by andrew j stillman
When Shucked hits the stage, the first thing audiences see isn’t a cornfield or a kickline—it’s two storytellers ready to break the fourth wall and bring the audience along for the ride.
Storytellers 1 and 2, played by Maya Lagerstam and Tyler Joseph Ellis, aren’t just narrators in this original musical comedy; they’re its glue, wit, and emotional core. And, somehow, in a show about corn, they’ve become the breakout queer duo we didn’t know we needed.
“We actually knew each other before the audition,” Ellis told The RAGE Monthly. “We did a workshop together, and when we got to final callbacks, I looked across the room and thought, ‘Maya and I would be really good together in these roles.”
Turns out, he was right.
“I’ve never been more prepared for anything,” added Lagerstam. “I was off-book from the first audition. I just knew I wanted this.”
The Cast of The North American Tour of SHUCKED (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Since landing the parts, the pair has performed the show almost 300 times on tour. Their roles are part stand-up, part Shakespearean chorus, part ensemble chameleon, and full entertainment as they break every musical theater rule in the best way.
“There’s no fourth wall,” said Ellis. “From the moment we step on stage, we’re talking right to the audience. It’s like doing a stand-up routine, but with material by [writer] Robert Horn instead of your own.”
“We’re kind of a unit,” said Lagerstam. “We break off and do our own things, but we’re this little power duo who guide everyone through the story.”
The audience interaction means every performance is different.
“We always say our scene partner is the audience,” said Ellis. “It depends on the energy in the room, the age, the crowd, the city. You can never rest on your laurels.”
Sometimes, audience reactions take over entirely. “There was one night in Fort Worth [Texas] where a guy’s laugh after a pun was so loud, we lost it. Everyone did. And we were, like, 30 seconds from the end of the show.”
That unpredictability also extends backstage. The energy between Lagerstam and Ellis is palpable, even through the Zoom video we used for the interview, and it turns out the two of them are quite the pranksters for everyone else. From secret dance-offs in the wings to whispered one-liners meant to sabotage the other just before an entrance, the mischief never really stops.
“May makes me laugh harder than anyone,” said Ellis. “Which is a blessing and a curse, because we’re usually inches apart on stage.”
“We try to keep it fun,” added Lagerstam with a coy smile. “But we also respect the work. We know when we can play and when we need to rein it in.”
But Shucked is more than just jokes and puns. Audiences everywhere often find themselves surprised at just how much heart the show has.
“There are people who walk in expecting to just laugh, and they walk out saying they cried,” said Lagerstam. “You really fall in love with the characters and this weird little town.”
“It disarms people,” said Ellis. “You’re laughing with a thousand strangers, and suddenly you all feel connected. That’s powerful.”
It’s also quietly, beautifully queer.
“All the writers are queer,” said Ellis. “Jack O’Brien, our director, is queer. There’s a sensibility to the show that’s very us.”
“It’s a queer show,” Lagerstam affirmed. “I mean, you start off with two queers in front of you, guiding you through the story.”
With the political climate as it is these days, she added, “There’s something really satisfying about going into a conservative city and watching the audience fall in love with us. They might not agree with everything we are, but by the end of the show, they’re applauding the loudest. It’s like they don’t care. They just love the performance, and that opens a door.”
It’s part of what makes Shucked so special: A story that sneaks past expectations to land somewhere surprisingly deep.
“It looks silly on the outside on purpose,” said Ellis. “But once you’re in the seat, you realize it’s about love, community, and learning to appreciate our differences. That’s what makes the laughter meaningful.”
So, yes, Shucked is about corn, but it’s also about so much more. And, at the center of it all are the two funny, vulnerable, mischievous, and queer as hell Storytellers that invite you to explore their world.
“You’ve got to see it to believe it,” said Ellis. “But once you do, you’ll get it. That’s the magic.”
The national tour of Shucked is rolling into Southern California! Catch the Tony‑winning musical at the San Diego Civic Theatre from August 12–17, 2025, followed by a run at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles from August 19–September 7, 2025. Then head south to Costa Mesa, where it plays at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts from November 11–23, 2025 shuckedmusical.com