SHUCKED Is Hilarious Proof That Corn Can Be Sexy And Extremely Stupid at The Orpheum

SHUCKED, the original Broadway musical that garnered nine Tony Award nominations in 2023, is a show that feels tailor-made for Twin Cities audiences. I went in knowing almost nothing, just that it involved corn, and I assumed it would be silly. What I didn’t expect was how raunchy it would be at times, or how consistently it would land its jokes. To give you some point of reference think Hee Haw after dark mixed with The Simpsons and that will get you close to the tone of the show.

To give you a reference point: imagine an R-rated version of Hee Haw and you’ll be pretty close. Much of the humor falls squarely into the “it’s so dumb it’s clever” category—nonstop wordplay groaners that somehow make you laugh while you’re rolling your eyes. The jokes come at you about a mile a minute. Then the show pulls off a real surprise: the songs aren’t just funny, they’re genuinely good, and they’re performed by a very talented cast. The result is a musical that’s funny, upbeat, delightfully silly, and more than a little raunchy at times. I was honestly surprised by just how much fun I had with this unapologetically corny show packed with songs that really pop.

The story is narrated by two storytellers who guide us through the action with songs and an endless stream of one-liners. The setting is Cob County, a place so devoted to corn that it has literally walled itself off from the rest of the world with corn. No one ever leaves, and no one outside seems to know it exists. On the day of Maizy and Beau’s wedding, just before the vows, the unthinkable happens: the corn begins to die on the stalks. Since corn is everything in Cob County, the wedding is put on hold until the cause of the corntastrophe can be discovered. Against Beau’s wishes Maizy ventures into the outside world for help. She ends up in Tampa, Florida, where she mistakenly believes a podiatrist named Gordy, who advertises himself as a “corn doctor”, can save her town. Gordy is a con man (though not a particularly good one) who realizes the stones in Maizy’s bracelet are valuable and decides to tag along to Cob County under the pretense of saving the corn, while secretly planning to steal the jewels to pay off his mob debts. Romance, betrayal, broken engagements, and new ones ensue, with Lulu (Maizy’s cousin) and Peanut (Beau’s brother) along for the ride providing commentary, chaos, and some of the show’s biggest laughs.

Danielle Wade is the engine of the show as Maizy. She has a wonderfully distinctive voice, part Southern twang, part Bonnie Tyler rasp, with real raw power behind it. Her unique sound and along with her spunky performance are spot on for the character she’s playing. Nick Bailey gives a stellar vocal performance as Beau, nailing songs that feel like classic rock power ballads. There may very likely be country music comparisons that are more apt, but not being at all versed on country music, or really any contemporary music to be truthful, those would be lost on me.

Miki Abraham is fantastic as Lulu, stopping the show with “Independently Owned,” a number that feels closest to traditional musical theater while still delivering sharp, funny commentary on self-reliance and empowerment. Mike Nappi provides pure comic joy as Peanut, the lovable idiot brother, very much in the spirit of those old Hee Haw cutaway jokes. Our narrators are played by Maya Lagerstam, a graduate of the UMN/Guthrie BFA program and Joe Moeller. Their engaging presence guides us through the narrative with wit, and knowing nods to the audience.

Local audiences are going to recognize and appreciate every layer of the humor here: the rural jokes, the meta commentary, and the sly nods to modern politics and culture. With a top-notch cast delivering big laughs, strong vocals, and genuinely smart silliness, SHUCKED proves that being corny can be a virtue.

SHUCKED runs through January 11th at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/shucked

Watch for the 2025 TCTB Awards to be announced on the next episode of The Stages of MN YouTube Show!!

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