How ‘Water for Elephants’ Composers PigPen Used Their Background as Puppeteers to Bring the Circus Show’s Theatrics to Life
Lexi Carson The music and lyrics in Broadway’s “Water for Elephants” are expansive and a rich tapestry of American music ranging from folk, to swing, jazz and bluegrass. PigPen, a collective of seven musicians (Alex Falberg, Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Daniel Weschler, Matt Nuernberger and Ryan Melia) is also a theater company, and that uniqueness made them the perfect fit to bring the show’s music to life. The transition to bring the story to a stage first started in 2014 when PigPen Theatre Co., did a workshop with Rick Elice, “Water for Elephants” scriptwriter, for a different show.