“Tips on how to Dance in Ohio,” a poignant new musical a couple of group of younger autistic adults gearing up for a spring dance, will open on Broadway late this yr, with a solid of seven autistic performers enjoying the central roles.
The musical relies on a 2015 documentary from the filmmaker Alexandra Shiva that adopted individuals in a social expertise remedy program for individuals on the autism spectrum; the musical can also be set at a remedy program, and it tells the story of younger adults making ready for a dance that they hope might assist them confront among the challenges they face in navigating social interactions.
The musical had a earlier run final yr at Syracuse Stage in central New York; the manufacturing schedule was reduce quick when Covid circumstances arose among the many solid and crew. The overview of the present in The Put up-Commonplace, a Syracuse newspaper, was headlined “The musical you’ll speak about for the remainder of your life” and referred to as it “exhilarating, groundbreaking, celebratory.”
Casting will not be but full, however will embrace a number of actors making their Broadway debuts: Desmond Edwards, Amelia Fei, Madison Kopec, Liam Pearce, Imani Russell, Conor Tague and Ashley Wool. Among the many others on the invoice up to now are Haven Burton and Darlesia Cearcy.
“Tips on how to Dance in Ohio” includes a e-book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik and music by Jacob Yandura; it’s directed by Sammi Cannold and choreographed by Mayte Natalio. The famed director and producer Hal Prince was initially hooked up to the venture; he died in 2019.
The musical is being produced by an organization referred to as P3 Productions, which is led by Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez and Fiona Howe Rudin. It’s being capitalized for as much as $15.5 million, in keeping with a submitting with the Securities and Change Fee.
The present is to start previews Nov. 15 and to open Dec. 10 on the Belasco Theater.
