(Written by Allison Brown)
Opening with a brief intro of the nature of the show, available cool down spaces, and sensory bags, the ensemble of new musical How to Dance in Ohio makes a better effort than any traditional production to get the audience ready for what is to come. A welcome change I am sure, as neurodivergent audience members must be appreciative of this background. For everyone else, a personal touch welcoming us into their world delights. We are introduced to seven autistic young adults, commendably played by an all-autistic cast, cosplayer Remy (Desmond Luis Edwards), lovesick Caroline (Amelia Fei), bookworm Marideth (Madison Kopec), science nerd Drew (Liam Pearce), driver-in-training Tommy (Conor Tague), dragon-loving Jessica (Ashley Wool), and pet store worker Mel (Imani Russell), as they navigate group therapy at Amigo Family Counseling, led by father-daughter duo, Dr. Emilio Amigo (Caesar Samayoa) and Ashley (Cristina Sastre). While How to Dance in Ohio is an enjoyable night of theatre, it is a far cry from the Peabody Award-winning HBO documentary.
To surely make a more marketable musical, unnecessary fluff and side conflict was added to flesh out the simple day-in-the-life story presented in the film. This results in an overextended plot with many one-dimensional characters, rather than keeping the script to primarily factual content. The simplicity and small-scale focus of the original work is what made it so intriguing. It almost feels as if librettist/lyricist Rebekah Greer Melocik worked with the goal to check every box of diversity to appeal to a wider audience. I understand that inclusion is important for this team, but autism should be the primary focus here. The principal topic at hand gets lost while trying to include as many facets as possible of race, culture, and gender identity. Ironically enough, the choice was made to paint reporters and media as the villains of the story, practically shunning filmmaker Alexandra Shiva who originally brought this story to light. Without media attention, this show would not even exist. Despite the shortcomings of the book, the cast is so talented that it is hard not to enjoy the heartwarming story at its core.
Like much of post-pandemic Broadway, scenic design is bare-bones, and does not seem to have been expanded much from the Syracuse run. The documentary is primarily set in the Amigo Family Counseling building, so it is not surprising that a minimalistic take would remain. Despite limited resources, scenic designer Robert Brill effectively executes unique backdrops. Floating shelves sliding on and off stage make up the room changes. Props are arranged to create a mere suggestion of a room, with a small aspect like a sink to represent a bathroom, soaps placed strategically to conjure a shower, or a classroom door to denote university. The musical’s title remains in the background throughout, while sequins and streamers placed behind suggest different locales. A scoreboard depicting a countdown to the dance drops in from the ceiling; it is a great touch assisting in depicting the passage of time. One of my favorite manipulations of the set appears in a song where a character discusses circuitry; lights slowly appear bulb by bulb in a style much like classic arcade game Snake.
Unfortunately, the addition of a larger Broadway budget did not seem to upgrade wardrobe much from the initial Syracuse production. Remy is a cosplaying YouTuber, yet he wears the same costume the entire show. He pulls out different pop culture attire to display throughout, but not one seems to actually be made to fit the actor. The only time we see Remy wear any of these is in the dance finale. What a missed opportunity! Each time Remy appears on stage, he could be wearing a different, hilarious cosplay outfit. Clothing is generally basic and mundane, aside from bright colors worn by the Amigo patients. This is an especially strange choice as intense colors may be overstimulating for for some people with sensory sensitivities, and as a result, it is highly unlikely they would choose clothing of this nature.
For a show with the word “dance” in the title, Broadway-level choreography is sorely missing. There are very few scenes with dancing at all. While the wobble was adjacently mentioned as a callback to the documentary, the comedic lesson was sadly left out. Motion choreographed by Mayte Natalio is elementary, but the intention perhaps suggests how these characters might dance in real life. The show’s social media advertising could not have been more effective personally, as the promoted songs, “Building Momentum” and “So Much in Common,” have rapidly become earworms. Composer Jacob Yandura’s work surprises as the greatest aspect of this production. However, the music included in September’s preview EP remains much more memorable and catchier than anything else. The songbook evokes the score of the original film, but it all sounds very similar, and blends together. Some songs are too short, and each jump on too quickly to the next.
Constructing an all-autistic cast could not have been an easy feat given the large limitation on an available talent pool, but casting duo Benton Whitley and Micah Johnson-Levy really did a wonderful job assembling a balanced group. Nearly all the performers possess incredible vocal and acting talent, creating a well-rounded ensemble piece. Cristina Sastre, who plays Ashley Amigo, is a standout with the most impressive and stunning vocal power. Liam Pearce steals the show as Drew, and is by far the strongest actor, oozing charisma; I can see Pearce nominated for a Tony.
In further critique of Melocik’s book, there are some strange character adjustments made from screen to stage. The characters are simplified so much that they become more representations of autistic behavior and struggles rather than their own individuals. A scene where noise becomes too loud at a restaurant, and a character needs headphones to prevent overstimulation, becomes education for the audience. While the actress who plays Marideth, Madison Kopec, exudes a loose vibe of her counterpart’s personality and appearance (inexplicably sans glasses), she comes off more one-note due to peculiar additions. The choice to have Marideth run out of a room at any onset of discomfort or repeat the phrase “fact” makes them come off as a caricature.
One character in particular, Jessica, is sanitized beyond recognition, and pushed into a more supporting role. Oddly, Mel comes off more like the real Jessica than the character created to represent her. Jessica’s character’s sole existence and background is based on external factors, like her crush on Tommy and friendship with Caroline. Mel, however, displays all the emotions and struggles that the real Jessica deals with, and more accurately matches her personality. Because of a shift in focus, the patients lose much of their backstory, as there is not enough time to tell it. The Amigo family storyline is expanded too much; it takes away from the heart of the story. I found it difficult to care about his recent divorce, love life, or daughter’s struggles. Dr. Amigo takes a back seat in real life, as any doctor should.
Melocik’s one successful addition was in choosing to expand an offhand comment from Caroline’s mother about her daughter missing a class into a full scene. In the theater show, doors of the classroom are shown on stage. Caroline has a test, but no one seems to be present inside. Rather than investigating, she stands there until a faculty member tries to help her, but assumes they are propositioning her. She declines their help (with an adorable callback to her mother), and she misses an important test. The recollection gets told comedically in a manner that truly engages the audience in her point of view.
Many of Dr. Amigo’s rules for the real dance were completely thrown aside here. A lot of these aspects cause discomfort, but he wanted to push people to be more flexible towards accepting societal standards. One of the guidelines was that jeans were not allowed, yet wardrobe decided to assign Tommy an outfit with a faux tuxedo t-shirt and jeans. Much less focus is given to the social cues from the film that are the biggest part of the dance, such as asking someone to dance and the emotional and mental struggles behind it. How strange to set the origin of the dance in the show as one patient’s solution for another’s personal problems. It was created by Dr. Amigo as an exercise to work on social skills for everyone in the actual clinic, but here it almost loses seriousness and structure. Furthermore, they miss the mark of the therapeutic program to change the societal norms of King and Queen from the real event to “Interdimensional Second Dance Superhero.” The point of the dance was to acclimate the patients to a conventional young adult life, and instead, this tradition becomes a joke, handing winner Jessica a sword rather than a crown.
Rather than the message in the documentary where the characters are pushed towards emotional growth and better managing autism, the stage show leaves them proud of what makes them different and unchanging. While this is a nice message, it isn’t exactly the goal of therapy. Learning to navigate romantic relationships and dating is a big part of the film, yet only one character in the show leaves his comfort zone rather than the whole group. The character growth and development remains stunted compared to that shown in real life experience.
Despite all the criticism, How to Dance in Ohio still gets points for well-earned representation in a strongly underserved community. The show is executed well in vocal performance, music, and set design on a surface level, but has so much more potential. One might enjoy the show more by skipping the documentary prior. I found myself constantly comparing the multitude of unexpected plot and character changes from screen to stage. Moreover, the Broadway show seems loosely based on the content of the documentary, rather than actually adapting it. Perhaps the musical would stand stronger on its own without the mention of the documentary as its source. While not as sentimental or emotional as last year’s comparable show, Kimberly Akimbo, How to Dance in Ohio can stand on its own two feet. It is a vital show, providing insight to the inner workings and mind of the autistic community.
Step out of your comfort zone when How to Dance in Ohio opens at the Belasco Theatre on Sunday, December 10th, and continues its Broadway run through June 2024.
