When does “life” begin? Depending upon one’s religious beliefs, or scientific beliefs, or social media threads, the answer to the question is different. Does “life” begin at conception; in utero; at birth; in childhood; in adolescence; in old age; in death; or after death? Seen through the eyes of his older self in “Water for Elephants” (currently on at the Imperial Theatre) the protagonist Mr. Jankowski’s (an endearing and quizzical Gregg Edelman) “adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.” The story of this adventure is told through the eyes of two versions of Jacob Jankowski—one in his nineties and another in his twenties.

The older Mr. Jankowski appears in Scene One at O’Brien’s One Ring Circus grounds after a performance. Amid the detritus left by the patrons, ghosts – memories from Mr. Jankowski’s past – enter and address him: a ghost company of animals and performers he clearly connects with on many levels. After the ghosts leave, Mr. Jankowski meets Charlie (Paul Alexander Nolan) and June (Isabella McCalla) and tells them he “worked for Ringling, better part of six years.” As they show Mr. Jakowski around and he mentions that in his day the circus traveled the country by train, the scene shifts to the present with the younger Jacob (a broken but spirited Grant Gustin) attempting to hitch a ride on a train. He happens to jump on the circus train heading to Benzini Brothers’ Most Spectacular Show on Earth in Utica, New York. He has lost both of his parents in a car accident. Unable to finish his veterinary degree, Jacob heads west for a new start. His journey is chronicled in Jacob’s solo “Anywhere/Another Train” and the company song “The Road Don’t Make You Young.”

Mr. Jankowski and his younger self “coexist” at this circus for the remainder of the musical. Time and space are not relevant in this story of choosing the ride which can begin at any age. Jacob meets Marlena (a vulnerable yet hope-filled) Isabelle McCalla), the wife of the abusive owner of the circus August Rachinger (a conniving and unstable Paul Alexander Nolan). The two eventually fall in love, which angers August and sparks a vindictive and cruel response on his part. The kinkers fear August and are unable to stand up to him fearing they would lose their jobs amid the Depression. What happens to Jacob and Marlena and the Elephant Rosie is the stuff of the remainder of the musical. After a heroic act by Rosie amid a disaster which kills August, Marlena and Jacob are marry and have a child. Their story explains how the older Jacob ends up in the nursing facility alone hoping to hitch a new ride in life.

Rick Elice’s adaptation follows Sara Gruen’s 2006 novel closely. Absent is Uncle Al; however, the rest of novel’s characters are in the musical’s book. Their conflicts drive a plot like the novel’s plot. Although it is impossible to perfectly match Sara Gruen’s trope-filled narrative, Rick Elice offers a gripping account of Jacob’s Jankowski and Marlena’s love story, their love of the circus, their love of the circus stars, their love of the kinkers and the rousters, and their mutual love of Rosie.

The frequency of Pig Pen Theatre Co.’s (Carnegie Mellon School of Drama grads Alex Falber, Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Dan Weschler, Matt Nuernberger, and Ryan Melia) music and lyrics and the frequency of Elice’s adaptation counterpoint one another harmonically from the orchestra’s (Elizabeth Doran, conductor) overture to the company’s reprise of “I Choose the Ride.”

Whether delivering solos or company musical numbers, the cast is uniformly accomplished. Jacob (Grant Gustin) and his love Marlena (Isabelle McCalla) are remarkably good in “Wild” with the lovely lyric, “Oh, just When I think I know the feeling/ feeling you surprises me/ it rises up and holds me gently.”  Marlena’s solo “What Do You Do?” captures her conflicted relationship with her husband August (Paul Alexander Nolan) with “So what do you do/ when the choices that you own/ the people you choose/ treat you worse than you knew/ you would ever let them treat you?”

The choreography by Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll is executed by the supporting cast of athletic dancers and acrobats in a stunning fashion. Whether performing on the stage, above the stage, or over the front rows of the audience, this ensemble never fails to dazzle and surprise the audience.

Jessica Stone directs the massive production with a keen eye to clarity and pacing. The members of the creative team support the production with perfection.

The themes of love, fortitude, old age, grief, cold-heartedness, hope, and redemption are woven throughout every scene making “Water for Elephants” one of the most heartwarming productions on Broadway this season.