The new musical “How to Dance in Ohio” will play its final Broadway performance on Feb 11. The Sammi Cannold-directed production began previews on Nov. 15, 2023, and opened on Dec. 15 at the Belasco Theatre. Upon closing, “How to Dance” will have played 27 previews and 72 regular performances.
Based on the Peabody Award-winning documentary of the same name, the musical features a book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik and music by Jacob Yandura. Set in Columbus, Ohio, “How to Dance” tells the story of a group of autistic young adults who prepare for their first formal dance — and adulthood — in a series of group therapy sessions.
“How to Dance in Ohio” broke ground in featuring seven autistic actors, all of whom made their Broadway debuts, in the lead roles of autistic characters. The actors, who originated their roles in the musical’s 2022 world premiere at Syracuse Stage, are Desmond Luis Edwards as Remy, Amelia Fei as Caroline, Madison Kopec as Marideth, Liam Pearce as Drew, Imani Russell as Mel, Conor Tague as Tommy and Ashley Wool as Jessica.
The principal cast also includes Haven Burton, Darlesia Cearcy, Carlos L. Encinias, Nick Gaswirth, Melina Kalomas, Caesar Samayoa and Cristina Sastre. Jean Christian Barry, Collin Hancock, Hunter Hollingsworth, Marina Jansen, Marina Pires, Martín Solá and Ayanna Nicole Thomas are the production’s swings. Casting is by Whitley Theatrical, Benton Whitley and Micah Johnson-Levy.
The production features choreography by Mayte Natalio and music direction by Lily Ling, with scenic design by Robert Brill, costume design by Sarafina Bush, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Connor Wang, hair/wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin, production stage management by Scott Rowen and general management by ShowTown Theatricals.
In December, “How to Dance in Ohio” launched a ticket initiative making all unsold tickets available for the same-day performance at $50.
“How to Dance in Ohio” is produced by P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez and Fiona Howe Rudin) with Level Forward.
