Welcome to One Show to See This Week, a weekly newsletter where I recommend the one play or musical you should see in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in the next seven days, because I believe live theater should be part of your routine. My inbox is always open, as are my DMs. Glad you’re here!
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One Show to See This Week
Shucked
Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55403
January 6th – 11th
Happy new year, fellow theatergoer! I’ve been waiting for this week’s musical for almost exactly two years, ever since the Broadway production closed on January 14, 2024…
Shucked has finally landed in Minneapolis.
I never saw this show in New York, but I did listen to the cast album on repeat in the summer of 2023. (Music and lyrics are by country artists Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, book is by Robert Horn.) Well, to be totally honest, I listened to just the first half of the album on repeat, because I didn’t want to know how the story ends until I got the chance to see it. Now, that day has finally come.
If you’ve never heard of Shucked, I completely understand if the title seems insane. The premise isn’t any less ridiculous: In a magical town called Cob County, where the corn-crazed residents are secluded from the world, the beloved crop starts dying, which leads our heroine Maizy to seek help from a con man posing as a podiatrist, who refers to himself as a “corn doctor.” Essentially, it’s the story of a slick outsider against a bunch of good-hearted, down-home folk, just one that’s also packed to the brim with puns, one-liners, and corny jokes. If that’s not your type of humor, stay away from Shucked.
But if you’re open to the corn-fed absurdity happening here, I say get a ticket and give it a chance. If nothing else, it’ll feel like a dose of the State Fair in the middle of winter. I honestly don’t know if I’ll love it or loathe it myself, even though I’m a fan of the music. Knowing I loved the first dozen songs on the album, my brother and his wife actually saw Shucked on Broadway and…did not care for it. I’m optimistic though, and I think I’ll be seeing it on Tuesday, so I’ll report back.
It’s too bad Minnesota’s own Caroline Innerbichler, who starred as Maizy on Broadway, won’t be reprising her role here. She is on the album though. Even if you don’t get to the Orpheum, give that a listen at least!
What to Do Before or After
If I’m going downtown to the Orpheum, the Monte Carlo is always on my radar for dinner before or drinks after. And I know this is the opposite of a hot tip, but I went with my family to the Buca downtown right before Christmas and it…kind of ruled?
How Much Are Tickets? Any Discounts?
Tickets range from about $58 to $180. You can score $40 or $50 tickets through their industry, student, and educator rush offers, which would mean getting to the theater early and taking a chance. (For this show, chances are good you get seats!) Find the full details for those deals here under “Ways to Purchase.”
Behind the Corncob Kickline
Ahead of the 2023 Tony Awards, Michael Paulson of The New York Times wrote this wonderful story “5 Tony-Nominated Broadway Shows, 5 Stagecraft Secrets,” where he interviewed artists about some of the magic that theatergoers normally don’t think twice about. It’s fascinating. The “secrets” here include Jessica Chastain revolving in a chair onstage while people took their seats for A Doll’s House, Josh Groban’s barber chair in Sweeney Todd, and the “corncob choreography” of Shucked. The fact that choreographer Sarah O’Gleby came up with the latter moment while “sleep-addled because she’s raising a toddler” speaks to my soul at the moment.
Question of the Week
Shucked is the first Broadway tour to hit the Twin Cities in 2026. What are you most excited for, either at the Orpheum or elsewhere? I’m looking forward to Water for Elephants at the Orpheum in March, and Kimberly Akimbo in February and Spamalot in June at the Ordway.
See you here next week!
Alex
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
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