‘How To Dance In Ohio’ Review: Broadway’s First Autistic Cast Has All The Right Moves In A Musical That Sometimes Doesn’t
deadline.comNot since the perfect (what other word is there?) Kimberly Akimbo first made us laugh and bent our hearts two years ago has a stageful of youthful characters so inspired our best, heartfelt wishes as those learning how to dance in Ohio in the new musical of that very name.
Based on the affecting, same-titled 2015 HBO documentary, the new Broadway musical How To Dance In Ohio, opening tonight at the Belasco Theatre, is chock-full of thoroughly endearing young people – the fictional ones and their portrayers – that have us rooting for them from start to finish.
From the opening, pre-plot moment when the cast of seven young (mostly 20s) autistic persons takes the stage to directly introduce themselves and establish some background (“There’s a saying, ‘If you’ve met one autistic person… you’ve met one autistic person,” says actor Conor Tague. “You are now meeting seven autistic people.”), their enthusiasm has our hearts.
When they slip into their characters seconds later, their charming performances seal the deal: We want this show to soar. That it doesn’t is a disappointment softened only by the experience of seeing a group of Broadway newcomers get so thrillingly close to something like flight, and suspecting that this won’t be the last time they’ll have the opportunity.
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