The Bushnell brings Water for Elephants to Hartford. This musical production, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, tells the tale of Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary school dropout who hops a train in a quest to evade the grief of tragedy. The story is told from the reserves of Jankowski’s memories as time curates his perspectives. The elder storyteller, Jacob, played by Robert Tully, sets the stage for the young Jankowski (Zachary Keller) as he stumbles through decision-making and faux pas on the way to the present.

From the rising of the sun to the setting of the same, Disney’s The Lion King musical is brought to life in fantastic fashion at The Bushnell’s enchanting Mortensen Hall. This production makes it clear that no matter how familiar a story is, there’s always potential to create awe in young and elderly alike. Produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher and directed by Julie Taymor, this musical taps into the heart of the African culture surrounding the original and timeless story.

The things we love change and the way we love them inevitably changes too— whether it’s our family structures or the lead of a production we hold dear, there’s room to let in the new.