Going to the big dance—or not—has always been a compelling plot point for musicals. Social tension, comedic potential, and, of course, dancing are all naturally sparked by the setup.
That story is told in the new musical “How to Dance in Ohio,” but from an elevated, alternative viewpoint. The 2015 HBO documentary by Alexandra Shiva about a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohio, served as the inspiration for the production. It revolves around a group of autistic young adults getting ready for a spring formal, and made its stage debut at Syracuse Stage last year.
Seven autistic actors portray the autistic characters in a Broadway first. However, they first walk out on stage as out of character to kindly inform the audience before the show starts: Conor Tague smiles slyly and continues, “There’s this saying: ‘If you’ve met one autistic person… you have met one autistic person. You are now meeting seven autistic people!” It’s a brilliant sentence, and a fitting one, as the program goes on to reveal a cast of self-aware, fiercely independent characters attempting to make sense of a world that they sometimes fail to understand.
The main group consists of Drew (Liam Pearce), Merideth (Madison Kopec), Remy (Desmond Luis Edwards), Caroline (Amelia Fei), Jessica (Ashley Wool), Mel (Imani Russel), and Tommy (Conor Tague), who the cast has named “the spectrum seven,” along with the amazing Dr. Emilio Amigo (Caesar Samayoa) and his daughter Ashley (Cristina Sastre). Additional cast members include Haven Burton, Darlesia Cearcy, Carlos L. Encinias, Andrew Kober, Melina Kalomas, as well as the wonderful swings (understudies) Jean Christian Barry, Collin Hancock, Hunter Hollingsworth, Marina Jansen, Marina Pires, Martìn Solà, and Ayanna Nicole Thomas.
The first act is filled with lighthearted, amusing musical numbers like “Today Is,” which serves as an introduction to the characters and their daily lives as young autistic adults in Ohio. As the act moves forward, we get to view more of the personal lives of some of our main characters and their interests through more and more fun songs, and captivating acting from the cast. The act ends with the amazing, emotional, and captivating piece that is “Waves and Wires.”
After the intermission, act two starts off delving into the mind of Merideth as she sings “Drift,” a demonstration of her feelings, using her favorite things, geography and facts. As the group continues their countdown to the dance, they gain the attention of two different newsletters, eager to write about their experiences. In a turn of events, one of the writers releases their article, without the approval of Dr. Amigo, and uses stereotypical and ableist information, making them an object of pity rather than showcasing their accomplishments. While this discourages the group from going to the dance at all, Drew is determined not to let their hard work go to waste, convincing everyone to go to “The Second Chance Dance” where they get to have a fun time and dance with each other.
While it is no longer available to see live, due to its unfortunate broadway closing, it was an incredible show that ended up selling out in its final few shows. We can only hope to see the musical go on tour, and share its beautiful story with millions of people.
