‘Shucked’ is Broadway’s cream of the crop

‘SHUCKED’: Ashley D. Kelley & Grey Henson. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

SHUCKED
Book by Robert Horn
Music and lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
(866-870-2717), www.shuckedmusical.com

By David NouNou

Shucked may be the hardest-working original musical in trying to please an audience this year or in many a year. Everything about it is genuine and a hoot. Starting with the creative team with Robert Horn’s hysterical book, with a solid storyline and rapid-fire one-liners that are hard to keep up with. Either you will be laughing hard—or audience members around you are—so listen carefully. Next, the score by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally is delicious. The songs in practically every case are memorable, and as we learned in Musicals 101, they propel the storyline forward, and they are written for the character to define them. Lastly, a huge debt is owed to veteran director, Jack O’Brien. His direction is fast-paced and succinct, and each of his seven leads are fine-tuned to perfection.

I’ll try to give you a start to the storyline, set in Cob County, the state won’t matter, because it is part of a punchline. It begins with Storyteller 1 (Ashley D. Kelly) and Storyteller 2 (Grey Henson) they have a fantastic opening number named “Corn” (which I hope they’ll show on the Tony Awards telecast) followed by telling us that it is Beau’s (Andrew Durand) and Maizy’s (Caroline Innerbichler) wedding day, but things have come to a halt, because right in the middle of the ceremony, the corn starts drying up and starting to die. This is a bad omen. What to do? Well, Maizy defiantly leaves Cob County and goes to the big city to get help. There, she finds a neon sign saying “Corn Doctor.” Gordy (John Behlmann)— whom Maizy assumes is a corn doctor that cures corn— in reality is purportedly a podiatrist and a smooth city slicker that’s up to no good. Back home are two more characters, Peanut (Kevin Cahoon) Beau’s lovable older, simple-minded but philosophical brother, and Maizy’s cousin, Lulu (Alex Newell) and what a gal she is; she takes no crap from anyone and makes the finest whiskey from the corn. Lulu has a showstopping number entitled “Independently Owned,” near the end of Act I and I will bet this might qualify her for the newly minted Tony Award Winner as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. If the producers decide to show the opening number “Corn,” and Lulu’s song is featured on the awards show, the lines will be forming around the block.

John Behlmann, Kevin Cahoon, Andrew Durand, Grey Henson, Caroline Innerbichler, Ashley D. Kelly, and the indomitable Alex Newell are all perfectly cast and multi-talented. Whether singing, dancing, acting or their rapid-fire delivery, they all shine individually and as an ensemble.

Don’t let TV ads or subway posters fool or deter you; this is not a reimagining of “Hee-Haw” or a corny musical. The corn here is higher than an elephant’s eye and it just might be the best musical of the year.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 14, 2023
Reviewed at April 13, 2023 press performance.

‘SHUCKED’: Alex Newell & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SHUCKED’: (left to right): Alex Newell, Caroline Innerbichler, Kevin Cahoon & Andrew Durand. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SHUCKED’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.