For 'Shucked' Actor Tyler Joseph Ellis, Corn's the Thing

When actor and content creator Tyler Joseph Ellis first encountered "Shucked," it was to make a video in which he took a date to see the musical when it was in previews on Broadway. Did I mention his date was an ear of corn? In the very clever promotion for the musical, Ellis is seen meeting his date at the theater and enjoying a drink in their seats before the show. "This is the first Broadway show he has ever seen," Ellis explains, "and he's happy to see himself represented on the Broadway stage."

Whether or not Ellis had a second date is not known, but he did fall in love with "Shucked" that night, and went back to see it six times during its Broadway run. Then, as luck would have it, he auditioned and was cast in the road company as one of the show's two narrators, called "Storyteller 2." The tour travels to more than 30 North American cities in the next 15 months, including Boston, where it plays the Citizens Opera House from April 8 -20. (For details on the tour, click here. For details on the Boston engagement, click here.)

"Once he played the not-so-starring role of 'Slim' in his high school's production of 'Oklahoma!' in the 9th grade, he never looked back," Ellis explains on his website. After graduating from the University of Southern California in 2020 with a major in Theatre and a minor in Marketing, he moved to New York City where he "balances a life of comedy content creation, writing, and acting for both stage and screen."

Over the past few years, Ellis has been busy with many projects, including roles on HBO Max's "The Sex Lives of College Girls" and Netflix's "That '90s Show"; short films that include "Rat!" (currently on the festival circuit) and "Co-Star"; and the book to the musical "The (Disaster) Marathon of 1904," which was chosen by and workshopped at the 2024 New Musicals Lab.

Ellis also makes comedy content (such as his "Shucked" date video) that can be seen on TikTok (where he has 330K+ followers), Instagram (70k+ followers), and Snapchat (95k+ subscribers).

As he puts it on Instagram, "I act. I sing. I gay." He talks to EDGE about his love of "Shucked," and how he eats his corn (though it is not revealed if he ate his "Shucked" date or not).

Editor's note: introduction by Robert Nesti

EDGE: Tell us about "Shucked."

Tyler Joseph Ellis: "Shucked" is an original musical. I always love saying that, because it's an original story and an original score. It's about a town encased in corn in somewhere USA that no one ever leaves or comes to. When the corn starts dying, and their entire way of life is threatened, a young woman decides to go and try to enlist some help. Then, she accidentally enlists a con man and brings him back to the town because he believes a valuable resource exists. And, of course, hilarity and chaos ensue!

EDGE: How were you first introduced to the show?

Tyler Joseph Ellis: It was in previews at the time, and besides being an actor, I also create and write content. I was hired to make a video to promote the show. I didn't know anything about it. I was making a video where I took an ear of corn on a date to the show. I hadn't seen the show yet, and I was totally in love with it by intermission. I had not laughed that hard in a theater in a long time, especially in a musical. Musical comedies are hard to get right, and I fell madly in love with it. I saw it six times while it was on Broadway. That's when the obsession began. So, you can imagine how thrilling it is to perform in it every night.

EDGE: You play Storyteller 2. Tell us about your role.

Tyler Joseph Ellis: It sounds like Tree Number Four in "Into the Woods" or something, but Storyteller Two is a role in the show. My friend Maya Lagerstam plays Storyteller One. We begin the show and tell the story. We're telling the fable that you're hearing all night. We're not only narrating the show, but we get to insert ourselves into the story at certain points, which is so much fun. You get to kind of exercise every muscle playing these roles. It's a blast, and it never gets old because your scene partners are the audience, and you have so much direct address. A lot of people have asked, "Aren't you sick of it yet? You have done it 160 times." And I'd say, "Nope. Because just when you think that you maybe have a handle on it, an audience will knock you over with laughter." Especially if it's a place in the story they don't typically, or they usually laugh at this, and didn't today. So, it's a constant balancing act, which is great for an actor because it keeps things fresh.

Watch Tyler date an ear of corn on his first visit to "Shucked":

EDGE: The show is filled with a lot of jokes. Did the show's style of humor come naturally to you?

Tyler Joseph Ellis: What an amazing question. Yes, it does. I mentioned that I write a little bit, write little sketches for myself, and put them on the Internet. My joke style and my humor are super-similar to Robert Horn's humor, who wrote the book, and that's why we've melded so well. We're now friends. I think he's has such a genius comedic mind. He's as much of an idiot as I am. He will find the joke in anything, and I mean anything. I pride myself on trying to do the same. I think setup, punchline, and the silliness of it, but there's a weird undercurrent of heart and truth underneath it all. I absolutely resonate with the comedy of the show, and take great responsibility in getting to tell the comedy of the show every night. I understand that a lot of people come to the show and afterward have said, "I really needed to laugh. I have not laughed that hard in a long time." To be able to make people laugh is a calling and a purpose. I'm so grateful that it is landing, and that I can land it, because Grey Henson did it effortlessly on Broadway. I am trying to make sure that the torch is passed with respect.

EDGE: Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally wrote the lyrics and score. How did you connect to the music, and what can audiences expect?

Tyler Joseph Ellis: I was initially taken with the show because of the comedy, but the score is mouth-wateringly good. I think there is a country mentality to it. It's funny, because calling it country music doesn't seem right because it's a musical. Jason Howland, who made the arrangements, is a Broadway icon, and how he's melded these two genres together is amazing. I think the music is about storytelling and imagery, which lends itself well to musical theater storytelling. Plus, Shane and Brandy's lyrics are beautifully simple. The audience will love this new amazing sound and songs. You will want to purchase the cast album after seeing the show.

EDGE: What contributes to the charm and brilliance of "Shucked?"

Tyler Joseph Ellis: Its originality and the show logline are so silly. I think it's amazing and unexpected. I love how they marketed the show on Broadway, with no photos of the cast. It was just this big yellow beacon of corn on every subway wall, which gave it a certain level of intrigue about a story about corn. The treat is that you're charmed by the posters, and you come only knowing it's about corn, but throughout the two hours [and] 15 minutes, however long that you spend with us, there's a whole ecosystem, story, and a lot of heart within this show. That's the charm of the show. It reels you in with stupidity and humor, and then you leave happy, laughing and crying in the end.

EDGE: How do you like to eat your corn?

Tyler Joseph Ellis: Oh my God, what a fantastic question. You'd think I would have a good answer. I would say it changes depending on my mood. Right now, it's either tortilla chips or corn chips. I think any chip from corn is going to have my heart. I love chips and guac. But my answer may be because I am craving chips and guac right now.

EDGE: On your resume, you list Fire Spinning as a talent. Please explain.

Tyler Joseph Ellis: You just made my day by asking this. Growing up, I spent five summers in a row at Camp Augusta. It's located in northern California near Lake Vera. It is a totally amazing classic kind of granola summer camp, and I would spend two weeks there every summer. They had the most fascinating sort of things that you could do, and their activities were incredible. Some of the best ropes courses in America. One of the things they have is fire spinning. You can learn poi, dart, and fire swords. Those are all different types of fire spinning.

Poi is my specialty. I haven't done it in years, but I think if I were tasked to do it and I had enough time to prepare, I could put on a show. I keep it on the resume because one of these days, it might be the thing that gets me the job.

EDGE: On your Instagram you wrote, "I act, I sing, I gay." How proud are you to be gay?

Tyler Joseph Ellis: Any day of the week, I will tell you I am gay. That's why I ensure it's the first thing you see on my Instagram. I don't want anyone to be confused. I very much am gay. So, if you're single, DM me. Also, if you're not into that, go away. I don't want you on my page.

This role originated with Taylor Trensch and then Grey Henson. I have looked up to these queer artists forever, and now I can call them peers, which is bonkers. I still feel a little bit weird calling them peers. I feel very proud not only to be gay, but to be playing this part because, hopefully, the legacy will continue, and the torch will get passed on to a lot of other gay actors to play this role.

To learn more about Tyler Joseph Ellis, visit his website.
The national company of "Shucked" plays the Citizens Boston Opera House, 539 Washington Street, Boston, MA, April 8-20. For more information, click here. For details on the tour, click here.