Interview: Maya Lagerstam on the hilariously corny comedy and communal joy of “SHUCKED”

Maya Lagerstam has been singing about corn since 2021, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s when she began auditioning for “SHUCKED,” the Tony Award-winning musical comedy now on tour at Fair Park’s Music Hall through December 15 as part of Broadway Dallas’ 2024-25 season. Written by Tony Award-winner Robert Horn, the musical features music and lyrics by Grammy Award winners Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. In fact, “Corn” is the name of the song she performed at that first audition, and it’s very much the topic at hand in the show.

“SHUCKED” follows Maizy, the aptly named protagonist from the even more appropriately named Cob County. After her small town’s signature corn crop starts dying off, she sets off in search of the big city to find a cure. Her journey leads her to Gordy, a so-called “corn doctor” who isn’t quite what he seems.

Don’t let all the corny names fool you. As Storyteller 1, part of the show’s two-person narrator team, Lagerstam says “SHUCKED” is about so much more than its punny premise. “It’s about love. It’s about community. It’s about getting out of your comfort zone,” Lagerstam says.

“SHUCKED” has taken Lagerstam outside of her own comfort zone, too. The show marks her first national tour, including her first trip to Texas. The actor, who grew up in Champaign, Illinois, recalls her parents’ enthusiasm once they saw her audition for the hilarious, distinctly Midwestern production. “They were, of course, obsessed with the idea of me being in a corn musical,” Lagerstam says.

Likewise, Lagerstam was “enamored” with the show. “It was just the most exciting opportunity, and just to even audition for it always made me really happy and excited,” Lagerstam says. By her estimate, after at least nine auditions or callbacks, she became Storyteller 1.

In the role, Lagerstam is on stage for “almost the entire show.” She serves as a guide for the audience and “liaison” for the show’s fast-paced humor while also playing small side roles throughout. “I definitely have a couple jokes of my own, but I am more leading the story for everyone else to be their little goofy selves,” Lagerstam says, noting that audiences “don’t go 10 seconds without laughing” while simultaneously “falling in love” with the characters along the way. “It’s always fun.”

She credits her fellow storyteller, Tyler Joseph Ellis, with helping her juggle all the responsibilities their roles entail. “We’re like a two-for-one package deal,” Lagerstam says, detailing how they help support one another and problem-solve if needed. She says she feels “very lucky” to have a great scene partner like Ellis.

Lagerstam calls it a “mind-boggling and beautiful” experience to bring “SHUCKED” to audiences around the country, a feeling she still has even months after the tour began. “There’s so much magic sprinkled into this little, very-high-functioning machine that has me in awe,” Lagerstam says.

She hopes “SHUCKED” brings a “communal joy” to the audiences who attend each night. “To laugh out loud is so vulnerable and such a huge release, and to hear thousands of voices do it collectively because they are having fun is such a cool thing,” Lagerstam says. “I hope that people take away from it a new sense of community and a sense of joy and levity. I hope it makes people’s days just that much easier.”

“SHUCKED” runs through December 15 at Music Hall at Fair Park as part of Broadway Dallas’ 2024-25 season. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit https://broadwaydallas.org/shows/shucked/.

This interview has been edited for clarity.