By Liz Eichler
Shucked is the laugh we need right now.
Wrapped in recycled dad jokes, silly puns, and the occasional eye-rolling political or gender jab, the Tony Award–winning musical at the Aronoff through February 22, doesn’t take itself too seriously. But peel back that husk and you’ll find a sweet–if predictable–love story full of kernels of truth.
Part of Broadway in Cincinnati’s season, Shucked makes for a genuinely fun night out with a spouse or friends. The book is by Robert Horn (Tootsie the Musical, Disney’s Hercules, 13), with music and lyrics by Brandy Clark (A Beautiful Noise) and Shane McAnally (over 50 No. 1 songs and three Grammy Awards). The creative team knows exactly what kind of show they’re making — and they lean into it.
The Story
In Cob County, the community has been self-sufficient, never needing to venture past the cornrows that encircle them. Corn is their bread and butter–and bourbon. In fact it is everything. Residents Beau and Maizy are everything to each other, too, fixing to wed, until…the corn starts shriveling up. So, Maizy sets out to make things right with the corn, which makes things wrong with Beau. She heads to Tampa, and meets the Corn Doctor, Gordy–but he fixes the corns on rich women’s feet, as well as satisfying their other itches. He’s in a jam: his gambling debts are due, but he’s plum out of lettuce. Then he meets Maizy, a sweet tomato with a corn problem, and a bracelet made of valuable gems which grow all over Cob County. He begins to woo her, because together they both can get out of their pickles.
They get to Cob County and Gordy meets Lulu, Maizy’s dear and independent cousin. Meanwhile, Beau, feeling rejected and disrespected, commiserates with his brother Peanut (who has an interesting running gag of sharing what he thinks). Maizy and Gordy are engaged by the end of Act 1.
How does it spin out? It’s a fable — and yes, things turn out peachy.
Why Corn?
I was so excited to see this show. Not just for the bushels of corny jokes, but to see how this downhome humor could succeed in New York. There must be a twist. The twist is that it doesn’t need one. The sincerity carries it.
The show does a great job selling the corn–and one of my favorite numbers includes the opening “Corn-us line.” The team leans into the humor–but the main love story is sweet. And, there’s also a coming of age story for Maizy like the Amish “rumspriga” after experiencing the big city (of Tampa) she does come home, to stay. Throughout the show there is great interaction between Maizy and Lulu. These are strong, smart women, and there are a few jokes made at the expense of the men in the audience. A few get applause in addition to laughs.
The pace is fast–the jokes come a mile a minute, like a sit-com (writer Horn contributed to many). Like 30 Rock, it throws jokes at the wall — and if 70 percent land, that’s a win. Older folks will be reminded of Hee Haw, others will note the homage to Music Man, and some may think Oklahoma.
Performances
There is some local talent in the performers, and I am happy to say that they make the Cincinnati area proud. As Lulu, Miki Abraham has a great number in “Independently Owned.” This is a performer you will want to see again.
As one of the two Storytellers, Joe Moeller (CCM grad) has the spunk of SNL’s Mikey Day and the charm and commitment to delivery the puns with great fun. Maya Lagerstam is the other Storyteller and they both show their skills playing multiple characters–especially when they are multiple characters in unison in the second act.
One of the best voices–and perfect for this musical–is Danielle Wade who plays Maizy. She has a pecan sandy kind of voice that hits you right in the heart. Nick Bailey does a great job giving heart to Beau. Quinn Vanantwerp as Gordy is a believable conman. His role could have been written better to explain his change of character, giving more hope for he and his new love interest. Mike Nappi plays the goofball role of Peanut earnestly. The enthusiastic ensemble and other key players all sell it well.
The Production Team
Encompassing almost the whole Aronoff stage is the set (Scott Pask). It is primarily the bones of a barn, which we can see through for beautiful colors, sunrise and sunsets (Lighting by Japhy Weidman). There are plenty of well made set pieces that roll in and off of the stage, and a variety of prop corn. The colorful costumes (Tilly Grimes) are full of patches and textures, and allow the dancers free movement for the choreography (Sarah O’Gleby).
The sound levels on opening night were good (John Shivers) and the band and voices were popping (Jason Howland). Director Jack O’Brien keeps the pace tight and quick–but not afraid to allow a full pause to build the emotional impact of the show. That really works to make the story, light as it is, land.
Overall–An Appealing Show
I was genuinely looking forward to seeing Shucked, so we made a night of it. The generous pours from the lobby bars (yes, there are multiple bars on each level) didn’t hurt. And while you may have heard a few of these dad jokes before, there’s something comforting about laughing at them together.
This show is bright, silly, and refreshingly unpretentious. The colors pop, the songs are easy to follow, and the story doesn’t ask you to work too hard. Yes, there’s visual and verbal sexual and scatological innuendo (it is corn, after all), but nothing more outrageous than what flashes across our newsfeeds daily.
Shucked knows exactly what it is. And right now, that kind of unapologetic, homespun joy feels like a gift.
Tickets to Shucked
Purchase tickets to Shucked, at the Aronoff now through February 22, 2026 at the ONLINE BOX OFFICE, By Phone: (513) 621-2787 [ARTS], or in Person at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati Monday thru Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Half-price RUSH tickets are available two hours before curtain, same day of show.
