Tyler Joseph Ellis attended the musical “Shucked” on Broadway knowing nothing about it beforehand but he was instantly swept away by the humor of the show.
“I couldn’t stop laughing to the point that it actually physically hurt,” he says. “Every other line, I’m laughing. Then I start realizing that none of the jokes were at the expense of someone else. That’s really, really smart comedy to me.”
Ellis knows something about comedy, having gained a significant social media audience by posting theater-related comic skits on Instagram and TikTok. But neither that experience nor a degree in theater from University of Southern California has fully prepared him for his first national tour where he’ll star as “Storyteller 2” in the production of “Shucked” opening in Richmond on Oct. 29.
“Maya and I were just talking yesterday about how it really hasn’t hit us yet that we’ve embarked on this journey because it’s still so fresh,” says Ellis.
Maya is Maya Lagerstam who will be playing “Storyteller 1” in what will be her first national tour as well. I reached both actors early in October when the production hadn’t hit the road yet. Richmond will be the tour’s second stop.
“This is my first time on tour, so I’m kind of flying by the seat of my pants,” says Lagerstam. “My goal was to underpack and I overpacked so we’re off to a fantastic start.”
As a native of the midwest, Lagerstam feels a specific sense of pride being cast in “Shucked.” “I’m from rural Illinois, went to high school in Michigan and to college at the University of Minnesota,” she says. “My grocery store growing up was right next to acres and acres of corn.
“So I’ve always been pretty obsessed with this show, the small town of it all.”
Though it ran on Broadway for less than a year after opening in 2023, “Shucked” gained significant critical acclaim, receiving nine Tony Award nominations. It also inspired a fervent fan base that appreciated the country music-forward score created by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, superstars in the genre.
The show’s story follows Maizy (played on the tour by Danielle Wade) who leaves her small community in Cob County when the corn they depend on starts dying. In Florida, she meets a shyster who calls himself a “corn doctor” (he’s actually a podiatrist) and who returns home with Maizy saying he can fix the problem.
When they get back, comic hijinks ensue, with a lot of very corny humor. In their roles as storytellers, Lagerstam and Ellis are essentially joined at the hip throughout the show.
“It’s up to Maya and I to make sure the audience is following what’s going on,” Ellis says.
“As much chaos as there is ensuing, we’re the ones kind of holding the reins,” echoes Lagerstam. “It’s our job to be little bundles of joy on stage.”
In addition to working in tandem on stage, the two actors have been connected in life for months since they were cast together back in May.
“We had the benefit, and in some ways the torture, of knowing we were going to be doing this job for months before starting rehearsals,” says Ellis. “Having to keep it to ourselves was brutal but we also had plenty of time to emotionally and mentally prepare which was sort of a luxury.”
They’ve taken advantage of that time by creating some very funny social media sketches about the show, one that includes the actors who originated their roles on Broadway, Ashley D. Kelley and Grey Henson.
“I was so happy with how it turned out because it represents sort of a passing of the torch from Broadway to the tour, something I think that sometimes can get lost,” says Ellis. “There are a lot of Easter eggs and hidden corn in the video.”
Incorporating the line “go shuck yourselves,” it also provides just a kernel of the punny good time “Shucked” promises.
“Shucked” runs at the Altria Theater, 6 North Laurel St., from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3. Tickets and information at https://broadwayinrichmond.com/show/shucked/.
