Video: HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO Takes Final Bows; Producers and Cast Members Give Speeches

How to Dance in Ohio played its final Broadway performance on February 11, 2024. The show closed following 27 previews and 72 regular performances at the Belasco Theater.

Following the final curtain call, several speeches were given by members of the show's team.

"Everything about this show has been a gift to us as producers, and so much that we learned on this show has changed our perspective of this industry, and everything that we intend to do to make it a more accessible industry for everybody," said producer Ben Holtzman.

Cast member Imani Russell also spoke on behalf of the Autistic community.

"I so deeply wish that we could have performed longer, this feels so soon," they said. "We got to share the show with 99 audiences...we made 45 Broadway debuts...and we also made history. Never has Broadway had this many openly Autistic actors on stage."

Check out the video!

How to Dance in Ohio marked the historic Broadway debuts of seven autistic actors in its leading roles. The musical also released an Original Broadway Cast Album, which is now available for download and streaming on all music platforms.
 
How to Dance in Ohio is inspired by Alexandra Shiva’s Peabody Award-winning HBO documentary of the same name, and features book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, music by Jacob Yandura, choreography by Mayte Natalio, and direction by Sammi Cannold – all making their Broadway debuts. The production began previews on November 15, 2023, and upon its official opening on Sunday, December 10, was hailed by Time Out as a “joyful and uplifting new musical” exploring the universal need to connect and the courage it takes to step out into the world. The New York Times described the musical as "Groundbreaking. Thoughtful and poetic. This feel-good show is more than a first – it’s a milestone.” In this “exuberant coming-of-age musical comedy with a superb cast,” (Wall Street Journal), a group of young autistic adults and their families prepare for their first-ever formal dance—facing challenges that break open their routines, as they experience love, stress, excitement, and independence.