Gary’s Ratings The Office! A Musical Parody (Off Broadway): 4.6/5
Main Cast: Caleigh Lozito (as Michael), Nathan David Smith (as Dwight), Ben S. Daniel (as Jim and Andy), Hanna Shykind (as Pam and Erin), Logan Graye (as Angela and others), Miranda Luze (as Phyllis, Meredith, and others), Rita Posillico (as Kelly and others), Alex Schechter (as Swing), Christian Fary (as Toby, Creed, and others)
Running Dates: Preview on April 9, 2021, running Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Theater Location: The Jerry Orbach Theater at the Theater Center, 1627 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Running Time: Around one and a half hours (no intermission)
Tickets: Prices from $46. Buy tickets here.
Gary’s Rating Score: 4.6/5
The Office! A Musical Parody is a witty, interesting, and fairly well-thought-out parody of the world-famous sitcom “The Office.”
I liked how the show portrayed the everyday lives of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company employees, even though some of the characters weren’t truthfully captured.
For example, a good portion of viewers found it unacceptable for a female actor to portray the main character that is originally played by a man. Also, the humor may not always depict the true wit of the characters.
All in all, you must be a “The Office” fan and know the basic stories and characters to fully enjoy this parody.
What Is the Office! A Musical Parody About?
If you’re a fan of the cult “The Office” sitcom, you don’t need any explanation of the basic story line.
When it comes to this musical parody, the group of ten talented actors dance, sing, and mug their way through an almost two-hour adaptation as if they were born on the scene.
The musical depicts a usual morning at Scranton’s giant paper company until one documentary crew starts filming the lives of Dunder Mifflin employees. This gives the fans of the sitcom the chance to live with their favorite office friends and have a great evening by immersing in this parody.
Overall, this is a warm tribute to the above-mention popular NBC sitcom. The show is courtesy of Right Angle Productions, and the show’s director is Donald Faverick. No less important are the scriptwriters Bob McSmith and Tobly McSmith.
Throughout the musical, you can expect to hear a lampooning of the most popular jokes, plot points, and set pieces of the sitcom with some meta-comedy elements as well.
Once again, The Office! A Musical Parody is by no means a show for those who have not seen the sitcom. It makes a huge difference whether you’re a hardcore fan or someone who hasn’t heard about the original show.
How Complex Is the Show?
This musical parody is most attractive and simple to grasp for devoted fans.
If you’re not familiar with the series, you may find it hard to follow the plot. To understand the characters, their background, and their behavior, you should have at least a basic knowledge of their sitcom history.
To understand the parody of the jokes used in the show, you need to know the story line of the show that makes fun of a British show making fun of an office environment with outrageous characters. Because that’s what the “The Office” sitcom is about.
The viewers who saw the American version of “The Office” will have a blast at this show. Others may feel like they’re left in the dust. This feeling kicks in right from the opening gambit and stays for the duration of the show.
There are also plenty of outside source allusions, such as the “I Feel Pretty” number, as well as the “Rainbow Connection” Muppets send-up.
The language itself isn’t complicated to understand, but it is not complete without prior knowledge of the show.
Set Design and Style
The set design and style are made to resemble the one in the original “The Office” sitcom.
The supposed room cameras make an important part of the stage design. Viewers who didn’t know the initial idea was a single-camera documentary may be confused by this.
Overall, the style reflects that of the sitcom, so you can expect to hear a lot of jokes and witty lines by characters who (for the most part) very much resemble the ones from the original sitcom.
Similar Shows
If you appreciate The Office! A Musical Parody, you may also want to check out other productions from the two Right Angle writers – brothers McSmith. They also have a mash-up of Friends, Keeping up with the Kardashians, 90210, and Full House.
Of course, if you still haven’t seen the actual sitcom “The Office,” I highly recommend you watch it not only to better understand this musical, but simply to make your life better.
A Review of the Reviews
I must say, the reviews are fairly mixed for this musical. Many viewers talk about the incredibly talented cast, clever writing, terrific music, and perfect venue. Some of them had second thoughts about the idea of watching a The Office musical, but in the end, they had a phenomenal experience.
Other, not-so-amazed viewers note that some of the jokes in the musical were relatively immature. They also seem to dislike the fact that there’s a fair amount of swearing and “bathroom” humor. The critics mostly blame it on the writing, but everyone still praises the actors for their work and voices.
The most widely criticized character in the reviews is Michael, who is portrayed by a woman in the musical. While some are utterly disgusted by the idea and say the character isn’t even close, others seem to love what the producers did there.
As you can tell, the critiques mainly depend on the personal preferences and expectations of the viewer. If you don’t know what the sitcom is about, you’re more likely to have a negative impression of the musical.
Characters and a Little About Them
| Michael | Michael is the main protagonist in the sitcom and musical, and one of the funniest characters in the whole series. Michael has a goofy nature, lack of social manners, and is super loyal to people. |
| Dwight | Dwight always tries to do the right thing, but he always seems to do it the wrong way. He’s another one of the most interesting characters, with odd quirks that never cease to spark joy. In this way, he is very similar to Michael. |
| Jim | Jim is super caring, but is also a slacker. He is very romantic and cares about the people in his life. His relationship with Pam is the perfect example of that. |
| Andy | Andy is a very enthusiastic character with a slight anger management issue. It’s always refreshing to watch him, especially when he blows a gasket. |
| Angela | Angela is super dedicated to her job and is somewhat uptight. She’s a very special character known for her attitude that alienates her from her colleagues. |
| Pam | Pam is a wannabe artist who lacks self-confidence and motivation. Her character is super adorable, and it’s fun watching her succeed in her artistic goals. |
About the Theater
The Jerry Orbach Theater is known for hosting some of the longest-running shows off Broadway, as well as a range of happenings, an acting studio, and other performances.
The theater is part of The Theater Center at 1627 Broadway, New York City, 10019-7407. Visitors can take a one-minute walk from the 50th Street subway and a two-minute walk from the 49th Street subway to arrive at the theater.
The 50th Street entrance features an elevator for easy access for people with limited abilities.
Get Your Tickets
The Office! A Musical Parody runs on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Ready to watch it? Get your tickets by clicking here.
