The beloved mockumentary reaches a new level of laughs with The Office! A Musical Parody. Fans of the television series will be happy to know that all their favorite characters are on board, as are some key plot elements. When the original British version of The Office premiered in 2001, it brought something completely new to television comedy. Sure, sitcoms had lampooned office culture before, but never with the cringe-inducing level of awkwardness that creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant allowed their characters to display. Then the American Office became an enormous hit series -- and a comedy landmark. In the hands of writers Bob and Tobly McSmith, the stage version adds an unexpected tuneful touch that takes things to another place entirely, and the outrageousness lives on.

The Office! A Musical Parody History

The British send-up of dysfunctional workplace life that was broadcast on BBC from 2001 through 2003 became such a success in America that it couldn't help but inspire a US version. Premiering in 2005, the American Office, starring Steve Carell, lasted for an amazing nine seasons. When Bob and Tobly McSmith took the stateside sitcom series and created a theatrical version, the pair had already let their satirical minds loose on musical takeoffs of everything from Friends to Full House, so by the time they tackled The Office, they were fully primed. But this is far from just a stage re-creation. As a musical parody, the production mines the medium for even more comic gold -- and gives you something to hum on the way home. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the series or getting introduced to the characters for the first time, The Office! A Musical Parody will prove that however insane your own workplace may seem to you, it's comparatively a whole lot more normal than you may think.