HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO Broadway Previews — Page 4

Some of y'all are getting testy.

Burn the turkey or something?

emlo99 said: "I believe if someone is non-binary the correct pronoun would be “they.”"

Not necessarily. Non-binary people use whatever pronouns they use. I'm non-binary, and while I use they/them pronouns when I talk about myself, I also accept he/him pronouns. Some non-binary people use their born pronouns, and some use any pronouns. It differs from person to person, and the general rule of thumb is whatever that person says goes.

Ashley Wool all but confirmed a forthcoming cast recording sometime in 2024 on the show’s Instagram story today.

There are several non-binary actors in this company, all of whom have their pronouns listed in the show Playbill and the website. It’s not that hard, especially when the topic is also acknowledged in the show, you’re just showing you didn’t pay attention.


Throwing around “you’re not my boss meeep meep meep” as a full grown adult is so childish you should be embarrassed. Are you 5?

yyys said: "Intermission...this is awful...would not recommend."

Based on the negative word of mouth and the underwhelming parade performance, I decided to sell my ticket for Sunday (it actually sold quickly). Clearly this was one of my better ideas.

Kind of seems like trying to make a for profit venture out of the experiences of disabled people maybe holistically isn't the best idea when none of your creatives are actually autistic...

Went back and saw this last night. Wow. Having a sibling with autism - this hit even harder the 2nd time. Was with a group of friends who thought it was fantastic. Packed with positive, strong, universal messages, beautiful songs, and great performances. The show is considerably tighter and running about 2:20 now. The creative team has done a fantastic job here with changes. This is a celebration of being human, overcoming our fears, finding joy in the day to day, second chances, and personal growth. Broadway and the world needs this show now IMO.

Updated On: 11/27/23 at 04:16 PM

BroadwayBoy0924 said: "I think I am in the minority among those who have posted on this thread...I really loved this musical, I thought the cast was excellent and this show has great potential. The show really moved me and I was bawling for pretty much the last twenty minutes straight. I thought Building Momentum and So Much in Common were excellent, as well as Slow Dancing. I really hope the critics are kind to this show since I think they really need a boost.

I do agree that there are areas that could use improvement/changes. The second act was definitely stronger. I enjoyed Getting Ready for the Dance. I think that song was really sweet. So I do feel like there is a place for the parents, but maybe just a little less. Also maybe just Caroline, Jessica, and Marideth's parents and drop the others. I can't recall who the other parents were that popped up, but felt unnecessary. The storyline with Mr. Amigos and the female reporter was kind of cringy and unnecessary. I think they could've just shown how much Mr. Amigos admired her for her quality of work and didn't need to go further with that.

The standouts of the show were clearly the 7 "kids" and Mr. Amigos. They could definitely take out some filler from the other cast.

My one biggest note with the music is to cut down the references to Ohio. It felt overdone and cheesy. I loved Kimberly Akimbo last year and they sang "in New Jersey" frequently, but it worked for them. The frequent "Ohio" lyrics felt like a carbon copy and predictable. I hope the Directors/Producers/etc can make some adjustments before opening nights as I really want this show to be set up for success."

I'm with you - I thought it was wonderful, and the audience I saw it with loved it. It was the most actively responsive audience I was part of out of the six shows I saw over the weekend. The music doesn't really break any molds innovation-wise, but the songs are all good. The book has some missteps, but it ultimately comes to a conclusion that is both sweet and empowering. The young cast is fantastic, and I also like how they humanized the adults as well. I think this show has the potential to be a real crowdpleaser with reach outside of Broadway circles.

One thing I want to bring up is the subplot involving Mr. Amigos and the reporter. It's definitely flawed in its execution, but I can see why it's there:

Again, it could have be executed better, but as it stands I think the conclusion is ultimately worth the sometimes-rocky road it takes to get there.

Friend who went tonight said the show ran about 2 hour and 20 minutes with intermission so certainly seems it be trimming down since first preview

Impressive that you noticed lighting cue changes but have they made any significant cuts or changes to the book/score?

Interesting piece on Hal Prince's involvement. He was signed on as director for 2 years prior to his death 4 years ago and developed it with the authors.

I can't remember a more prominent "in loving memory of" dedication on Broadway. Perhaps it's contractual with his estate. Tons of shows have been dedicated to people who were instrumental to their development (SLIH/Craig Zadan, Mean Girls/Stuart Thompson, etc), but this could invite dissenting critics to say "Sammi Cannold is no Hal Prince" or "are they trying to sell tickets on his name?"

Updated On: 11/29/23 at 04:53 PM