“Shucked” Delights With Corny Humorand Bushels of Laughs by...
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Shucked playing at the Fabulous Fox this week
“Shucked” Delights With
Corny Humorand Bushels of Laughs
by Pat Lindsey
Three words that I would use to describe “Shucked” are clever, cute, and corny. With a title like “Shucked,” corny is to be expected and enjoyed for two hours and 15 minutes. Some of the 189 kernels of comedy are delivered so quickly that I fear I might have missed some of the puns as they went in one ear and out the other.
The best way to see this show, I think, is with few expectations. Then, sit back in our seat and take the 360-degree journey from cornfield pre-wedding to cornfield wedding. You’ll more than likely grin ear-to-ear, laugh out loud, and thunderously applaud when you hear Lulu (Miki Abraham) sing “Independently Owned.” Abraham was the show stopper in Act I and earned the loudest applause.
The Grammy Award-winning team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally wrote an ideal score for this down-home fictional Cob County comedy. The lyrics are full of corny puns and double entendres and a stellar cast of excellent singers delivers them with countrified charm. “Shucked” is a Tony Award-winning comedy musical that is based on Tony Award-winner Robert Horn’s book.
The simple story, narrated by two storytellers, (Maya Lagerstam and Tyler Joseph Ellis), begins with childhood sweethearts Maizy (Danielle Wade) and Beau (Jake Odmark) standing in the cornfield seconds away from being married when the stalks of corn start wilting and dying. Not even wedded bliss is more important than saving the corn–the lifeblood of this tight-knit community. Maizy immediately leaves Beau standing amidst the dying corn and sets off to find a corn expert to save the crop. Oddly enough, she finds one in Tampa, of all places. Gordy (Quinn Vanantwerp), a podiatrist (corn doctor) and con man, realizes this is an opportunity to make a quick buck. The plot thickens as the story returns to Cob County, which we can only assume is somewhere in the Midwest.
Beau’s brother, Peanut (Mike Nappi) is by far the most simple character in the show. He delivers the goofiest lines and sings “Holy Shit” and “The Best Man Wins.” Just like Bubba in “Forest Gump,” Peanut can rattle off a long list of the ways that corn can be served, eaten or drunk.
The one and only stage set is simple enough to allow space for some acrobatics and country dancing choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby. The backdrop is the cornfield and the only special effects are mechanical cornstalks that wilt and revive on cue. The ensemble dances to most of the songs and is joined occasionally by the entire company.
“Shucked” simply wants to entertain. Director Jack O’Brien made sure that it does. See it if you’re in the mood for light-hearted comedy and lots of laugh. It’s a family show, but young children will not understand the risque’ puns and double entendres. Parts of “Shucked” are reminiscent of “Laugh In” and “Hee Haw,” if you’re old enough to remember those TV shows. You might even recognize a little Harold Hill from “The Music Man” in there, too. Whatever it reminds you of, “Shucked” is definitely campy and corny in a good way. As one character says, “There’s a cornfield of differene between simple and stupid. That’s a simple mistake stupid people make.” And to enhance your enjoyment, a swig of corn whiskey before the show might just fill the bill!
“Shucked” is playing at The Fabulous Fox now through Feb. 25. Tickets are available through Metrotix at 314-534-1111 or visit The Fox box office. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.
Dance and singing scenes from Shucked, including Jake Odmark appearing to be coming out of the cornfield 
