Experience something remarkable for the whole family! How to Dance in Ohio is a “joyful and uplifting new musical” (Time Out New York) exploring the universal need to connect and the courage it takes to step out into the world. Based on a true story, this “feel-good milestone” (The New York Times) follows a group of young adults and their families navigating change and preparing for a spring formal dance—a rite of passage that breaks open their daily routines in Columbus, Ohio. Starring seven autistic actors, How to Dance in Ohio is “an exuberant coming-of-age musical comedy with a superb cast” (The Wall Street Journal). Don’t miss “Broadway’s most original new musical” (The Daily Beast) this holiday season!
Meanwhile, the young performers who make up the seven-member core – all of whom self-identify as autistic – do their best to make us, the audience, comfortable. In a prefatory group speech, one performer notes the availability of “cool-down spaces.” All but the most easily triggered playgoer will want to hang in, though, to hear the melodies – buoyant to poignant – that composer Jacob Yandura has set to the text, portions of which have been lifted verbatim from the film.
But good intentions alone, alas, do not a compelling musical make. The intentions are good, the core performances are good (and in some cases better than that), and the audience is likely to sit there rooting for the success of the characters in their quest to attend a prom-like dance in Ohio. On the other side of the ledger, though, is a score that is little more than functional (with exceptions as hereinafter noted), and a book that devolves into flimsy musical comedy style. The central performers earn our admiration, and the benefit of any doubts we might have; but How to Dance in Ohio offers only moderate entertainment, and moderate entertainment is unlikely to prove strong enough to attract sufficient audiences to get through the long cold winter.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $35
Where: https://rush.telecharge.com/
When: The lottery will open at 12 AM one day before the performance and close at 3 PM. Winners are drawn at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Winners will be notified by email shortly after each drawing and have five hours to claim and purchase tickets online. Seat locations and number of tickets awarded by the lottery are subject to availability, and some lottery seats may be partially obstructed.
2023 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Rebekah Greer Melocik |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical | Liam Pearce |
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Special Award | Authentic Autistic Representation Team |
Videos