Director Sammi Cannold on HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO

Hear what Director Sammi Cannold (HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO) has to say about working on the show, the future of Broadway, and how representation matters.

Director Sammi Cannold made her Broadway debut this season with How to Dance in Ohio. The show is based on a documentary of the same name, which highlights how a doctor in Ohio used a dance to help the autistic folks in his care practice social skills and build confidence. Although the show closed on February 11, 2024, Cannold says that the experience of working on this show has changed how she will approach projects going forward. Hear what she has to say about the process, the future of Broadway, and her hopes for the show down the road.

How to Dance in Ohio runs through February 11 at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway. For more information visit the show’s website at https://howtodanceinohiomusical.com/.

About the Guest

Sammi Cannold is a theater, film, and television director who is one of Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment, one of Variety’s 10 Broadway Stars to Watch, and one of Town & Country’s Creative Aristocracy. She recently made her Broadway debut as director of How to Dance in Ohio at the Belasco Theater. Sammi has directed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including The Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, and Lincoln Center as well as for the National Symphony Orchestra, CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, Paramount+, Cirque du Soleil, and TikTok. Recent theater credits include Evita (American Repertory Theater, New York City Center — Critic’s Pick), Rent in Concert (The Kennedy Center), Sunset Boulevard (The Kennedy Center), Carmen (Rose Hall, Lincoln Center — NYT Critic’s Pick), Celine Song’s Endlings (New York Theatre Workshop, A.R.T.), Ragtime on Ellis Island, and Violet on a moving bus (A.R.T.). In the television space, Sammi has served as Director of Curtain Up!, live on ABC, and served as Creative Consultant on the 2021 Tony Awards, live on Paramount+ and CBS. Sammi’s first documentary feature film premiered at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre and was released worldwide on AppleTV. Sammi has also served as an Artistic Fellow at the A.R.T., a member of Cirque du Soleil’s Creative Cognoscenti, and a Sundance Institute Fellow. Sammi holds a B. A. from Stanford University and an M.A. from Harvard University. www.sammicannold.com. @sammi.cannold