I was certain I saw Alex Newell in that opening shot of the show, and when you said there was a mid-act standing ovation I KNEW it would be for Alex. I’m not 100% sure of their pronouns, but Alex is one of my favorite vocalists and might be one of the most talented performers I’ve come across! They are absolutely out of this world!!
Hee-Haw was an old variety show on TV -- no real overall plot, just comedy sketches and musical numbers, but with a bunch of recurring characters and sketches, all set around rural southern stereotypes, that ran for like 25 years. From what I recall, this show started as an adaptation of that, trying to pull together some of the more well-known characters and sketches into a coherent plot. It ran for a few weeks at a theatre in Texas. I'm not exactly sure what happened with it, but the general impression I got is that the licensing fell through, and they couldn't do it with the Hee-Haw characters, so they rewrote it with new characters but a lot of the same music they'd already written for the Hee-Haw version.
Travelled over from Ireland saw it last night, have fallen head over heels in love with this show. It was AMAZING. Sat in row B seats 111-112, view was perfect. Never laughed so much at a musical and the music numbers were so good, the performances were outstanding. And YES Alex got a standing ovation after their number. In love with the show I have got SHUCKED
I was there in the second-to-last night of previews and I was giddy. I LOVE a good heavy drama, I LOVE an intelligent musical, and I DETEST bubble-headed froth musicals. But Shucked grabbed me by my husk and shook me! It was truly an old-fashioned musical comedy story and the jokes were certainly vaudevillian. I haven't had this much fun at the theater since Urinetown. Maybe you missed this because of our cultural differences, but Maisey is named after "maize" an indigenous people's name for corn. 😊
I was extremely skeptical about this show. I won the lottery for this show. It was amazing! I laughed so much. I've been seeing Broadway shows for over twenty years and this was one of the only mid-show standing ovations I've ever seen. It was well deserved. It was hilarious and a bit naughty. It definitely hit all the right notes for a wonderful night at the theater!
Growing up in Alabama in the 60s and 70s you didn't miss Hee Haw. Yes the jokes were bad and frequently bawdy but it was all done tongue in cheek and when the you laughed when the characters couldn't even say their lines for laughing. I don't think you could say the show "didn't take itself seriously" as they didn't take anything seriously. Now, I must comment on Shucked being set in Tampa. Anyone who knows that part of Florida can't imagine corn growing there - is that part of the joke? If so I suppose it shows how detailed they are going to make it ridiculous.
Saw this show on Friday, appreciate your takes here. I think the title might also be just a funny way to almost say, "F*cked" next to a rather phallic ear of corn. It could also be poking fun at Wicked but that was my take. Alex Newell is just an incredible and charismatic talent, so glad they got this role. Love hearing what someone across the pond would think about a very American type of story / musical genre. Seriously such a funny show 😊
I am living the theater life vicariously through you. Thank you for being so excited about the theater. I used to watch a local show called Theater Talk and that was my in but they were cancelled several years ago. I am so glad I found you. I wish I could afford Broadway but this will do in a good way
My friend Ashley is in this show and I am so excited to see this show in August. I am so proud of her and this show, and I am rooting for this show.🌽💚💛
OMG Hey! I am one of those high-brow Broadway snobs and only went, grudgingly.... Mr. High-Brow here loved it! So much fun from start to finish. Alex N. got a standing ovation at the preview I saw and she deserved it. Delightful songs. So many laughs. "Peanut" is the village genius masquerading as the idiot. I encourage my high-brow friends to lower their brows and go and have a good time. Correction: have a great time.
I saw the show with Jimmy Brewer and Rheaume Crenshaw as the storytellers. They were absolutely AMAZING! I am not sure how the others played them, but Jimmy and Rheaume gave stand out performances. This show 100% benifts from being called "the corn musical". I went in knowing absolutely nothing and was floored. I ended up laughing so much that by act 2 I was tired of laughing in the best way. Peaunt's one liners were an ABSOLUTE HILIGHT. I quote them whenever I can, but I was very disappointed that he never got a solo song. "Independently owned" now resides on my playlist, an absolute banger of a song closely followed up by "We love Jesus, but we Drink a Little"! 100000% recommend a viewing!
I was in NYC on pride weekend and saw three shows. I saw Shucked, Life of Pi and Funny Girl with Lea Michele. Out of the three, Shucked was my favorite. I enjoyed the music and songs and laughed throughout the entire show. And when Alex Newell finished the song Independently Owned. It blew the roof off the place with thundering applause, and everyone at the same time rosed to a standing ovation instantly at the end of the song cheering. This is a show that I would highly recommend to everyone who wants to have an enjoyable fun night out at the theatre. I give it. 🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽 & 👍🏼
I saw it 2 days after opening and we summed it up as Dad Jokes The Musical. Saw understudies as the storytellers which was a little sad because I LOVED Grey in Mean Girls. I too am recommending it for anybody who wants to just have a great time at the theatre! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I just saw it on Thursday and had a blast. It has fun with southern/middle America stereotypes without making fun of them and it's almost totally family friendly (language and some sexual language aside, so maybe PG-13?). My only complaint was that it was a little bit shallow, so I don't know if it would have legs like Avenue Q or the Book of Mormon. On the other hand, I could easily see it being an entry point into watching musicals for middle Americans who I wouldn't typically think of as being their target audience. It's like the Blue Collar Comedy of Broadway.
Your critique and synopsis of Shucked is spot on!! What a fun show! I saw the Saturday matinee exactly one week ago and I still cannot stop thinking about this wonderful production. Brilliant cast too!!!!
So glad you loved the show. I grew up doing theatre with Kevin Cahoon. We are today still the dearest of friends. The character Peanut is perfect for him because he has absolutely the best sense of humor and natural comedic timing. All we do is non stop laughing when we are together 😂😂 Love that the show getting great reviews!♥️
Just saw SHUCKED tonight, LOVED it! One of the two funniest musicals I've ever seen in my life! My throat is sore from howling w. laughter. The cast is chock full of great singers & comic actors. Grey Henson & Kevin Cahoon are stand-outs, but really every one is fantastic. ALEX NEWELL's voice has to be heard live to be believed. The songs are terrific, the characters totally lovable, the rapid-fire laughs never stop. Absolutely the highlight of my year so far. Bonus: Usherettes pass out corn-on-the-cob to theater-goers waiting on line to enter the theater!!
Gosh I'm impressed by you! I have NO idea about our education, background, age, nothing! But you're a serious joy to watch and listen to! I get SOO tired of so many NYC drama critics who hate EVERYTHING!
I actually laughed more during this than I did during Book of Mormon. The charater named Peanut had the best lines throughout. But there were funny lines from all the characters. The vocals by the male and female leads totally rocked. "Somebody Will" was probably my favorite. The narrators were also great as was the antagonist in the story. And the cousin of the female lead was a great singer as well. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and highly recommend it.
Saw Shucked in previews just prior to your visit. The supporting cast are all standouts and should be remembered when Tony nominations are announced. One of the funniest shows I have ever seen on Broadway! Can't recommend it enough and I hope to see it again in the near future!
I hope you come down to Australia one day for your work! Our theatre scene absolutely deserves the third place in the theatre holy trinity that is broadway, the west end and MELBOURNE!
I had no idea about the Hee-Haw connection! I used to watch that show when I was younger; Minnie Pearl was my favorite. Shucked sounds like a fun show, I’m glad you guys got to see it!
Shucked was a whole lot of fun, I loved not knowing anything in advance as well! I actually did see two understudies as the Storytellers, they did a great job but would be curious to see the main cast there as you said to see if it's a different take. Sadly I was a bit jetlagged when I saw it so wasn't 100% in the right mindset to fully appreciate everything so I wish I could see it again, am excited for the cast recording. Love your outfit in this video as well.
Absolutely loved this show. Had zero idea what to expect, and was just blown away. By far the best new show I've seen this year, and quite possibly the most fun I've had on Broadway in years. So glad you got to see it!
I've booked tickets to see this show on Wednesday MIckey, based on your recommendation. We fly out on Monday so your NYC vlogs have come out just in time for our trip. Thank you for the content, it's been great. Can't wait for our first trip to NYC and Broadway from here in the UK.
Have a wonderful time in NYC! We've been enjoying very nice weather here lately, so hopefully it will be the same next week. In any case, if you're in the mood for not overthinking and just having a good time, you will definitely enjoy Shucked.
@@cwbrooks5329 thank you, I've checked tge weather for next week and other than tge rain showers the temperatures look perfect. Have you been to the Apollo for Amateur night? Have booked tickets and just wondering what your experience was, if you've been
@@Spikeswift Hey there! We are more the opera/ballet crowd, so haven't been to Apollo Amateur night -- not to say it doesn't look fun. I would be aware though, that you may not be able to catch a cab in that neighboorhood, so you might want to plan on an Uber or ask your hotel about arranging a pick up. The subways do run 24/7, so you don't have to worry about getting stranded, but I know sometimes it's daunting to take a subway in an unfamiliar city. Anyway, just a word of caution, not meaning to put you off! I'm sure you will manage just fine.
I love your commentary and insights. I would humbly suggest a less sophisticated reason for the name of this musical. In American venacular, the town was totally "shucked" with a different beginning consonant... at the loss of their corn....just a suggestion!
I saw Shucked the day after opening night and I can confirm it's amazing and Alex Newell's mid act 1 standing ovation! I 100% agree with everything in this review. I have seen 10 Broadway musicals in the last 6 months and Shucked was by far the most fun
Funny….saw a cideo that they took the viral internet ‘corn kid” and had him attend opening night…..He was adorable…..so excited……they used his tagline “it’s got the juice.”. He hugged Beau and told him the show was great because of him!
Ended up winning the digital lottery for this show 04/24. Did not know what to expect and was completely taken away. Like you said, I laughed throughout the entire show and Alex did receive a standing ovation after their performance. I actually teared up and had goosebumps, it was the most beautiful performance I’ve ever heard. 10/10 would recommend Shucked!
I wonder how Alex Newell will get nominated for the Tony’s since the categories are divided by gender and Alex is such a wonderful performer that defies gender norms 🤔
They will have to have it figured out by then. I've heard talk about "Female defining character" and "male defining character" which would still be non inclusive of non-binary and inter gender characters.
I saw the show two weeks ago, and honestly, I think the cast absolutely carries the show. On its own, the show is pretty good, but also the plot feels weirdly... generic ? maybe that's just me. if this musical was performed by mid-tier actors, then it would be pretty okay. but because of how INSANELY talented the cast is (*ESPECIALLY* Alex Newell, they're a fucking powerhouse), the show was really awesome. despite how dumb it looks on the surface, i hope people give it a shot !!
Just seen the show and it was so funny!! For me one of best jokes was Lulu’s final joke (I think it was the last one) about her virginity. 😂😂😂 Alex’s character was so fun an sassy and together with Maize they had such fun moment with just saying “Cousin” etc. Honestly I feel like I want to see it again before I leave.
Agree with everything you said. I saw Shucked twice in previews, and once after opening night. I loved it , and the audience response was riotous. I loved Grey Henson in Mean Girls...he was strongly involved in the promotion of the show. For that, I knew I'd love it, as you said, he projects a similar observational humor as he did with Damien. You didn't really go into much detail about Andrew Durand's performance. I assumed he's just sort of be a secondary character , but when he burst out with "Somebody Will", I realized I was seeing something special. I also thought there might be one too many ballads in the show overall. I'll go see it a fourth time and let you know if I still think that 😉Thx for reviewing
I have a New York trip planned for November to see Merrily We Roll Along and Sweeney Todd, and I've been debating between leaving New York in the morning so I have time to rest and unwind at home before work the next day, or going to see a matinee before returning home and then going straight to bed and then straight to work. This has me leaning towards seeing a matinee
My husband and I are doing a roadtrip around the East Coast in June/July and booked Shucked for our final leg in NY, and this review makes me feel so happy we are! We originally wanted to see Kimberley Akimbo but got worried we'd miss out on tickets and they were only booking up to May when we wanted to get it sorted, and honestly this makes me think we've made the right choice. I'M SO EXCITED! 🌽
So Alex Newell is definitely getting at the very least a Tony nomination (nominations are announced in 2 weeks from today!). Usually if you get a mid-show ovation, you get a nomination, if not a win.
I saw it opening night at Pioneer Theater in Salt Lake City before it opened on Broadway with the same cast. My only regret is that I didn't have a pad of paper and a pen to write down the one-liners that came at us 100 miles an hour. The set appeared to be the same set that we saw and MickeyJo describes it just as I remember it. It's perfect escapism. No one dies, no one is in pain.
OMG Hey. Thank you for this review. I hope to get to New York this summer so I can see Shucked and Some Like It Hot. I’m really pulling for Shucked to get a bunch of Tony Nominations because I love this is an original musical NOT based on a movie Finally someone had an original idea I am also liking it does not rely on a star to make it good. So thank you for this review , it made me want to see it even more
i am nowhere near nyc, but a friend saw it and loved it, and i have been listening to ‘independently owned’ on repeat since they put it on youtube. can’t wait for the cast recording!
Nashville representing here. I remember a while ago, hearing about a new musical in the works about Hee Haw, but I didn’t realize it was this show until your video. You did a great job, analyzing it, and it’s definitely on my must-see list now. Thank you!
Omg I love that you loved our corn show 🥰 having spent a year with Robert working on this I can confidently assure you he WOULD change the jokes every single night if he were allowed to. The man is a joke MACHINE.
I have such a twisted relationship with this cast. I was in a show with Caroline that I got fired from because I the music was out of my range. I met Kevin when I was 17 when I ushered at the preview for Lion King before it went to Broadway. Andrew was at some weird gay nerds event I went to. And Alex was a complete asshole at a party I worked.
I was totally unconvinced by this based on the descriptions and name but a more detailed overview does actually make me interested! I hope they bring out an official recording, there's no way I'd manage to make it to 'merica and NY just to see a show
Smiled at the observation that the wit in the lyrics will be missed by those not familiar with country music. Those of us not familiar with the queens had to do some research to appreciate much of the wit in SIX. Took some effort, but so worth it
I saw Shucked last night and agree 100% with this review. Seriously almost peed myself laughing, can't remember the last time I laughed that much/frequently during a show. Not a huge country fan but still enjoyed most of the songs, though some of the lyrics in the ensemble numbers were a little hard to hear from my seat. (thank God for the cast album.) Alex's performance was insanely good, (as expected, I loved them in Once on This Island too), Kevin was hilarious and sweet, (onstage and IRL, met him briefly before the show), and we had an understudy on for Maisie with a lovely voice, though I'm sorry I missed Carolyn. (again, yay cast album!) Thanks for sharing your thoughts and encouraging us New York theatre snobs to give this show a try, so shucking worth it.
I watched your video before and after I saw Shucked. I saw it yesterday. It is so hilarious. Not all of the audience gave a standing ovation for Independently owned but it was like 50/50. I love Peanut and the guy who played him was great. I saw Andrew Duran, Alex Newell, and Grey Henson in previous shows and they are all incredible.
You do know that Shucked is the term for removing the husk from an ear of corn, yes? It becomes a bit of a pun along with the name Cob county - because you know, corn cob? Hee-Haw was a comedy musical-variety show that was american TV starting back in 1969 or 70, when that type of show was popular. That show was set in "Kornfield Kounty" and was filmed in Tennessee first in a TV studio and later at the Grand Ole Opry.
Yep, Shucked started life as a musical adaptation of an old sketch comedy show called Hee-Haw! As earlier stated, it played on tropes about rural Southern life.
Just to let you know, the "man falling' in front of Rock Center is Prometheus, the God of fire. Prometheus also made man out of mud, and Athena breathed life into his clay figures. He also angered Zeus, who chained him to a rock, and everyday an eagle would tear out his liver.
Caroline Innerbichler is from my hometown and went to my high school!! She’s truly a class act - hope to see her in this role soon , when I heard she was starring I knew the country sound would work perfectly with her voice :)
Been listening to Alex and Indepently owned.. DAMN that is a true showstopper!! So catchy and how he does it!! A new favourite of mine, thank you for going there so we could find out about this gem ::)
If “Shucked” wins Best Musical, it is due to how marketable it is for a national tour. Since, I see this playing better with Middle America, than with a Broadway crowd.
wasn't sure how I felt about maybe seeing this. Then I saw a clip of Alex Newell singing her big number and I thought, Ok, I need to see this. Now after your review, it's on my list. Thanks!
I LOVED this show. I am so glad I went in blind which is what I recommend you do!!! It sounds corny I KNOW but it was an absolute blast and I HIGHLY recommended it. 10/10 and YES my crowd also had a standing ovation after Independently owned Alex was a STAND OUT!!!
I have a friend who is going to New York end of the Summer. She had heard some good word of mouth about Shucked, but knew nothing about it; so thanks for your review. I will tell her what you said. I don't think the title is a parody of Wicked, more likely for an American swear word. I do remember hearing about a Hee-Haw styled musical being worked on, quite a long time ago (I mean: years!).
@@MickeyJoTheatre LOL...fair enough. I really enjoyed the review. I heard the music for the show for the first time yesterday and came to your channel to learn more. Cheers!
Oh my goodness! I can tell its based on hee haw just by the set!!!!! I really wished I lived closer to New York so I could see it! Seriously though watch Hee Haw, it is hilarious! It was my favorite show as a kid (even though there were only reruns). I’m pretty sure Peanut’s characterization is based off of Junior from the original show 😂
I watched it a few days after it opened. It was actually my first broadway musical. I liked it but didn’t love it. Would have to agree that Peanut, and I would say the storytellers as well, were standouts for me. I also liked the reveal of the storytellers at the end. It was cute. SPOILER WARNING: there were some things I didn’t like or thought could be improved. Maizy explicitly cheats two separate times on her fiancés. I feel like it doesn’t get addressed that well that she did that. Characters are upset with her but not really, she doesn’t really face repercussions for her actions and i was definitely side eyeing when it happened. I feel like the lead up to Gordy’s change of heart and his eventual romance with Lulu wasn’t developed that well and kinda seem to came out of no where. More scenes/moments of how the situations came to be would’ve been nice.
@@teach4him841 yeah I felt that way too. There were parts where a lot of people laughed and I wasn’t really into it. But there were some parts where I laughed and others didn’t like it like the reference to the corn kid.
Just saw this last night after seeing a bunch of the shows on Broadway that are out right now. To compare with Kimberly Akimbo which is also a witty and funny musical, I thought this one’s story was so much more cohesive and the characters had actual arcs and range. I liked Kimberly Akimbo but it was story nonsense to me. But shucked was just non stop laughs until the end with the reveal of the story tellers and ugh it is just such a sweet and heartfelt story 🥰 will happily see this show again and take friends from out of town!
"A thigh-slapping book combined with a knee-slapping score" Couldn't describe it better myself. BTW, this was the show I was coming back from when I met you and Aeron at Parade
The more I hear about this show, the more I want to see it so I best start planning my next New York trip now. 🌽🌽also I’m from tampa, Fl so the whole thing just tickles me
I recently saw shucked a few weeks ago, and though I saw Wicked, Lea Michele in Funny Girl AND Aaron Tveit in Moulin Rouge, Shucked was my second favorite show I saw, only behind Wicked.
There was a lot I liked. I liked the music, the comedy, set sesign and costumes. Overall I think it was well done, 7/10 for me. Story was definitely a 4 or 5 out of 10 imo. It was so very predictable which was disappointing going in knowing nothing about it. I like to be surprised by the plot twists but nothing was very surprising. The solution to the corn problem is quite literally in plain sight and I could easily deduce the plot. Maybe bc it’s somewhat of a parody that this is the reason I felt this way, and maybe I took this part a bit too seriously. I found I couldnt get myself behind Maize though… her character a bit too air-heady for my liking and I think she was supposed to be an independent woman in the making (whereas Lulu was already one) …I felt it worked against her more often than not.. By the end I felt she didn’t develop as much as the other characters.
I was just wondering are you planning to go and see the new musical Killing the Cat at Riverside Studios? I'm going to see the show today. There's still time to go and see it but the show closes on the 22nd April.
I cannot get behind the overwhelming positive reception of this show. I just think the writing and misunderstandings and jokes to be so juvenile and low hanging fruit. It feels like Urinetown combined with Bright Star but designed to be a show for high schoolers once the book is released. I guess the musical theater world isn’t for me after being into it for so long but then growing out of it
