Corn, comedy and country star Reba McEntire’s endorsement make “Shucked” a CIBC smash

Shucked Photos provided by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

One of the funniest shows in what feels like forever is unlike anything else out right now, which is why the Tony Award-winning and Grammy-nominated “Shucked” got so much attention on Broadway that quickly translated to an American tour with West End and Australian installments on the way.

In the meantime, the musical comedy featuring a resounding endorsement from Reba McEntire is planted at the CIBC Theatre through Sunday, January 19, and following a hilarious opening night, it was apparent what the country superstar and judge on “The Voice” is raving about.

ShuckedFor starters, the combination of Tony-winning book writer Robert Horn, Grammy-winning songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, plus fellow Tony-winning director Jack O’Brien yields a consistently fertile crop.

Equally important to the equation is a main cast comprised of Danielle Wade (Maizy), Miki Abraham (Lulu), Jake Odmark (Beau), Quinn VanAntwerp (Gordy), Mike Nappi (Peanut), Maya Lagerstam (Storyteller 1) and Tyler Joseph Ellis (Storyteller 2), who each take a convincing bite out of this “farm-to-fable” treat.

Framed as flashbacks through the lenses of the two narrators, “Shucked” begins by telling the history of Cob County, or basically any small town in the country where corn is their primary source of produce and commerce.

It’s also slated to be the setting for a major wedding between local lovebirds Maizy and Beau, though after the crops start to suddenly die, their nuptials get postponed as the leading lady feels a tug to go to Tampa and attempt to solve the farming crisis.

ShuckedCousin Lulu is supportive of the idea and her fiancé is not a fan, but the unsuspecting Maizy leaves anyway and meets a “corn doctor” named Gordy, who’s actually a podiatrist descended from a family of con artists, despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed.

Needless to say, it’s consistently funny fodder for a whole host of misunderstandings, mistakes and mania, culminating in Maizy and Gordy making their way home, then entangling all their family and friends in the corn-centered confusion they’ve unintentionally created.

Yet “Shucked” isn’t only stacked with slapstick, especially when everyone learns tearing down “Walls” may often be more beneficial than growing them and result in an abundant harvest of hope.


“Shucked” continues at the CIBC Theatre through Sunday, January 19. For additional details, visit ShuckedMusical.com and BroadwayInChicago.com.