First Listen: “Building Momentum” From How to Dance in Ohio

The new musical How to Dance in Ohio is headed for Broadway this fall, and to tease the original score, producers have released a music video for the track “Building Momentum,” performed by Liam Pearce. The video also offers a fly-on-the-wall look at director Sammi Cannold breaking the Broadway news to the folks at Amigo Family Counseling, the mental health center that was featured in the documentary that inspired this ground-breaking musical. Watch and listen below.

Based on the documentary by Alexandra Shiva, How to Dance in Ohio tells the story of a group of autistic young adults preparing for their spring formal. The show has music by Jacob Yandura, book and lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, choreography by Mayte Natalio, and direction by Sammi Cannold. Originally developed with Harold Prince, it had its world premiere in the fall of 2022 at Syracuse Stage.

The company will be led by seven autistic actors, all making their Broadway debuts: Desmond Edwards as Remy, Amelia Fei [Yi-Hsuan Fei] as Caroline, Madison Kopec as Marideth, Liam Pearce as Drew, Imani Russell as Mel, Conor Tague as Tommy, and Ashley Wool as Jessica. Also starring are Haven Burton as Terry, Darlesia Cearcy as Johanna, and Carlos L. Encinias, Nick Gaswirth, Melina Kalomas, and Martín Solá. The complete company will be announced in the coming months.

Performances of How to Dance in Ohio begin November 15 at the Belasco Theatre ahead of a December 10 opening.