Palm Desert, CA
I can say—with all the joy and shameless wordplay the show invites—that SHUCKED is genuinely fan-shuckin’-tastic. Now playing at the McCallum Theatre from November 25–30, it’s the kind of musical you walk into with mild skepticism and walk out of wondering why your face hurts from smiling.
It would be easy to dismiss Shucked as a string of one-liners glued together with a simple plot, but doing so would miss the point entirely. Yes, the jokes come fast and furious, and yes, the story is light—but that’s the charm. It’s built in the spirit of the great American sitcoms: tight jokes, quick timing, and characters who are both larger-than-life and oddly familiar.
That clicked for me after the performance, at an after-party where I had the chance to speak with cast member Elijah Caldwell (Grandpa). He shared that he drew inspiration from The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, and Mama’s Family. And suddenly, everything about Shucked fell into place. It isn’t trying to be a sweeping epic; it’s aiming for the kind of humor that filled living rooms for decades—smart, silly, and sneakily heartfelt.
The Story (Yes, There Is One)
Shucked follows Maizy, a young woman determined to save her hometown after the corn crop mysteriously fails in the middle of a drought. She leaves her small community—and her loving but wounded beau, Beau—and heads to the big city to find answers. There, she meets a charming con man who promises salvation but has ulterior motives as slick as his suit.
It’s not the plot that holds you; it’s the rhythm of the humor. Nearly every joke lands, from groan-worthy puns to whip-smart one-liners delivered with absolute sincerity. And sincerity is the key—Shucked never winks at itself. It just lets the comedy be funny.
Music That Sneaks Up on You
What makes the evening even sweeter is how Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally’s country-pop score lifts the whole thing. These songs are catchy, tuneful, and crafted with such clarity that you can easily imagine Beau and Maizy performing on the CMA Awards stage. Their duets—sung beautifully by Nick Bailey and Danielle Wade—have the charm of a good front-porch melody wrapped in Broadway warmth.
And then there’s Lulu. “Independently Owned,” sung by understudy Dominique Kent the night I attended, absolutely stopped the show. It’s a barn-burner of a number, funny and fiery, and Kent lit it up without hesitation.
The Ensemble: Pure Joy
This cast works like a well-oiled tractor (I promise that’s the last farm pun). Peanut (Mike Nappi) and Lulu are scene-stealing delights, delivering some of the night’s best punchlines with an earnestness that makes them even funnier.
The Storytellers, played with charm and precision by Maya Lagerstam and Joe Moeller, serve as the evening’s comedic compass. They draw the audience in, shape the rhythm of the scenes, and keep the spirit of the show buoyant.
Together, they create a world where the problems are simple, the whiskey is plentiful, and everyone owns the same Bible—because of course they do.
The Surprise of the Night
You may walk into Shucked worried it’s going to be “corny” in the wrong way, or that the humor will drift into Hee Haw territory. But what happens instead is pure delight. Time vanishes. You find yourself rooting for every relationship, every joke, every musical number.
Sure, the plot is as predictable as an ’80s sitcom—but I mean that as high praise. The success of those sitcoms was never about surprise; it was about heart. You cared about the characters because they cared about each other. That’s the hidden power of Shucked: beneath the laughs, there’s real affection, the kind shared by families who fight hard and love harder. As Lulu quips,
“You can tell your family to go to hell—and five minutes later worry about how they’re going to get there safe.”
That line alone captures the show’s ethos.
Final Verdict
Shucked is unpretentious, warm-hearted, unapologetically silly, and a guilty pleasure of the highest order. It makes you laugh, hum along, and remember that joy doesn’t always need to be complicated. Sometimes it just needs to be shared.
Go in skeptically if you must—but you’ll leave smiling.
About the Author
D. Wesley Spencer, Ph.D., is an educator, writer, and arts advocate whose work spans communication, performance studies, and creative development. He earned his doctorate in Performance Studies from Northwestern University and has taught communication and theatre at institutions including College of the Desert and Glendale Community College. A former Executive Director of the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company, Wesley blends academic rigor with a genuine love for community-based arts.
He is the co-author of Universal Creative Intelligence: How the Arts and Sciences Propel Human Advancement, a book exploring how creative thinking shapes learning, leadership, and human progress. As a columnist for The Palm Springs Tribune, Wesley covers theater, concerts, film, dining, local talent, and cultural events throughout the Coachella Valley. His reviews are known for their warmth, clarity, and deep respect for the power of the arts.