Photo: Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty
Tariq, the 7-year-old dubbedthe “Corn Kid” who first went viral online in August, was in his element Tuesday night as he attended a premiere ofShucked, Broadway’s newest original musical that features corn prominently in its story.
The internet star posted for photographers on the red carpet, smiling with the life-sized corn imagery behind him.
“Tonight was absolutely CORNNNTASTICCC🌽,” he wrote on his TikTok of the premiere. “Thank you so much to the cast of @shuckedmusical for inviting me.”
He shared a series of photos from the event, including several pictures where he’s grinning ear-to-ear on the red carpet, and another that appears to be either backstage or onstage of the Broadway musical.
In another video shared to his TikTok — where he has amassed over 900,000 followers and more than 6 million likes — heraced to shuck an ear of cornwhile a journalist fromPlaybilltimed him. He successfully removed the husk of the corn in just 21 seconds.
Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty
Shuckedfollows the story of the fictional Cobb County that goes into crisis mode when its opulent corn crops mysteriously start dying, and the lengths they go to fix the issue.
Among its stars areGleealum Alex Newell, as well as Caroline Innerbichler, John Behlmann, Kevin Cahoon, Andrew Durand, Ashley D. Kelley and Grey Henson.
Meanwhile, for the “Corn Kid,” Tuesday night’s Broadway premiere is just another in a string of high-profile events and appearances since he found viral fame.
The virality of the clip shocked Shapiro-Barnum, too. “Recess Therapy has had other viral videos in the past butit had never gotten to the point where literally everybody I knew was sending it to me,” he toldThe Guardian. “I started seeing it everywhere; it became its own entity.”
From that viral clip came acatchy remixfrom music group The Gregory Brothers, who are also known as Schmoyoho on TikTok and YouTube, which further propelled Tariq’s online fame.
He was featured in online videos from restaurants likeChipotle— where he filled a burrito bowl with nothing but corn — and even appeared onTheDrew BarrymoreShow, where he joined the host and Ross Matthews in ataste-testing sessionof a variety of corn products.
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“Why do you think everybody loves you so much?” Barrymore asked Tariq.
“Mostly because, like, the corn fans, and my love of corn,” he replied. “But also because some teenager was saying I looked adorable.”
source: people.com
