‘Shucked’ cast, director take corny comedy as seriously as Shakespeare

Once he steps out on stage to narrate the beginning of hilarious country musical “Shucked,” Tyler Joseph Ellis wants to reassure the audience as fast as possible that they will get their money’s worth. 

His anxious but funny demeanor as the second narrator is meant to be endearing as he sets the stage for what is to come: A goofy fable set in Cobb County about a corn blight that delays a wedding, prompting the bride to venture to the big city to get help from a “corn” doctor (a podiatrist with a mistaken identity). 

“The sooner that I can do my best to assure you that you made the right choice coming here tonight, the better,” Ellis said in a phone call ahead of the tour of “Shucked” arriving at the Civic Theatre for a week-long engagement through Broadway San Diego starting Aug. 12. “I do take that very seriously. Theater is not cheap and I want to make sure it’s a worthwhile experience.”

Ellis said, “Unabashed joy is worth its weight in gold.”

A serious endeavor

Taking a corny comedy seriously comes straight from the director. Jack O’Brien, Tony winner and former artistic director at The Old Globe, despite being a Broadway legend, “takes himself the least seriously but takes the work the most seriously,” explained Ellis. 

“He directed ‘Shucked,’ as though we were Shakespeare,” Ellis, a University of Southern California alum, said.

When the Bay Area-raised actor auditioned, his goal was to make O’Brien laugh. That mattered more than landing the part.

“Ultimately making him laugh was heaven on earth. I couldn’t believe it,” Ellis said while wearing his favorite cap, merchandise from O’Brien’s 2018 revival of “Carousel.” 

O’Brien’s work is in his blood, he said.

Setting the tone early is something Ellis learned from Grey Henson, who played the role of Storyteller #2 when it debuted in New York City in 2023.

Henson, who originated the role of Damian Hubbard in Broadway’s “Mean Girls” adaptation, brought a queer sensibility to the role that won Ellis over immediately, even before the corn kick line could. 

“When I saw him do it, I went, ‘I have to play that part.’ I didn’t necessarily think like I have to play that part the exact same way Grey did, but I saw it done so successfully that it made me want to take a crack at it,” Ellis said. 

Ellis brings his own authenticity to the role, enhancing a character with no textual queerness. He is excited to show that to his aunt, uncle and cousin who live in San Diego. 

The quest for the absolute best show every night is not without reason.

O’Brien believes that getting people with opposing views and all walks of life in a room and laughing together is magic. The tour has stops from Texas to Ohio. 

“The truth is, I’m as despairing and upset as anyone in the country at how far apart we have begun to move,” O’Brien told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“We’re looking at each other over a vast abyss and no one is moving. But if I can put 1,100 people together in a space and they all laugh, I’ve done something, I think, to move the needle forward.”

New, yet nostalgic

Despite rave reviews as one of the funniest musicals of all time, the cast of “Shucked” have an uphill battle in reaching the audience, based on some metrics. 

Many of the Broadway shows successfully making their production investments back are revivals and classics. New musicals and plays are nearly always based on familiar source material, like the “Back to the Future” franchise or “Outsiders” book. 

Amid a sea of adaptations, there are few success stories of wholly original works.

“Shucked” is one of the more recent. “There’s that excitement, but there’s also a big level of responsibility,” Ellis said. 

Newness aside, it still hits the emotional comfort many crave when seeking out classic musicals. 

“This show makes me feel super nostalgic,” Ellis said. He saw the show six times when it was on Broadway. “It feels like a golden age musical in terms of storytelling.” 

The conman in a small town hearkens back to “Music Man.” Book writer Robert Horn drew inspiration from variety TV show “Hee Haw.” 

Nashville songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally wrote music and lyrics in songs like “Independently Owned” that are already being used as audition materials in New York City. 

Since it doesn’t rely on animatronics and flashy sets, Ellis expects the show to be picked up by local and regional theaters. He says he can’t wait for his own high school to stage it. 

In other words, it’s a classic in the making.

For those who want to see the fresh production by a top tier cast with its original director, buy tickets at broadwaysd.com.