2023 Tony Award nominee Kevin Cahoon speaks with Cheddar's own Baker Machado about joining the musical 'Shucked' and the peaks and valleys of his long career on Broadway. 

2023 Tony Award nominee Kevin Cahoon speaks with Cheddar's own Baker Machado about joining the musical <i>Shucked</i> and the peaks and valleys of his long career on Broadway.&nbsp;

Wake Up With Cheddar

Tony Award Nominee Kevin Cahoon Talks 'Shucked' and Working on Broadway

It's not the only fun thing to do if you plan on visiting the city this Spring, Broadway is back. It's better than ever after. The industry was completely shut down during the height of the pandemic. And one of the biggest hits of the season is shocked. It's a musical about Corn and Baker. You recently had the chance to chat with one of the show's stars. Tony nominee. Kevin. Take a look. You came to Broadway 29 years ago. I did. Why would that Kevin 29 years ago? Think of this moment that you're now nominated for a Tony? It is a complete life changing experience. As you said, 29 years ago, I did my first Broadway show which was Tommy was 22 years old and you know, there are peaks and valleys and triumphs and heartbreaks in the show business life that we have chosen, that we have chosen. And then you see your, it happened for your friends and you think, well, maybe this is not gonna be my artistic journey. Maybe this is not the way the world has planned this out to be. I was completely gobsmacked, completely surprised. Did not see it coming, but it is the great honor of my life. Not only, you know, as an actor in L A and New York all these years, but also just for this show and this company. And I hope that I can be a good ambassador for our show out into the world and say, come see shock, you are. And by the way, Chuck's getting nine Tony nominations, one of the highest numbers for any of the shows out there. What do you and the show has only been out here for a month. I know, I know what is it about this show that is resonating so much with audiences. Well, so many things. First of all, it's hilarious. It's the funniest Broadway show you have ever seen, you feel so much better walking out than you do walking in. I guarantee you the score by Brandy Clark and Shane mcanally. It is so much more than just a country music score. It is a Broadway score. They are making their Broadway debuts with this score and when you leave the theater singing the songs for the next week or two or three, you know that they have done something, right? 11 thing, a lot of people don't know about this show is it took a long time to get off the ground. Nine years. Did you ever think that nine years plus a pandemic that you'd finally be here on this stage doing this Well, there were many moments where I thought we wouldn't be here doing this. Like it took nine years of development, three cities, Dallas Salt Lake City, the o'neill Festival in Connecticut upheavals within the creative teams, a pandemic, as you mentioned, Broadway had completely shut down and I feel like one of the reasons this show has found its moment in the zeitgeist. It is a tonic for our times. We have come out of this pandemic. We are all in this theater together, laughing at jokes that we never thought we would be laughing at together and it is pure sunshine. It's the happiest showing down. So for viewers who are hearing that shock for the first time, which by the way, it's only been here for a month, but you can't go anywhere in New York without seeing ads or publicity for it. What's it about? What is, what is the importance of the corn here? Well, at its heart, it's about a community that's been surrounded by a wall of corn. Um No one's ever come in. No one's ever gone out and now the corn has started to die. So they are faced with a dilemma. Do we go out to get help? Do we allow someone to come in to help us? That's all I can say. Or I will be fired for my job. However, I will say that mayhem ensues and um you are on a hay ride of your life, the Yes.