How to Dance in Ohio, a poignant new musical about a group of young adults with autism preparing for a spring dance, will open on Broadway late this year, with a cast of seven autistic performers playing the central roles.
The musical is based on a 2015 documentary film by director Alexandra Schiffa, and follows participants in a social skills therapy program for people with autism. Also set in a therapy program, the musical tells the story of young adults preparing for a dance that they hope will help them with some of the challenges they face in dealing with social interactions.
The musical took place last year at the Syracuse Theater in downtown New York. The production schedule was cut short when Covid cases emerged among the cast and crew. the review Of the show in the Post-Standard, a Syracuse newspaper, it was headlined “The Music You’ll Talk About for the Rest of Your Life” and described as “delightful, groundbreaking, festive”.
The cast is not yet complete, but it will involve multiple actors Broadway debuts: Desmond Edwards, Amelia Fay, Madison Kubik, William Pierce, Imani Russell, Connor Tagoe, Ashley Wall. Others on the bill so far include Haven Burton and Darlesia Searcy.
“How to Dance in Ohio” features book and lyrics by Rebecca Greer Miloschek and music by Jacob Yandora. Directed by Sammy Kanold and choreographed by Mighty Natalio. Famed director and producer Hal Prince was initially attached to the project; He passed away in 2019.
The musical is being produced by a company called P3 Productionsled by Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe-Roden, alongside forward level, the production company co-founded by Abigail Disney. It has a capitalization of up to $15.5 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The show will debut on November 15th and open on December 10th at the Belasco Theatre.
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