Review by Willie Caldwell
January lasted roughly nine years. Spring is still hiding like it’s in witness protection, Norway and Switzerland just mopped the ice with Team USA, and the political news cycle is one long stress corn-ival. Things are, to use the technical term, a mess. But you know what doesn’t suck? Shucked. Broadway in Cincinnati’s current musical comedy is a corn-fed, joke-stuffed, gosh darn delight from first note to final bow.
The Gist
Combining television’s Hee Haw with a little bit of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man, Shucked is a love story devoted to corn, whiskey, and more one-liners than should be legal in a Broadway Musical. In Cobb County, where the corn is high and the IQ is… regional, everything falls apart when the crops die and the community has to decide whether to cling to tradition or risk change. Suddenly a food crisis becomes a faith crisis of epic proportions.
The show treats small-town life with equal parts affection and sarcasm, using wall-to-wall puns to ask who gets to define “home” and whether you can grow beyond your roots without losing them. Through Maizy’s urge to leave, Beau’s fear of change, Lulu’s fierce independence, and Gordy’s con-man greed, it skewers pride, insularity, and hustle culture while arguing that honesty, vulnerability, and community are the only real miracle-grow.
The Performers
Nick Bailey is perfectly cast as corn-fed Beau, serving up earnest charm on the cob with just enough emotional butter to keep things from feeling canned. Danielle Wade’s Maizy pops like fresh popcorn, mixing wide-eyed hope and a real backbone so you never forget this farm girl’s got grit as well as grits.
Miki Abraham’s Lulu is a shot of top-shelf attitude, slinging zingers and high notes like she’s running a comedy distillery. Quinn VanAntwert’s Gordy is such a slick city slicker you can practically hear the kernel of a lie in every promise he makes.
Then there’s Mike Nappi as Peanut, who doesn’t just steal the show, he walks off with the whole silo and the tractor keys for good measure. He fires off so many one-liners you start to wonder if Cob County runs on dad jokes instead of diesel. Around them, a super-charged ensemble plows through harmonies, choreography, and character bits with machine-like precision, proving that in this field, there really are no small parts–only major yields.
The Production
Written by Robert Horn, with music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, Shucked didn’t just sprout on Broadway. Shucked grew into a nine-time Tony nominee in 2023, including a nod for Best Musical, proving corny can still be award-season classy. Loaded with a who’s-who creative team including scenic design by Scott Pask, costumes by Tilly Grimes, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by John Shivers, and even a producing credit to Reba McEntire. The show is a fresh reminder that sometimes the finest theatre isn’t highbrow, it’s a high-quality silly escape hatch from real life.
Why You Should Get Poppin’
This feel-good tale of love gone wrong, gone right, gone wrong again, ends with a happily ever after that sees the corn growing, the whiskey flowing, all fertilized with tongue-in-cheek humor, powerhouse singing, and just a dash of a-political humor to keep things interesting. Grab a date, order a double bourbon, and have yourself a jamboree of a good time.
Tickets and Such
Shucked runs from February 10-22 at Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center. Purchase tickets by visiting cincinnatiarts.org or by calling the box office at (513) 621-2787.
NOTE: The show features situational humor and adult themes, parental discretion is advised.
