You'll hardly believe your eyes at 'Life of Pi' at the Benedum Center

Get ready for an unbelievable ride.

In 2001, Yann Martel published the bestselling novel “Life of Pi,” and it captured the imaginations of readers worldwide. In 2012, the book was adapted to the screen by director Ang Lee, with the film version netting 11 Academy Award nominations and winning four awards. With another medium left to conquer, the stage play — written by Lolita Chakrabarti — came to the West End in London 2021 and to Broadway in 2023.

This week, it’s come ashore here as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series and will run at the Benedum Center through Feb. 2.

Such an all-around successful tale clearly must be something special, and “Life of Pi” certainly is, with a gripping narrative and thought-provoking themes. But the play dazzles in other ways, too.

At the beginning of “Life of Pi,” the audience is introduced to Pi Patel, a 17-year-old boy from India who survived 227 days in the Pacific Ocean after the ship carrying him and his family to Canada sank. He survived, he says, on a lifeboat with mostly the companionship of only a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker (don’t worry, they explain it).

Throughout the play, he recites this history to a pair of officials in charge of investigating the ship’s sinking. Together, the three characters must wrestle with the notions of truth and belief.

Though there are moments of levity throughout, it’s overall a troubling tale, so be warned: not everything will be light.

But there are puppets!

Pi grew up in the zoo that his parents ran in India, and they brought the animals with them on their planned emigration to Canada — hence the presence of Richard Parker the tiger. The animals in this production are stunning puppets designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell and brought to life by a group of incredibly talented individuals. It takes three puppeteers to operate the lithe, imposing body of the Bengal tiger as he roars, swipes and gambols around the set. There’s also a splendid assortment of other creatures great and small, from orangutans to zebras to a majestic giraffe.

Pi himself is played by Taha Mandviwala in a heartfelt and heartbreaking performance. He brings impressive wisdom and heft to his story while also conveying the immense psychic shock of the character’s experiences. You can see the weight of the change that comes over him in the course of the narrative.

The rest of the cast delivered similarly stellar supporting performances, most of them doubling or tripling up on roles. This is especially true of the two actors playing the officials to whom Pi is telling his story, Mi Kang as Lulu Chen and Alan Ariano as Mr. Okamoto. Both display remarkable emotional evolution as Pi reveals more and more details, while each embodying a pair of other minor characters.

The play was originally directed by Max Webster and the tour was directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe. And they really went all out, bringing magic to the stage in the form of storms, stars and sounds. The direction makes the play simultaneously dreamy and visceral, with moments of tension that got audible reactions from Tuesday night’s audience.

Sets and costumes by Tim Hatley, in conjunction with lighting design by Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling and sound design by Carolyn Downing, made the most lasting impressions in the scene of the shipwreck. Pi, his family and the animals are tossed on fluid-feeling “waves” of fog as thunder crashes and lightning flashes. It feels shockingly real and will have you on the edge of your seat.

The novel upon which this play is based is pretty widely read, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a good percentage of the audience knows how this all turns out before stepping into the theater. But I’m not going to be the one to spoil it — just know that you’re in for an eye-popping and reality-bending journey that will leave you asking yourself “What is the better story?”

“Life of Pi” will run through Feb. 2 at the Benedum Center as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series. To get tickets, visit trustarts.org.