Erica Cataldi-Roberts — Theater Critic

Believe everything you’ve read or heard about Shucked’s relentless one liners, puns, and Dad jokes, because this is absolutely true. Your enjoyment - or not - of such quips will greatly factor into your overall enjoyment of the show. The show’s plot is fairly thin - in fact, much of the dramatic tension is openly solved before intermission. This almost makes one wonder if keeping the audience laughing was done at the expense of crafting a more sophisticated story. While many of the jokes are warranted, others are shoehorned in, sometimes at length, to the point where I sometimes found myself hoping the show could simply move on.

The performances are uniformly stellar, though special mention must be made of both Justin Collette as Beetlejuice and especially Isabella Esler as Lydia. Collette is a riot in the title role, which requires not just the character's trademark gravelly voice, but an ever-changing range of accents, masterful comedic timing, and a great singing voice - all of which he excels at. As over-the-top as the character can be, Collette plays him with a certain charm so that you can't help looking forward to his next appearance when he's not on-stage. Meanwhile, Esler gives a star turn as the morbid and slightly mischievous character of Lydia. Her natural chemistry with the other actors is fantastic, and two of her key moments in the show, the songs 'Dead Mom' and 'Home' are belted powerfully. Fresh out of high school, it's hard to believe this is her first professional role, though it is surely the first of many.