Patrick Pacheco to Explore How SHUCKED Became a Hit on THEATER: ALL THE MOVING PARTS

In this new two-part episode of “THEATER: All the Moving Parts” host Patrick Pacheco looks at why “Shucked,” is poised to be the sleeper of the season, powered by some of the best word-of-mouth in years.

On the heels of its nine Tony nominations and one win (Alex Newell), Pacheco speaks with three of the nominees: writer Robert Horn, director Jack O’Brien, and actor Kevin Cahoon.

In the second segment, Pacheco speaks with producer Mike Bosner about how he and a crack marketing team expertly steered the show, unbranding it from its roots as “The Hee Haw” musical and rebranding it as sophisticated family entertainment.

The show premieres on Friday, June 23 at 8:30PM on CUNY TV and on demand at cuny.tv.edu/theaterallthemovingparts. 

Pacheco says, “In the course of the interview, it became clear how ‘Shucked’ defied the odds: hire the funniest man in show business, Robert Horn, to write the book, add into the mix Jack O’Brien, who can base slapstick on truth,  and cast the most able actors, including Kevin Cahoon, who has the deftness to sell even the corniest lines and groaners  to a willing audience.  

I was also struck by the fact that nearly the entire creative of ‘Shucked,’ including songwriters Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark, were out and proud.  As O’Brien noted, a gay sensibility infected the entire enterprise with wit, courage, and a positive energy.” 

“THEATER: All the Moving Parts” is an hour-long CUNY TV show, featuring in-depth interviews with artists from every theatrical discipline. Recent episodes include the fascinating process of mounting such wildly different shows as “& Juliet”, with its pre-existing hit pop catalogue, the immersive “The Jungle”, and the epic drama, “Leopoldstadt”.

Included in the latter was a comprehensive overview of the legacy of its writer, Tom Stoppard.  The premiere episode of “THEATER: All the Moving Parts” was an interview with playwright Theresa Rebeck, which continues to collect thousands of views on You Tube. Of Pacheco, Rebeck said, “I felt like I was being interviewed by someone who knows me better than I know myself.” Go to tv.cuny.edu/theaterallthemovingparts to see these and other episodes.    

About Patrick Pacheco

Patrick Pacheco is an Emmy-winning commentator and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire.com, and many other periodicals. He wrote the 2009 Disney documentary “Waking Sleeping Beauty,” and is the co-writer, with Maria Cassi, of the play, “My Life with Men…and other animals.” He is the writer and editor of the Amazon best seller “American Theatre Wing, An Oral History: 100 Years, 100 Voices, 100 Million Miracles”. He is the co-writer with Chita Rivera of “Chita, A Memoir”, published by HarperOne. He has also co-written with Erik Jackson, the new musical “Christmas in Connecticut” which premiered in November at Connecticut’s Goodspeed Opera House and will be presented later this year at the Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

About Robert Horn

Robert Horn is an award-winning book writer: 2023 Tony Award nominee, OCC winner, Drama Desk nominee. Winner of the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, New York Drama Critics’ Circle awards for Tootsie. Theatre: Shucked, Tootsie, Disney’s Hercules, 13, Moonshine, Lonestar Love, Dame Edna, Back With a Vengeance. Writer, creator and/or producer of shows including “Designing Women,” “Living Single,” “High Society”, “Partners.” Production deals: Warner Brothers, Sony, ABC Studios. Bette Midler’s Divine Intervention tour; BBC RuPaul Christmas Special. Films include Netflix’s 13: The Musical, the juggernaut Teen Beach Movie, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Disney’s Wildlife, Good Advice. Lives by the comedic motto: always leave them wanting.

About Jack O'Brien

JACK O’BRIEN directed his first Broadway production (Cock a Doodle Dandy) for APA/Phoenix in 1969, and he’s still at it. He’s collected three Tonys along the way (Henry IV, Hairspray and The Coast of Utopia), done operas (Il Trittico, Great Scott, Porgy and Bess, etc.), musicals (The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Carousel, etc.), television (“American Playhouse,” “Great Performances,” etc.), run a regional theatre for 25 years (The Old Globe) and written two books published by Farrar Straus & Giroux (Jack Be Nimble and Jack in the Box), as well as two night club performances at 54 Below. If he’s slowing down, he hasn’t noticed it yet.

About Kevin Cahoon

Kevin Cahoon 2023 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award nominee. Broadway: Tommy, The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rocky Horror…, Wedding Singer. Off-Broadway: Hedwig… (also Boston, San Francisco, Edinburgh), The Foreigner (Lortel nomination), Wild Party (MTC), How I Learned to Drive (Second Stage), Shaggs (Playwrights Horizons ). TV/film: “Monarch,” “Glow,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Modern Family,” “The Good Wife,” “Six Degrees,” “NCIS,” “CSI,” “Elementary,” “Franklin & Bash,” “Odd Mom Out,” “Mentalist,” Mars Needs Moms, I Am Michael, Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

About Mike Bosner

Mike Bosner produced the Tony, Olivier and Grammy-winning musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical alongside his longtime partner and friend Paul Blake. Since its inception, Beautiful’s multiple productions include Broadway, U.S. tour, London’s West End, U.K. tour, Australia and Japan. Currently there is a feature film of Beautiful in development, produced by Tom Hanks/Gary Goetzman of Playtone and Paul Blake. Bosner will serve as executive producer. Other credits includes “Shucked”, Tony nominated for Best Musical and the Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard starring Tony winner Glenn Close, featuring an unprecedented 40-piece orchestra.