Delightfully daffy, original musical comedy Shucked lovingly skewers small town America, subversively mocking conservative values to delicious effect.
The rare Broadway musical not based on an existing intellectual property, Shucked revels in the simplicity of its plot, the few key elements of which are gaily signposted by a helpful pair of Storytellers.
Shucked is set in isolated, insular Cob County, an area, so we learn, that was settled by a very diverse group of pilgrims. When a local wedding is suddenly interrupted by wilting corn, bride-to-be Maizy leaves Cob County to investigate; the fact that her destination is Tampa is treated as a punchline on the same scale as the mission to Uganda in The Book of Mormon.
The standout feature of Shucked, Robert Horn’s book is seriously hilarious, delivering an extraordinary flow of laugh-out-loud one-liners, non sequiturs, and ingenious puns. The jokes land all the more sharply thanks to the finely honed delivery of the cast, as directed by Broadway veteran Jack O’Brien. The merry townsfolk of Cob County are a quirky bunch, possibly the most distinctive set of ensemble characters since Urinetown.
Brandy Clark and Shane McNally’s serviceable score is toe-tapping and tuneful, if not particularly memorable. Sarah O’Gleby’s choreography matches the knowing tone of the book and direction, providing winks to classic musical moments while providing some original moments of its own (It seems safe to assume that Agnes de Mille never used corn props to model the action of a bris).
Scenic designer Scott Pask sets the action in a giant ramshackle barn, the one-set staging feeling only a small step up from an off-Broadway production. Lighting, by Japhy Weideman, is key to adding any additional visual effects.
Grey Henson and Ashley D. Kelley give the Storytellers an adorkable sense of college-level improvisation, and work with bold confidence to keep audience engagement high. Henson has a particular way with the non sequiturs which makes them all the funnier.
When asked what he thinks, the aptly named Peanut has a tendency to spout endless inanities. Kevin Cahoon captures the well meaning sincerity of Peanut and has the audience eagerly waiting for more of his high faluting opinions.
Playing down home whiskey distiller Lulu, Alex Newell steals the show right out from under their hilarious co-stars bringing down the house with “Independently Owned” and earning one of those new-fangled mid-show standing ovations.
Destined to be performed by every school, college, and community group in America, Shucked is a unique piece of Americana and a simple pleasure of musical theatre.
Shucked plays at Nederlander Theatre, New York until 14 January 2024. For tickets, click here.
Photos: Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman