Throughout my teenage years as well as adulthood, I have never read Yann Martel‘s Life of Pi or seen the 2012 Ang Lee film adaptation so coming into the Broadway touring production of this staged adaptation at the Center Theatre Group here in Los Angeles was a wonderful surprise with a truly meaningful diverse ensemble cast, incredible puppetry and visuals, and a moving story (which has been beautifully adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti) that makes you question how you look at your own life.

After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four other companions — a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. What happens next leads them on an edge of your seat unforgettable journey. Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class, innovative puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, the Broadway and West End sensation Life of Pi creates a visually breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.

There is a massive ensemble cast that helps bring this show to life but Taha Mandiwala as Pi is the crucial anchor as he never ever leaves the stage throughout the two hours and ten minutes (with intermission). It is an insanely demanding role that requires a lot of physicality, emotions, and vocal stresses and I am in awe of this actor who has been performing this role since December of 2024 and will continue to do so all the way through October of this year. If I must do similar actor comparisons, he has the earnestness of Andrew Garfield and Daniel Radcliffe that is truly endearing to watch, which was also noticeable in the way the actor graced his cast mates and the stage during the curtain call.

Mi Kang and Alan Ariano are some of the many standouts portraying Lulu Chen and Mr. Okamoto respectively, as they provide perspective contrasts throughout the play to how they take in Pi’s story of his shipwreck and survival, which unfolds in three parts: his life before the shipwreck, his story of survival with animals on board, and the same version of the story but with humans instead. I found myself having the same perspective of Mr. Okamoto where the story with the animals seemed utterly fantastical and unbelievable and perhaps a bit like children’s theatre, with the latter being intensely questioned by my actress partner on why I thought that way. It was only when the version with humans was presented that I found that to be more palatable and “gruesome,” but not truly thinking that regardless if it was animals or humans, the whole point of these stories from Pi is that both should be viewed equally. The horrific butchering of the zebra is no less horrific than that of the sailor.

The puppetry and stage scenic design & effects are a whole element on its own and is a remarkable feast for the eyes. The actors/puppeteers who bring Richard Parker (the Bengal tiger), Orange Juice (orangutan), spotted hyena, and Grant’s zebra to life are distinct characters that are vividly realized in their mannerisms, movement, and personalities. The scenic design swiftly and gorgeously moves between different worlds from the hospital, marketplace, the ship, and the ocean. It is however in the ocean where some of the most astonishing effects come to life and makes a compelling case that one would need to watch this from the balcony to see it in its full magnificence. Many of the book’s philosophical and religious elements quietly come into focus during these still moments, which was perhaps one of my most favorite parts of the play.

Although the Broadway version of this play was directed by Max Webster, huge credit must be given to the national tour director Ashley Brooke Monroe, production stage manager Kelsey Tippins, and all the creative design team members for not only putting this massive endeavor together but taking it around the country with perhaps a week or two of rest at best in between. I’m also incredibly appreciative of playwright Lolita Chakrabarti who managed to distill the book into a play that captures the philosophical elements but also enhancing it by having the text be flexible so that several of the key male characters in the book can easily be played by women on stage. There is a vast number of diverse actors on stage and the global majority representation is not shoehorned in but woven in with such a natural manner. In fact, Sharayu Mahale (who plays the sister Rani) will go up as Pi on the May 24 and 25 matinee performances, and I love that this is not only happening but something I want to go out of my way to watch again to see this rendition.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, be sure to catch this before they have their final performance on June 1. After that, they will move into the Orange County area for a shorter stint at the Segerstrom Center For The Arts so you’ll have another opportunity if you miss this one!

May 6 to June 1.
Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00.
Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00.
Sundays at 1:00 and 6:30.

Ahmanson Theatre
135 N Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.CenterTheatreGroup.org