'Water for Elephants' at PPAC is stunning. Here's why.

"Water for Elephants" is an invigorating blend of contemporary circus and musical theater.

The touring show, playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center from Dec. 2 through Dec. 7, follows Mr. Jankowski (played by Robert Tully ) as he reminisces on his youth as Jacob Jankowski (played by Zachary Keller ), a make-shift veterinarian in a traveling circus during the Great Depression.

This show is not your average stage musical, as it incorporates breathtaking acrobatic stunts that one would see in "Cirque Du Soleil." For instance, the Act 1 number "The Road Won't Make You Young" features captivating rope tricks and aerial pole performance that set the pace for show itself.

Because the story is framed through the older Jankowski's remembered past, the play uses the language of