"Shucked," a Broadway musical about corn, heads to the Civic Center

Axios

28-01-2025

For over a year, Quinn VanAntwerp, a cast member in "Shucked," has circled Des Moines on his travel sheet as a place he'd like to tour the musical.
Driving the news: On Tuesday, that's becoming a reality as the Tony Award-winning Broadway show stops at the Civic Center while on its first tour across the U.S.
We chatted with VanAtwerp, who plays Gordy Jackson, a "lovable bad guy."
🌽 What it is: While he doesn't want to reveal too much, VanAntwerp says the show is based in an "ambiguous" Midwest town. Expect to laugh throughout — there are 189 "corny" jokes.
"It's one of those great shows where I actually think that going in blind without any real expectation of what you're about to see is the most fun way to go in," VanAntwerp says.
👋 First Iowa visit: It's the show's first North American tour and "it's probably a lot of pressure for us to get it right in Iowa," he says.
"New York was a great run, but being on the road feels like this show is kind of coming home to its people," he says.
🚗 Touring life: VanAtwerp's wife and their 2-year-old daughter are also on the "Shucked" tour.
His wife is a swing on the show who helps fill in on roles, and he says their family gets to stay in a new house every week.
If you go: The show runs Jan. 28-Feb. 2 at the Des Moines Civic Center.