HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO Now Available to View at The Theatre On Film and Tape Archive

The Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio – inspired by Alexandra Shiva’s Peabody Award-winning documentary of the same name – was filmed by the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and added to its world-renowned collection. The complete show was filmed by TOFT in February of 2024 and is now available and free to view by anyone with a library card at the Library for the Performing Arts. 

How to Dance in Ohio features book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, music by Jacob Yandura, choreography by Mayte Natalio, and direction by Sammi Cannold – who all made their Broadway debuts. 

In the parts of the real-life autistic young adults featured in the HBO documentary, a cast of seven autistic actors made their Broadway debuts: Desmond Luis Edwards as Remy, Amelia Fei [Yi-Hsuan Fei] as Caroline, Madison Kopec as Marideth, Liam Pearce as Drew, Imani Russell as Mel, Conor Tague as Tommy, and Ashley Wool as Jessica.   

Broadway veteran Caesar Samayoa (he/him; Come from Away, Sister Act) starred as renown psychologist Dr. Emilio Amigo and Cristina Sastre (she/her; Legally Blonde at The Muny) played his daughter Ashley Amigo. Also featured in the cast were Broadway veterans Haven Burton (she/her; Shrek the Musical, Violet) as Terry, Darlesia Cearcy (she/her; Shuffle Along, Once On This Island) as Johanna, Carlos L Encinias (he/him;
Les Miserables) as Kurt/Rick/Hawkins, Nick Gaswirth (he/him; …The Great Comet of 1812) as Michael/Derrick, and Melina Kalomas (she/her; Young Frankenstein) as Amy/Shauna. Completing the cast were Jean Christian Barry (they/them; Stranger Sings), Collin Hancock (he/him), Hunter Hollingsworth (he/him), Marina Jansen (they/them), Martín Solá (he/him; On Your Feet!). Ayanna Nicole Thomas (she/her), and Marina Pires (she/her; Aladdin, On Your Feet!).   

The musical was originally developed with the late, legendary Broadway director 
Harold Prince and is dedicated to his instrumental work on the project.