Shucked – Musical – Review – Paramount Theatre – Shows I've Seen

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet):🌽 Robert Horn, Brandy Clark, & Shane McAnally’s Shucked musical national tour courtesy of Broadway Seattle & Seattle Theatre Group. Witty script was a treasure trove of sly clever dad jokes. Foot-tapping country melodies. Danielle Wade was like a modern-day young Dolly Parton. Hilarious, thought-provoking musings from Mike Nappi. See it before it closes 11/9/25! #corny #heartland #midwest #corn

Recommendation:
See it!

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Yes

Mainstream Appeal: Medium to High

If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Absolutely

My Synopsis (No Spoilers): In a small Midwestern town where corn is the lifeblood of the community, the crops begin to mysteriously wither. At the cusp of her wedding, “Maizy” leaves heartland America for the big city in search of a cure for the corn. She pins her hopes on the so-called Tampa “Corn Doctor” to save her hometown.

Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Shucked is the Tony Award®–winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy® Award–winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Mostly dynamic

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You’ve got to think fast to keep up with the jokes. Those punchlines come quicker than you expect!

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Union Actor(s): All

Total Actor(s): 15

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium to fast speed

Was there an intermission? Yes

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Other Rave(s)

Cornucopia of Comedy : I was genuinely blown away by how many sly, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them jokes Robert Horn packed in the script. The writers’ cup runneth over and I completely lost track of the number of laugh-out-loud moments. I haven’t laughed this much at a show in ages. Honestly, I probably missed about 15% of the jokes that had the audience in stitches. In turn, I caught a few that seemed to fly over their heads.

Like Clue: Live on Stage!, this production demands quick thinking. You have to stay sharp to catch every punchline, or risk FOMO when everyone else is cracking up. The humor was a smart blend of dad jokes, clever wordplay, “corny” puns, and small-town pearls of wisdom.

In the spirit of all that fast wit, absurdity, and corn, I couldn’t help but think of Titus Andromedon from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It was theatrical, self-aware, and just the right amount of ridiculous.
Uks Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt GIFfrom Uks GIFs
Peanut: One of the funniest characters was Peanut (played by Mike Nappi), the small-town idiot savant. His running gag was prefacing his offbeat musings with “I think.” They never failed to elicit a laugh and make you go, “huh.” A seemingly simple-minded character beginning a statement with “I think” only added to the irony. My personal favorite insight from this simpleton was “I think if a movie is based on a true story, it’s probably true, just with ugly people.”
Danielle Wade: Danielle Wade, who portrayed the female lead Maizy, delivered a performance marked by a beautifully distinctive voice. Her singing and speaking carried the charm and vivacity of a contemporary Dolly Parton, effortlessly blending youthful energy with a timeless, melodic country warmth.
Music: The music by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally leaned a bit on the formulaic Broadway side. But honestly, that’s exactly how I like my musicals: light, catchy, and mainstream. It exuded a foot-tapping country flair so infectious that I could literally feel someone next to me tapping along. With Reba McEntire serving as co-producer and the musical’s “Official Stalksperson,” that down-home, approachable energy makes perfect sense.

“Independently Owned,” performed by Lulu (played by Miki Abraham), was a standout number, echoing the same confident, feminist “take me as I am” attitude as Hairspray’s “Big Blonde and Beautiful.” Meanwhile, the elevator-style background music during the montage with Gordy (Quinn VanAntwerp) and Maizy in Tampa surprisingly worked well. That kind of understated, almost banal style is rarely heard in musicals, which made it feel unexpectedly refreshing.
Narrators: The narrator duo evoked the dynamic of Janis (albeit kinder) and Damien from the Mean Girls musical with Joe Moeller as the semi-flamboyant gay Storyteller 2 and Maya Lagerstam, his “hag” best friend Storyteller 1. I don’t often comment on inclusive casting, but this production made a thoughtful, meaningful choice by casting BIPOC actors as Storyteller 1 and their family member. It’s a refreshing reminder that not every story in the rural country should be told as all-white.
Nick Bailey: Nick Bailey was perfectly cast as Beau, the quintessential handsome all-American, corn-fed, small-town country boy. He shined in his plaintive ballads “Somebody Will” and “Ok” while delivering a masculine rustic voice rarely heard in musical theatre.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

Country Folk: The production portrayed entertaining boisterous caricatures of backwoods hillbillies complete with a small-town methhead, corn spirit moonshine-fueled antics, trailer-trash energy, and a distinctly conservative bend. God, country, and Trump, y’all! There was line “In Cob County, people think ‘Roe vs. Wade’ is a debate about the best way to cross a river.” Watching this in an educated liberal city like Seattle, it’s easy to feel superior and almost verges on punching down. But I wonder how audiences in more rural, Americana communities might receive this show.

Theatre Company: National Tour Courtesy of Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group

Venue: Paramount Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

Ticket Affordability Options: $43-166

Dates: November 4 – 9, 2025

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the former Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.

Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:

Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

Photos: See production photos below by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

Cast and Production Team: See after photos below.