A hilariously corny musical about community and letting new perspectives change you for the better. Summary
Rating
Excellent
Shucked at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is the new transfer of the Tony-nominated Broadway show. It tells the simple tale of Cob County, a corn-based secluded town in the USA that faces catastrophe when the corn starts to die. It’s a story filled with country music, corn jokes, and sweet characters that the audience immediately roots for.
Shucked’s story is presented as a fable: a simple and easy to understand narrative about opening borders and minds in order to grow and move forward. It is this well-executed simplicity that makes this show easy to connect to and follow, allowing audiences of any background to enjoy it. It is by no means revolutionary, but that doesn’t make it in any way lesser. Having a well-trodden narrative as a base is also what allows for the show to take risks in going all out in the comedy aspect. This “musical comedy” doesn’t miss a single opportunity to add a joke, throwing them in every other line and most of its musical numbers. All the characters have different comedy styles, some going for simple word puns and others for more raunchy subtexts, so there is a joke for everyone here. The show never stops being hilarious, but it could get tiring for some as there is no pause for any other mood.
The deep American South is the perfect background for a show in which most of its characters start as close-minded as they can get. It also provides for amazing visuals, costumes, and country twangs. The simple stage of a tilted barn is transformed into a bar, a porch, and Tampa, Florida through props that, more often than not, aid the comedy. Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally’s music exudes love for country music, with both ballads and dance tunes. The songs are accompanied by an impressive and occasionally hilarious choreography by Sarah O’Gleby.
The cast for the current production is stacked with talented performers who nail the tone of the show. Not only are they all excellent singers and dancers, but they have great comedic timing and a sweet country twang to match. The storytellers, Monique Ashe-Palmer and Steven Webb, mark the tone of the show. Ben Joyce’s ballad as Beau is a crowd pleaser and Sophie McShera’s sweet, innocent Maizy becomes the heart of the production. Georgina Onuorah’s Lulu commands the stage any time she is on it, in a flirty, strong performance that reminds me of her Ado Annie in Daniel Fish’s Oklahoma!.
Shucked is a corny show in every sense of the word, and it is definitely a spectacle worth braving the cold winds of the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for.
Book by: Robert Horn
Music & Lyrics by: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally
Directed by: Jack O’Brien
Music Supervisor, Orchestration, and Arrangements by: Jason Howland
Musical Direction by: Katy Richardson
Electronic Music Design by: Billy Jay Stein
Choreography by: Sarah O’Gleby
Set Design by: Scott Pask
Sound Design by: John Shivers
Lighting Design by: Japhy Weideman
Costume Design by: Tilly Grimes
Shucked runs at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until Saturday 14 June.
