'How to Dance in Ohio' cast reflects on journey and bittersweet closing

NEW YORK - How to Dance in Ohio is a musical about seven autistic young adults in a group counseling center who are preparing for a spring formal dance.

Its characters are based on real-life people, featured in an HBO documentary of the same name. But How to Dance in Ohio the Musical has done something no Broadway show ever has. '

Each of its autistic characters is played by an autistic actor.

Nineteen-year-old Desmond Luis Edwards is the show’s youngest cast member.

"Just like coming out of high school and like, immediately going into this," Edwards says with an incredulous chuckle, "This is nothing like high school theater in the best way possible!"

Edwards had barely even dreamed of Broadway, let alone expected to get here so soon. He also didn't realize this experience would change his perception of himself.

"I was apologizing. Like, [I’d say], ‘I’m sorry, I’m autistic.’ And really, I shouldn't have been apologizing because that's just how I am," Edwards said.

Actor Liam Pearce says the musical has been a great way to show the world "what autistic people are capable of."

"When I was first diagnosed, I was five years old. And I was really kind of told not to talk about it too much for the first years of my life," Pearce said. "The fact that there have been so many like young… like five to like ten-year-old kids who have come up to me and been like, ‘Hey, I’m autistic too, and I saw myself represented in your character so much, and I loved it,’ [it has] just been so overwhelmingly beautiful to me."

And if you’re wondering whether it was difficult finding seven Broadway-caliber autistic actors to fill the roles, the show's lyricist and book writer Rebekah Greer Melocik has a simple response.

"No. That’s the really easy answer," she said.

Melocik says educating an audience was not the sole intent, she never wants to be preached at as an audience member herself.

"I have joked since grad school that I want to make people think by laughing. So I think we wanted, yes, to educate, but primarily to entertain and center the stories of this really incredible community," Melocik said.

But this story is coming to a quicker-than-expected end. Producers recently announced that How to Dance in Ohio will play its last performance on February 11.

"I cried for a little bit," Edwards said. "And then I was like, ‘This isn't the end.’ You know? There's something else coming for all of us."

"I think what has been really affirming is that thousands of people got to see this show," Melocik added. "And I don't think I can ask for more than that."