David and Hannah Mirvish and Reba McEntire & Associates/Shucked, book by Robert Horn, music and lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally, choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby, directed by Jack O’Brien, Princess of Wales Theatre, closes Apr. 5. Tickets here.
“Candy corn, kettle corn, put it in your mouth — it’s the same going in, coming out. ”
Or what about this gem.
“I just passed a huge squirrel. I don’t remember eating one. ”
If that kind of humour appeals to you, Shucked, the Broadway musical now playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre is your cup of tea.
The show arrives on a wave of nine 2023 Tony nominations. It is loud, bright, unapologetically corny, and clearly beloved by audiences. The crowd around me laughed heartily and often.
The Story
The story takes place in Cob County, a town entirely enclosed by towering cornfields that function as both wall and lifeblood. Two storytellers carry the narration (Maya Lagerstam and Joe Moeller).
The community is proudly insular. They grow up, marry, hold church socials, and live happily within their closed society. Outsiders are not particularly welcome, and no one feels much urge to leave until the corn begins to die.
Because the corn sustains both the town’s economy and its identity, the crisis is existential. Enter Maizy (Danielle Wade) innocent but determined, who ventures beyond the corn barrier to find a cure.
Her fiancé Beau (Nick Baily) does not approve, but she goes anyway, establishing that she may be naive, but she is not submissive.
In Tampa, she encounters Gordy (Quinn Vanantwerp), a fraudulent lothario chiropodist who treats corns on feet while owing money to unsavoury mob figures. Seeing the word corn on his door, Maizy assumes she has found a crop specialist.
Gordy, meanwhile, notices the rare earth minerals in her bracelet, learns that similar stones surround her home in Cob County, and promptly invents a cure for the dying corn while sweeping the innocent Maizy off her feet.
And so, the city slicker arrives in Cob County and collides with the down-home folk.
The Humour
One of the hallmarks of Shucked is the humour, which operates on two distinct tracks.
Peanut (Mike Nappi), Beau’s simple younger brother, delivers the innocent variety. For example: “Remember when I peed in the pool? The lifeguard yelled so loudly, I almost fell in.”
The audience howled.
On the other end of the spectrum is Lulu (Miki Abraham), Maizy’s salty cousin and bootleg whiskey distiller. Her humour is far more worldly, and filled with sexual innuendos.
At one point she remarks, “I haven’t had one of those for a long time, but I still have the box it came in.” That line even drew a snicker from me.
The jokes come quickly and relentlessly. While this particular strain of corn humour is not entirely to my taste, it undeniably works for many. The Broadway run lasted nine months.
The Production
Where the show most impressed me was in its music.
Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally have written a tuneful, lively country score that feels authentically Nashville rather than Broadway parody. There are buoyant ensemble numbers, heartfelt ballads, and clever lyrics that rise above mere punning. Sarah O’Gleby’s choreography carries on the country feeling.
If the book leans heavily into puerile jokes, the music itself is genuinely appealing.
The set is deceptively simple and one of the production’s strengths.
The action takes place inside a barn whose split wooden planks reveal sky beyond. The structure never changes. Instead, scenic elements slide in front to suggest new locations. Tampa is evoked simply by large neon letters spelling TAMPA.
The economy is elegant and effective.
The Staging and Cast
Director Jack O’Brien, now 85, brings decades of theatrical wisdom to the staging.
As with his recent production of The Sound of Music, he resists excess. The storytelling is clear, the staging uncluttered, and the tone carefully judged. It was a pleasure to see another work by this veteran craftsman, whose sense of proportion suits the material perfectly.
These touring performers are Broadway calibre who understand they are portraying classical character stereotypes but give them heart. There is not a weak link in the cast.
The two storytellers are lively and musically assured, providing sly commentary throughout. Maizy embodies sweetness and quiet independence.
Beau projects small-town bravado tinged with alpha jealousy. Gordy is the slick outsider played with entertaining flair, while Peanut is the de rigueur innocent.
The standout remains Lulu (Abraham) and it is no surprise that this role earned the production its sole Tony Award. The part is bold, brassy, and vocally demanding, and it drew some of the strongest applause of the evening.
Final Thoughts
My own response to Shucked was one of mild amusement. I found the show harmless and intermittently funny. Still, in fairness, the audience enjoyed Shucked thoroughly.
More to the point, I was delighted to see another Jack O’Brien production, his steady hand finding precisely the right level of taste for a show that knows exactly what it is.
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