Kevin Cahoon (‘Shucked’) channels Dust Bowl comedians to play a hysterical ‘simple philosopher’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“It’s hilarious, sweet, universal,” declares Kevin Cahoon of the new Broadway musical “Schucked.” Original works spend years in development before they make it to the rialto, and the actor has been working on this musical comedy for the past eight years. In fact, he’s the only member of the Broadway company who has been with the production since day one. As he thinks back on the many readings, out-of-town tryouts, and script overhauls which have shaped this “corny” tuner, Cahoon believes that “It has finally found its right moment” to make its hysterical and heartwarming entrance in New York. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Cahoon portrays Peanut, a quirky man who seems to be at the center of every event in the small farm town of Cobbs County. The character started as the county clerk in early iterations of the script, but over the years Peanut evolved into the go-to guy for just about everything. If you need to get married, bury a relative, or just need a sympathetic ear, Peanut is there. “It’s the simplest, purest heart I’ve ever been given to portray,” gushes Cahoon appreciatively. “He’s evolved into this beautiful, sort of simple philosopher.”
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Peanut’s “philosophies” turn up in the form of several stream-of-consciousness monologues chock full of jokes. Every time Cahoon pauses the show to interrupt a character with “well, you know what I think?” the audience roars with laughter under an avalanche of deadpan one-liners. Memorizing these jokes is no easy feat since they don’t actually relate to the plot (and Cahoon reveals book writer Robert Horn would come up with five new ones to plug into the script each night). So in addition to making mental lists in his head for the running order, Cahoon researched country comedians and storytellers from the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, such as Minnie Pearl and Jerry Clower, to capture the correct cadence. ”They were a voice for rural America in a time where rural America didn’t really feel like they had a voice,” explains Cahoon. They connected with this specific demographic by telling “simple truths,” which is what the actor accomplishes with Peanut.
Speaking to audiences from rural areas is important to Cahoon, and indeed is something he believes that “Shucked” accomplishes in spades. He speaks with many theatergoers after the show who have traveled in from small farm towns, and they confess that this musical marks the first time they’ve ever heard their voices represented on a Broadway stage. “I find those people accepting, and beautiful in a wonderful way,” says Cahoon, as he thinks about the types of country folk represented in the musical. The actor knows these sorts of people well, having served as a rodeo clown in Texas and Oklahoma from the ages of five to fifteen. “I get these people, I know these people, I love these people,” he states.
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“Shucked” ultimately upends many of the stereotypes that exist for these rural Americans. If audiences go in expecting narrow-mindedness, they will be surprised by a cast of characters who are diverse and accepting. This matches up with Cahoon’s first-hand experience. He calls to mind an air conditioner repairman from his home town who, after spying a poster of the actor in full makeup and wig from his stint in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” confessed that his son was a drag queen. The proud father called it “his favorite thing” and was his son’s biggest supporter. “You just never know. The world is far more inclusive than sometimes we see on television or on social media,” describes Cahoon. For this actor, playing in a comedy sandbox (well, in this case, cornfield) where audiences discover the empathy and kindness of their neighbors is “one of the most satisfying things.”
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