Nominations for the 76th annual Tony Awards have been announced, and Broadway’s corniest new musical picked up nine including Best Musical — tying “& Juliet” and “New York, New York” for the second-most nominated show of the year.
What’s the musical, you’re wondering? “Shucked.” What’s it about? Ask any cast member or audience member alike and they’ll tell you the same thing.
It’s about corn!
“Shucked” comes from book writer Robert Horn (who won a Tony award in 2019 for “Tootsie”), composers Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, both Grammy nominees for their work as country songwriters with artists like Kacey Musgraves, Sheryl Crow and Reba McEntire and finally director Jack O’Brien who has three Tonys under his belt already, including one for directing “Hairspray.”
All four were nominated for Tonys in their respective categories for “Shucked.”
“Corn” and the show’s awards pedigree isn’t quite enough to sell you on “Shucked?”
Well, we’ve got all the buttery details ready for you.
The farcical musical takes place in mythical Midwestern Cob County, a town literally surrounded by a wall of corn.
When the crops begin to die, Maizy (get it, like maize, we told you there were puns) cancels her wedding and takes it upon herself to save the corn and their community. This hero’s journey takes Maizy all the way to Tampa, FL, and then… you’ll just have to see “Shucked” to find out!
Need tickets now?
Surprisingly, they won’t cost you more than a few cobs.
At the time of publication, tickets to see “Shucked” start as low as $51 before fees on Vivid Seats.
Vivid Seats has many seats priced in the $80-100 range for most shows, too.
All prices are subject to fluctuation.
So… are you ready to find out what the shuck “Shucked” is all about? We have everything you need to know about how to see this a-maize-ing musical for yourself.
“Shucked” Broadway Schedule
The “corn-fed, corn-bred” musical opened on April 4, and since then, have adopted a typical 8-show week.
Like most shows on the main stem, “Shucked” is dark on Mondays, meaning there are no performances.
“Shucked” also follows the standard two-show day calendar: Wednesdays and Saturdays, there is both a matinee (2 p.m.) and evening (7:30 p.m. on Wednesday; 8 p.m. on Saturday) performance. On a typical Sunday, the curtain on the day’s only performance rises at 3 p.m.
Upcoming holidays, like Memorial Day and Independence Day, often come with schedule adjustments.
A full schedule featuring dates, start times, and links to buy tickets can be found here.
“Shucked” runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
“Shucked” Broadway Cast
Everyone in the 17-person cast of “Shucked” has a voice silkier than an ear of corn. Below, you can learn more about the company’s seven principal actors.
John Behlmann (Gordy): Behlmann has three Broadway credits outside of “Shucked”: “Tootsie,” “Significant Other,” and “Journey’s End.” He’s also appeared in “Riverdale,” “Good Behavior,” “Madam Secretary,” and more. The production’s website notes he is also “a trapeze artist, photographer, proud dad, and onetime face of Dairy Queen.”
Kevin Cahoon (Peanut): Cahoon received his first Tony nomination for his work in “Shucked,” but he’s no stranger to the Broadway stage, having been a part of the companies of “The Who’s Tommy,” “The Lion King,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” and “The Wedding Singer.” He also has an extensive list of TV credits, the most recent of which is “Monarch.”
Andrew Durand (Beau): In addition to a long list of off-Broadway credits, Durand has appeared in four Broadway shows before “Shucked”: “Ink,” “Head Over Heels,” “War Horse,” and “Spring Awakening.” He has also worked regionally at theaters across the United States and England.
Grey Henson (Storyteller 2): Henson received a Tony nomination for his role as Damian in the original Broadway cast of “Mean Girls.” He also featured in “The Book of Mormon” as Elder McKinley, and still holds a recurring role on Peacock and Netflix’s “Girls5Eva.”
Caroline Innerbichler (Maizy): Innerbichler is making her Broadway debut in “Shucked.” Prior to that, she was a Disney Princess, playing Anna on the national tour of “Frozen.” She has appeared in musicals across the country as well.
Ashley D. Kelley (Storyteller 1): Kelley also made her Broadway debut in “Shucked.” Before her “Shucked” run, she toured the country with “The Play That Goes Wrong,” and appeared off-Broadway in “Eve’s Song” and “Bella: An American Tall Tale.” On TV, she recurred in Netflix’s “Insatiable.”
Alex Newell (Lulu): Perhaps best known for four seasons of “Glee,” Newell became a first-time Tony nominee for “Shucked.” They also appeared in the last revival of “Once on This Island” as Asaka, Mother of the Earth. They also appeared on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” and the companion movie.
Want to match more faces to names? Check out the entire “Shucked” cast and creative team here.
Our Review of “Shucked”
The New York Post’s entertainment critic Johnny Oleksinski reviewed “Shucked” ahead of opening night, calling it “the best new musical of the Broadway season so far” awarding the show 3.5 out of 4 stars.
Now, I’m a commerce reporter, not a theater critic, but I have seen nearly 140 Broadway shows in my lifetime — and I wholeheartedly agree.
“Shucked” is truly a laugh-a-minute musical, with an incredibly tight, quippy book and songs unlike anything I’ve heard on a Broadway stage before.
While the jokes are evenly distributed throughout the show, Henson and Cahoon get the best ones — by act two, you’ll find yourself anticipating a new dad joke or corn pun every time they open their mouths, and running comedic bits that their characters have never really get old.
The country score works as well in the classic ballad moments (Durand’s “Somebody Will” and Innerbicher’s “Maybe Love” are highlights) as it does in more upbeat numbers that involve the entire company, like the acts one and two openers, and “Best Man Wins,” a vehicle for Durand and Cahoon, with support from the rest of the male ensemble.
Newell steals the show, though, with “Independently Owned,” an electrifying and unexpectedly jazzy number halfway through the first act. The song is great on its own, but Newell’s belting to the rafters fills the entire theater. At the performance I saw, people gave them a mid-show standing ovation.
In a Broadway season that might be defined by minimalism and projections, it was refreshing to see a set — an actual set! — on stage, setting the Cob County scene. The technical elements of “Shucked” are equally crucial to the storytelling as a whole, and they excel on every level, from Sarah O’Gleby’s choreography and direction to costumes and props (including the corn, of course).
Sure, it’s a musical about corn, but there’s really nothing corny about it.
What to know about the Nederlander Theatre
“Shucked” is currrently playing at the Nederlander Theatre, on 41st St. just off 7th Ave. The theater, which first opened in 1921 has a total capacity of 1,235 seats split between orchestra and mezzanine sections.
There isn’t any lobby space at the Nederlander, so if you arrive early, be prepared to wait in a line outside until the doors open (typically about a half hour before showtime). When you enter the house, there’s a merchandise booth directly to the left of the doors, and if you’re sitting in the mezzanine, you’ll be directed upstairs.
The theater has three levels: the orchestra, a landing level where the front half of the mezzanine will take their seats from, and an upper level for ticket-holders from the back half of the mezzanine to enter. There is no elevator in the theater, so the amount of stairs you’ll likely have to climb is something to take into account when picking your seats.
The landing level is also home to the theater’s only bathrooms and the bar, so depending on how early you arrive and definitely during intermission, this area will be packed tightly with lines moving in all directions.
In my experience sitting in the center mezzanine, the seats were tight and legroom was minimal. If you’re planning to bring a bag, it’ll likely take away most of your legroom if it doesn’t fit perfectly underneath the seat. It’s the unfortunate reality of most Broadway theaters, but it did nothing to take away from my enjoyment of the show.
Most Broadway theaters, including the Nederlander, have great sight lines from just about anywhere in the theater. There aren’t many obstructions, but we still recommend sitting as close to center as you can. This show doesn’t do a lot on either end of the stage, but it’s possible to miss something if you’re tucked into a far corner of the theater.
Huge musicals on Broadway in 2023
Obviously, we recommend you go see “Shucked,” but if it leaves you in a musicals mood, fear not: the Great White Way has plenty of musicals you won’t want to miss.
• “Hamilton”
• “Book of Mormon”
• “Six: The Musical”
• “Wicked”
• “The Lion King”
Still looking for more? Check out our list of 13 more shows opening on Broadway in 2023 here.
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