stamina and his tender voice. Moreover, in “Bring Him Home,” Jeter’s warm and touching singing enhanced the song's already beautiful lyrics.  Lindsay Heather Pearce’s Fantine was heavenly and angelic with her voice lifting the audience from earth to cloud nine. With h...

           To condense a 1,400-page novel into just under three hours of theater seems like an impossible task, yet the current tour of Les Misérables , showing at The Orpheum until February 22nd, accomplishes it with astonishing clarity and emotional force. Rather than feeling compressed, the story unfolds with sweeping inevitability. From the first low strains of the Prologue I felt the scope of that world settle over the stage, immense in scale, yet startlingly intimate. The staging moves with cinematic precision. Projections glide across the set, transforming the space from the bleak docks of Montreuil-Sur-Mer to the narrow streets of Paris and, eventually, to the towering barricade. The transitions are seamless, allowing years to pass in moments without ever feeling disjointed. I was struck by how quickly I lost awareness of time; the narrative momentum carrying me forward so completely that Intermission felt like an interruption to another reality. Y...

In my Psychology class, we are learning that it can take children up to 20 tries to use a new phone before they actually know if they like it or not. It turns out that three times was my magic number of times I needed to see Les Misérables to like it. Les Misérables is undoubtedly one of the most well-known shows and has been back to Minneapolis three times in the last four years, which begs the question: Does it need to be seen more than once? Sitting at an almost three-hour-long run time and filled with what could best be described as a dense and intense plot and score, I would actually make the argument that it only gets better with time. My most recent viewing of Les Misérables was at the Orpheum on February 17th, 2026, and it is safe to say it was my favorite performance by far.  My main issue when seeing the show for the first time was straight-up confusion, with the large amount of characters and wordy songs making up most of the plot points, I had a hard time following. T...

Les Misérables , based on the 1862 Victor Hugo novel by the same name, feels extremely relevant over 160 years later. Originally written in French, the work has been translated and performed in 22 languages and seen by over 130 million people. It follows Jean Valjean, an ex-convict trying to live a normal life without the stain of his past mistakes, judging his future. The show, nearly three hours long, is captivating from start to finish. Though it’s sung through, almost like an opera, and never wastes a lyric. Every word sung or spoken propels the story forward. “Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free!” Listening to Valjean's struggles and the struggles of the revolutionaries, I couldn't help but feel that this musical feels very real and very relevant. Specifically, “Do You Hear The People Sing?” sounds oddly similar to what people are shouting in the streets today, in Minneapolis. My appreciation for the writing grew even more. Additionally, Javert i...

        On February 17, 2026, I had the pleasure of seeing Les Misérables at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. This fabulous production, based on the 1862 novel of the same name, has left a lasting impression on me. This production reminded me why this musical continues to resonate with audiences decades after its debut. Its sweeping score, layered characters, and emotional storytelling make it timeless. While I have always admired the music from Les Misérables , this performance secured its place among my personal favorites. One of the most remarkable aspects of the evening was Randy Jeter’s portrayal of Jean Valjean. You would never have guessed it from the confidence he showed, but he was the understudy. From his powerful delivery of “Who Am I?” to the spiritual vulnerability in “Bring Him Home,” Jeter commanded the stage with authority and grace. Additionally, his falsetto in “Bring Him Home” was breathtaking, clear, controlled, and passionate. Rather than s...