The Cast of The North American Tour of Shucked (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Shucked. That rhymes with another word, doesn’t it? A word that might describe the folks of Cob County, unless they figure out what happened to their corn.
Shucked, the Tony-winning musical comedy, has come to the Fox. It’s a collaboration between Tony-winning playwright Robert Horn and famed country songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (whose songs have been performed by Sheryl Crow, Kasey Musgraves, and other stars). The team has some serious talent, but they’re not above some cleverly stupid jokes (and puns aplenty). As it turns out, country ballads and broad humor go together like corn and butter… corn and whiskey… corn and heartache… corn and… just about everything, it seems. Shucked is both high-concept and low-brow, a tongue-in-cheek ode to rural America and the value of community.
Shucked opens with a musical tribute to—what else?—corn. The storytellers (Maya Lagerstam and Tyler Joseph Ellis) explain how the miracle vegetable “came from Mexico / Some seven-thousand years ago / Somewhere between right now and dinosaurs.” Flash forward to a simple place that time forgot—Cob County, cut off from the modern world by walls of corn.
Beau (Jake Odmark), a handsome young farmer, is trying to save the corn, and with it, their way of life. It withered and died, and nobody knows why. His adventurous fiancée Maizy (Danielle Wade), has a crazy idea—something that nobody has tried in generations. She leaves Cob County to look for help in the faraway, mysterious land of Tampa. There she meets Gordy (Quinn Van Antwerp), a shady podiatrist (or “corn doctor”) who’s desperate to pay off his debts. Now Maizy—whose life was as neat as a row of corn—finds herself in a messy love triangle.
Lead characters Beau and Maizy get the big numbers, like the breakup song “Somebody Will” and the sweeping ballad “Maybe Love.” The actors skillfully switch from crude slapstick to sincere, tender performances. Wade and Odmark are talented singers who give the whole deranged, whiskey-drunk affair a little gravitas.
Special props must be given to the supporting cast, who get some of the biggest laughs. The storytellers’ rapid-fire narration, crammed with pop culture references and groan-inducing puns, gives the show momentum and energy. Beau’s deadpan brother Peanut (Mike Nappi) shares bizarre observations (“I think… if you know more than three Metallica songs, you must be in Metallica”) and deranged stories—like the time they made sand castles with Grandma, until Grandpa told them to put her ashes away.
Maizy’s brash, brassy cousin Lulu (Miki Abraham) is perhaps the biggest scene stealer. The no-nonsense character is introduced in the strutting ode to strong Southern women, “Independently Owned and Operated.” Lulu is the voice of reason who anchors and protects starstruck Maizy.
Dressed in faded flannel and patchworked denim, the actors sure do look like children of the corn. The show features a handful of set changes, but most of the action takes place—where else?—in a barn. The sets have a ramshackle, postmodern country feel to them, like something out of a Beck music video. Some creative use of props—like a corncob chorus line—add to the zany, variety show atmosphere.
Shucked runs from now until Feb. 23. Ticket prices range from $37 to $99. It may be a bit too rich for the fine people of Cob County, but not fancy city folks like you and me. Come dressed in your patchiest denim, order a tall glass of whiskey, and enjoy the corniest show on Broadway. | Rob Von Nordheim
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit fabulousfox.com.
