Rural America Gets Its Hilarity-Filled Moment in “Shucked” on Broadway
Ashley D. Kelley and Grey Henson in SHUCKED | Photo by Mathew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman
(REVIEW) A new musical opens this month at Nederlander Theatre celebrating (and poking fun at) a piece of American culture not often seen on the Broadway stage—the rural farming communities of middle America. “Shucked,” a musical from Nashville songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, takes place in the fictional Midwest area of Cobb County, a rural community of farmers who are content with life within their own community.
We meet Beau (Andrew Durand), a handsome farmer, and his energetic, adventurous fiancee, Maizy (Caroline Innerbichler)—a name that is only the first in a relentless barrage of corn-related puns in this show. The couple is soon to be married in what appears to be the county-wide event of the season. Rounding out the cast of characters are their companions Peanut (Kevin Cahoon), a wise-cracking farmer, and Lulu (Alex Newell), the proudly-single owner of the area’s distillery. Lulu is also Maizy’s cousin because if you’ve spent any time in the Midwest, you know that everyone is everyone else’s cousin.
Two narrators (Ashley D. Kelley and Grey Henson) chaperone our evening in corn country, who, while continually cracking one-liners at the expense of the characters on-stage, inform us that trouble is brewing for the denizens of Cobb County. Despite all efforts, the corn is withering and unable to grow. Desperate to save her town, Maizy sets off on a journey to the high-rise buildings and cosmopolitan influences of—brace yourself—Tampa.
In Tampa, she meets Gordy (John Belhmann), a quick con artist desperate for some quick cash to pay off his shady debtors. Returning triumphantly to Cobb County with Gordy’s promise to cure the corn, Maizy begins to reconsider if she is about to marry the right person, and a hilarious love triangle forms.
The humor of “Shucked” is easily the show’s strongest asset, but it isn’t the only one. The show features a great selection of witty music from Clark and McAnally that blends classic Broadway style with contemporary country music. From the first notes of the show’s brief overture, I was completely on board with the musical theme of this show.
If “Shucked” has any problem, it’s that the relentless onslaught of one-liners might become tiresome. In balancing the humor with the needs of the narrative and music, “Shucked” can play with a lot of different material. But the constant shift between jokes, drama, and singing starts to give the audience whiplash as the show progresses. Nevertheless, this joyride of a show is worth a visit—particularly if you’ve spent any time in the rural Midwest.
“Shucked” is currently running at the Nederlander Theatre.
Eli Johnson is the Theatre Columnist for the Empire State Tribune. He is a sophomore at The King's College majoring in Business. He is an avid theatre-goer and always enjoys a game of chess.