Shucked at PTC

I didn't really know much about Shucked, other than it is a Broadway try-out for a new and original musical here in SLC, but everyone has been giving it rave reviews so I knew I had to see it! I had the chance last night at PTC and I loved it! Two Storytellers (Ashley D. Kelley and Taylor Trensch) introduce us to the small town of Cobb County where the tall stalks of corn, which provide the main source of income, keep people in and keep people out. This is exactly how the townspeople, including engaged couple Beau (Andrew Durand) and Maizy (Caroline Innerbichler), Beau's brother Peanut (Kevin Cahoon), and Maizy's cousin Lulu (Alex Newell), like it until the corn crop starts to fail. Maizy decides, against the objections of Beau, that she should go out into the world to get help and ends up in the big city of Tampa where she meets a conman named Gordy (performed last night by the understudy Quinn VanAntwerp). He is not very good at being bad but he is able to convince the naive Maizy that he is a corn doctor so she brings him home to the consternation of the townspeople, especially Beau who sees him as a rival. Hilarity ensues! Many of the jokes are very "corny" but they definitely land because I don't think I stopped laughing during the entire show (and neither did the audience). Much of the comedy comes from the Storytellers, who are not only the narrators for all of the goings-on but they also periodically become supporting characters (sometimes two characters at the same time). Trensch, especially, is absolutely hilarious with perfect comedic timing and over-the-top facial expressions. Cahoon is also the source of much laughter as Peanut frequently regales us with his deep thoughts. The original songs by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally are a lot of fun and are really catchy. I especially loved the song "Walls" because it is about finding the courage to leave your comfort zone and I think it could stand alone like most of the great songs from Broadway do. Innerbichler, who recently made an appearance in Utah as Anna in the Broadway touring production of Frozen, sings it with so much emotion! The songs "Somebody Will" performed by Durand and "Independently Owned" performed by Newell are absolute show-stoppers and both gave me goosebumps! The staging of this show is so clever because the cast is seated in a semi-circle inside of a crooked barn with corn stalks all around and featured performers use minimal props stashed in bushel baskets around the stage as well as wooden barrels during each number. Artistic Director Karen Azenberg mentioned that some changes had to be made to accommodate the last minute addition of VanAntwerp before the show began but I think that just involved the placement of music stands in front of the actors (VanAntwerp seemed to be the only cast member to have a score in front of him and he rarely used it).  I didn't really know what to expect with this show but I had so much fun watching it! I can't wait until it is a big hit on Broadway because I can say that I was one of the first to see it! There are only a few more performances left so act quickly so you don't miss out (go here for tickets).