“Shucked” is as corny as a cob. It sounds insufferable to say, but the musical currently at the Pantages runs on quick corny quips — the kind that makes someone shoot air out of their nose in a short chuckle.
“Shucked” — with its book by Robert Horn and music and lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally — follows lovebirds Maizy (Danielle Wade) and Beau (Jake Odmark), whose wedding takes a detour when the corn crops of Cobb County start dying off. Determined to save the small town of eclectic characters, Maizy ventures to Tampa, Florida, against her fiancé’s wishes and meets Gordy (Quinn Vanantwerp), a suave con artist podiatrist who claims he knows how to cure the corn. When Maizy brings back her new companion, romantic entanglements and underlying secrets emerge quicker than the county corn. In a way, “Shucked” is smart for not taking itself too seriously and leaning into corny zingers. As a production, it knows its limits. It provides a quick laugh, but its message of familial love is sunken beneath each kernel-sized punchline and kick-ball-change.
The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED – Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.
“Shucked” dazzles with its ensemble dance sections and scene changes. It opens big with corn-ography. Choreographer Sarah O’Gleby and associate choreographer Robin Masella use corn props to guide their choreographic choices. As performers swing out two large wooden planks laid out like a bar table, the corn takes the spotlight as the ensemble whips out corn props and makes them dance atop the wood, thumping to the beat. It allows the performers to extend the musicality of the choreography beyond their limbs. The movement itself is witty, and at times just as corny as the jokes. Some movements are gestural and intricate, often aligning with sexual innuendos and double entendres. Meanwhile, the scene changes are as impeccable as the numbers themselves. Performers swing in with set pieces designed by Scott Pask at lightning speed, landing the mark and going right into song.
Just when it feels as though the movement’s tone has cemented itself into the groove of jovial jazz steps, O’Gleby and Masella challenge expectations with two unanticipated twists in the movement vocabulary. In “Corn” (reprise), the ensemble moves in slow motion for the first time after moving at sharp speed the rest of Act I. The lighting design by Japhy Weideman bathes the performers in a dark blue hue in the background of Gordy pulling up shimmery rocks from the ground in his attempt to save the corn (and scheme his way out of his debts). The ensemble collides, leaning against one another as one performer is lifted and blooms up from the pile. It’s a beautiful break in the antics.
The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED – Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.
In “Best Man Wins,” the men of the production perform an athletic number where they’re dancing atop set pieces and moving as one unit. Beau stands atop a barrel while the other men surround him in a circle, performing the same movement to establish an exciting aerial view of the choreography. Here, the choreographers push the boundaries with more challenging steps and unified movement that nearly feels commercial in the best possible way.
The choreography and design elements set a strong base for the story of “Shucked” to unfold. The show is difficult to land because of its joke-heavy script. Most performances in this production lacked the strong commitment and intention to make the words of “Shucked” pierce through its corny surface and expose its message it longs to share. Performers like Wade and Vanantwerp zoom through the punchlines. Although they are able to navigate the music of “Shucked” with ease, their performance of jokes feels more like reciting lines from a book than a fully immersed commitment. Peanut (Mike Nappi) is the only character who has the privilege of being able to recite jokes because his schtick is to run through corny jokes (often having nothing to do with the situation at hand). He performs his one-liners awkwardly, which aligns very well with his character, making for well-placed comedic breaks.
The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED – Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.
Miki Abraham (they/them), who plays Lulu, perfectly maneuvers each horrendous joke. They give each line deep attention and intention, exploring what it means for their character to say each punchline by playing with their vocal variety, as well as the emotions behind the quips. It doesn’t feel like a line in a script, but a part of their character’s narrative. Overall, Abraham is a standout talent. They command the stage with their vocal prowess in “Independently Owned” and, despite their character’s sharp edges, unearths an interesting softness when it comes to Lulu’s romantic side.
Odmark is another standout performer who brings nuance to Beau, a himbo with a heart of gold. Odmark’s approach is a bit stagnant at first but soon gains momentum during “Somebody Will.” Following a relationship-ending argument, Beau sings of all the ways he is a good catch. Odmark approaches each line as a casual fact that is, at first, funny to hear a seemingly delinquent character say. He stands still and barely moves. Underneath the lines is a heartache that Odmark interprets and translates with specificity. His voice shakes, and his eyes hold back tears despite the hopeful lyrics of the song. He is numb but sings through the pain. Following this number, Odmark discovers Beau’s heartbeat and lets it guide him through the rest of the show. He imbues Beau with a complex core.
Maya Lagerstam (Storyteller 1) and Tyler Joseph Ellis (Storyteller 2) in The North American Tour of SHUCKED – Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.
The show continues to up the ante with more quick-fire jokes and antics, but much like its affinity for cheap laughs, it settles for a quick, anti-climactic ending. The problems get solved, and the corn comes back. It should feel resolved, right? Although everything on the surface has reached its conclusion, “Shucked” doesn’t feel complete. While it harps on the theme of familial ties and the importance of community, its message merely hums in the background while the corny jokes distract from the show’s heart. Suddenly, that one corny quip doesn’t feel worth it.
“Shucked” continues at the Pantages through Sunday, September 7, 2025. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit their website.
Written by Steven Vargas for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED – Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.
