HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO Broadway Previews- Page 2

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:12am

This is such a sweet and wholesome show. This will be really successful for schools and regional theaters. Not everything needs to come to Broadway but I hope people love it. 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:20am

Adding some stream-of-consciousness praise for the show.  The cast is earnest, the story is sweet, and mostly everything worked.  The direction was solid.  I do agree that the show went on for a touch too long.  There were the usual first preview issues (mostly sound related - mic timing was off), but the show is in good shape.

I wasn't clock watching, but I'm not sure 2:40 is entirely right -- I think probably a little closer to 2:30.  Start was a little before 8:10, there was an enthusiastic, warm welcome for the cast at the start that ate up a couple of minutes, and curtain call was ending at 10:45.  So my guesstimate is 2:30.

I do think a challenge with a show like this is spotlighting all of the principal characters (the members of the Amigo Family Counseling group) without this turning into New York, New York.  For the most part, I think the stories blend well together (read:  it works far better than New York, New York), but I'm sure there will be some trimming.  Some spoilered thoughts here:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Big fan of Caesar Samayoa -- think he was quite strong here, and he was very strong as Juan Peron in Evita at A.R.T./STC as well.  But I think at least some of the Amigos subplots need to go.  Particularly the "divorced dad looking for love" subplot.  I also wasn't entirely sure where the "Ashley doesn't know what life is without dance" plot was going -- I would much rather have spent that time learning more about each of the group members, or even the relationship between Mel and Ashley.

IMO, some of the time spent on some of the secondary characters (the parents, Dr. Amigo, Ashley) diminishes from the time we could be spending with the main seven group members.  I was most invested in their stories -- and left the show hoping those storylines would be fleshed out a little more.  Mel's storyline felt particularly incomplete.

Music-wise, I thought the opening number was particularly effective in conveying a sense of overload, some of the lyrical work was clever, and the music was generally lovely.  I did think the How-To's dragged on for a bit.  Building Momentum is stuck in my head.

This show left me fulfilled in a way that Kimberly Akimbo did not.  I look forward to seeing this again after opening - always interested to see what changes.  

Updated On: 11/16/23 at 11:20 AM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:22am

This is such a sweet and wholesome show. This will be really successful for schools and regional theaters.

But will it? The production is making a very big deal about how it has gone to great lengths (and expense) to create an environment both for a cast of all autistic performers and austic audience members beyond what is normal in the theatre. While nice in principal, I think its creating a  precident for this play to be difficult to have easy regional/ amateur life.  Especially if it is not a success in NY.  Championing a good cause can only go so far.  Things like economics and actually being able to cast the show with austistic performers is going to be an ongoing obsticle for future productions.

Updated On: 11/16/23 at 11:22 AM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:25am

I watched through the documentary for the first time yesterday, and now I'm very curious to see how it has been musicalized and expanded. 

The actual Dr. Amigo was at the show last night, and I hope he enjoyed it.

[OhHiii]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:29am

QueenAlice said: "This is such a sweet and wholesome show. This will be really successful for schools and regional theaters.

But will it? The production is making a very big deal about how it has gone to great lengths (and expense) to create an environment both for a cast of all autistic performers and austic audience members beyond what is normal in the theatre. While nice in principal, I think its creating a  precident for this play to be difficult to have easy regional/ amateur life.  Especially if it is not a success in NY.  Championing a good cause can only go so far.  Things like economics and actually being able to cast the show with austistic performers is going to be an ongoing obsticle for future productions."

Well, as with any culturally conscious approach to any material that has diversity of any kind written into it, regional and amateur companies should not try to do this show without having the proper representation to populate it. 

[Kad]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:37am

I'm not familiar with How to Dance in Ohio, but I'm finding the urge from people to compare it to The Prom to be off based on what I do know about it. Yeah they're both ostensibly about a high school dance and focused on a marginalized group, but The Prom is largely satirical.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 11:39am

QueenAlice said: "This is such a sweet and wholesome show. This will be really successful for schools and regional theaters.

But will it? The production is making a very big deal about how it has gone to great lengths (and expense) to create an environment both for a cast of all autistic performers and austic audience members beyond what is normal in the theatre. While nice in principal, I think its creating a  precident for this play to be difficult to have easy regional/ amateur life.  Especially if it is not a success in NY.  Championing a good cause can only go so far.  Things like economics and actually being able to cast the show with austistic performers is going to be an ongoing obsticle for future productions."

I disagree. There are tons of ASD performers (and technicians!) who would love the opportunity to paly these roles. Communities will know their local performers and if the opportunity is there, they will perform this show. Remember - ASD is truly a spectrum. Just because it appears a person doesn't have ASD doesn't mean they are not on the spectrum. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 12:35pm

If theatres can align with community partners in the autism network regionally, I could see it being viable. But the show itself needs to warrant it. I'm all for inclusion and opportunity but I'm also all for giving underserved groups good material to work with.

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 1:19pm

The material may not be groundbreaking. But I do think it’s good. I think others would agree with me.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 1:33pm

QueenAlice said: "If theatres can align with community partners in the autism network regionally, I could see it being viable. But the show itself needs to warrant it. I'm all for inclusion and opportunity but I'm also all for giving underserved groups good material to work with."

Material is material. How many other shows can you list include ASD performers? Yes, of course, we want the material to be "good," (subjective on what good means) but it's also very exciting that this show exists at all. 

And community partners in the autism network? What are you talking about? ASD people are everywhere, you don't need to be in a network to be a member of that community. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 1:57pm

I am specifically meaning partners in the autism network who could help underwrite the additional costs this production has developed to create an autistic friendly environment for audiences and cast. These are the kinds of things that are above and beyond a typical regional budget.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 2:31pm

I will be very curious to see the grosses for this show over the first few weeks, it needs to be hitting around $600,000 a week to break even

[BETTY22]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 2:41pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "I will be very curious to see the grosses for this show over the first few weeks, it needs to be hitting around $600,000 a week to break even"

Give it a little longer! An original musical takes a while 

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 2:57pm

Is this expected to make spring or will another show arrive before Tonys? 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 3:02pm

BETTY22 said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: "I will be very curious to see the grosses for this show over the first few weeks, it needs to be hitting around $600,000 a week to break even"

Give it a little longer! An original musical takes a while"

this show does not have a while, it either needs to build a strong base/WOM immediately or it will get crushed by the dozen new musical productions in the Spring

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 3:02pm

CoffeeBreak said: "Is this expected to make spring or will another show arrive before Tonys?"

It's currently scheduled to run through June.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 3:05pm

By whose expectations?

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 3:20pm

QueenAlice said: "I am specifically meaning partners in the autism network who could help underwrite the additional costs this production has developed to create an autistic friendly environment for audiences and cast. These are the kinds of things that are above and beyond a typical regional budget."

What are the additional costs for this production?

[Bobster159]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 3:56pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "I will be very curious to see the grosses for this show over the first few weeks, it needs to be hitting around $600,000 a week to break even"

Where did $600K come from? I hadn't seen that reported. That seems incredibly low for the size of this show and theater. Sure, the set's simple, but it has a cast of 21, a decent-sized band, and over 1000 seats. As I recall, Akimbo has been reported at $570K, and that's much, much smaller in all regards.

[Voter]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 4:18pm

Bobster159 said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: "I will be very curious to see the grosses for this show over the first few weeks, it needs to be hitting around $600,000 a week to break even"

Where did $600K come from? I hadn't seen that reported. That seems incredibly low for the size of this show and theater. Sure, the set's simple, but it has a cast of 21, a decent-sized band, and over 1000 seats. As I recall, Akimbo has been reported at $570K, and that's much, much smaller in all regards."

Weekly operating is $600K right now

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 4:46pm

there is an absurd amount of co-producers on the show, the offering document has not been hard to come by.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 11/16/23 at 9:12pm

According to an audience member’s photo I just saw on Facebook, tonight’s preview has been halted and crew are working on a turntable issue. Surprisingly the curtain wasn’t pulled down but I suppose they don’t leave a fire curtain hanging if a show doesn’t need one?

Embedding never works for me but here’s the photo 

https://postimg.cc/RJfG9YMV

Updated On: 11/16/23 at 09:12 PM

[JaglinSays]

Posted: 11/17/23 at 1:52am

It should obviously be a one-act, but the creatives and producers are completely green and clueless.  Expect very few changes.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/17/23 at 2:36am

I know someone that went tonight that felt very little has changed since the run in Syracuse last year "they changed some songs but its pretty much the same show, story order and all"

also apparently the dress scene used to be at Davids Bridal but is now very much at Macys

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/17/23 at 7:57am

BorisTomashevsky said: "According to an audience member’s photo I just saw on Facebook, tonight’s preview has been halted and crew are working on a turntable issue. Surprisingly the curtain wasn’t pulled down but I suppose they don’t leave a fire curtain hanging if a show doesn’t need one?

Embedding never works for me but here’s the photo

https://postimg.cc/RJfG9YMV"

 A fire curtain is a safety requirement. I'm fairly certain they must be present. (At least that's my understanding.)

I've never seen a fire curtain used for any reason in a professional setting. (As I've never experienced a theatrical fire.) I understand some countries actually require "showing" it to the audience .