Whether you’ve been binging all nine seasons of “The Office” for years or you’ve only seen the memes the series left behind, it’s difficult to deny the sitcom’s impact on pop culture. The ensemble comedy aired on NBC from 2005-2013 and has become a streaming staple in the years since.
Based on the British show of the same name, “The Office” was adapted for American audiences by veteran writer Greg Daniels, known for “Saturday Night Live” and more. It depicted the lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania-based branch of a fictional paper company, launching a number of high-profile careers in the process.
Each episode was filmed mockumentary style, utilizing a single-camera setup and forgoing a studio audience or laugh track. The format played to the comedic strengths of a memorable cast that included the likes of Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and more, earning it a massive fan base and widespread acclaim.
It won a number of awards while on the air, among them the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. Its comedic style and critical success also caught the eye of transgender author Tobly McSmith and his writing partner Bob McSmith, known for their celebrated and occasionally controversial musical parodies.
Since launching their business partnership 15 years ago, the pair has co-written nine parodies which have toured the world. They include musicals based on ‘90s sitcoms like “Friends,” “Full House” and “Saved by the Bell,” dramas like “90210” and even “Katdashians! The Musical,” a mash-up of “The Kardashians” and Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “CATS.”
“It made him pretty mad, but we worked it out with him,” Tobly says of the theater legend. “We thought we were going to make the Kardashians mad, so that is a really fun memory for us.”
“Parody is constitutionally protected speech, under free speech,” Bob explains their body of work. “Basically, as long as you aren’t confusing the marketplace and you’re adding commentary while expanding on the original, it’s parody.”
“We just love to elevate the material and make fun of it,” Tobly adds. “That’s our basic, no-law-degree explanation. Our parodies have played all over the world — in Las Vegas, in New York, the U.K. It’s been such an amazing journey for us both.”
Adding “The Office” to their catalogue was a no-brainer, so much so that they’ve done it twice. “The Office! A Musical Parody” played to sold-out audiences in New York and subsequently launched a North American tour.
“We love ‘The Office,’” Tobly says. “It was so fresh and we rewatch it all the time. We always pick shows that were important to us and that we see a lot of room to poke fun at. We waited for our eighth musical to do it because we wanted to get it right; to have the experience and knowledge to make sure that we really nailed it.”
After theaters around the country began closing their doors to ensure the safety of their audiences because of COVID-19, a second parody was born. The duo created “The Office! A Murder Mystery Parody: Who is the Scranton Strangler?” to fill the void, an outdoor walking tour coming to life at Clearwater’s Bilheimer Capitol Theater Feb. 25-March 14 and The Abbey Orlando March 23-April 11.
“The shutdown of live theater during the pandemic was devastating,” the McSmiths stated as they announced the production in a press release. “We took a deep inward look and decided the world needed two things: a COVID-19 vaccine and a parody walking tour.
“We only have the bandwidth to deliver one of them,” they continued. “We are proud of this unauthorized parody walking tour and hope to bring some fun and nostalgia to people’s lives during these trying times, all while catching a killer. It’s a win-win (unless you are the killer).”
The story surrounds the infamous Scranton Strangler, a recurring but unseen criminal featured throughout multiple seasons of the show. While fans of “The Office” will “get to relive those episodes featuring the Scranton Strangler and see what their favorite characters have been up to during the pandemic, anybody that loves true crime or solving mysteries will love this tour,” Tobly promises.
“It’s been hard not to have theater for a year,” he stresses. “We’ve had it continuously for 15 years, so to have this opportunity to create the tour has been really unique and fun.”
Participants will join Michael’s Murder Mystery Murder Tour, “the most hilarious true crime walking tour on earth,” led by the character of Michael Scott, played by Carell on TV. Small groups will walk through five locations for an immersive experience, interacting with fan favorite characters including Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly and Dwight Schrute, respectively popularized by Krasinski, Fischer and Wilson.
“Ten years ago, before anyone knew the words ‘social distance’ or ‘zoom,’ there was a string of savage strangulations in Scranton, Pennsylvania,” the production is officially described. “The Scranton Strangler gripped the media and became one of the most infamous crimes in western Pennsylvania history, only rivaled by the dreaded Scranton Tickler.
“The case was believed to be solved and a man was sentenced to life behind bars,” it continues. “The town took a deep, unstrangled breath … until a few months ago when a similar strangulation took place. Is this the work of a copycat killer or does an innocent man sit in prison to this day?”
Tobly says the storyline was a perfect fit for the tour. “There was a lot of room for us to make fun of it as a running gag,” he explains. “We’re also parodying the popularity of true crime, we’re parodying walking tours and in this case you get to hang out with Michael Scott and interact and play with your favorite members of ‘The Office.’”
When Tobly isn’t doing that himself, something he’s happy to do as a longtime fan, the author and activist is fighting for the LGBTQ community.
He made his debut as a novelist last May with “Stay Gold,” a coming-of-age teen love story between a transgender boy named Pony and cisgender girl named Georgia.
“Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year,” it’s described. “Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.
“Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading,” it continues. “She plans on keeping a low profile until graduation … then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes.”
“It’s their love story and there’s definitely a lot of love in it,” Tobly says. “But it also handles very serious issues like bullying, dead naming and discrimination.”
Addressing these issues was personal for the author. “I grew up in Texas in the ‘90s and the representation was so limited in that time, especially regarding transgender people,” he says. “I hadn’t even met a transgender person except when they were being made fun of in the media … I spent most of my life really struggling with my identity.
“I didn’t transition until I was 33,” he reflects. “I think about what it would have been like if I had seen ‘Stay Gold’ in a bookstore, had any of the TV shows that are coming out or seen any of the leaders that are speaking up — how it would have changed my life positively as a kid. I know I would have lived as my authentic self from a much younger age.”
To help others do exactly that, Tobly also created the Stay Gold Fund in partnership with the Stonewall Community Fund — designed to provide financial support to transgender individuals seeking gender-affirming surgeries. Half of the book’s proceeds fund the effort.
The fund launched in response to Donald Trump’s transgender military ban with a $50,000 fundraising goal. The former president announced his discriminatory decision while Tobly was writing “Stay Gold,” citing in part the cost of gender-affirming care.
“I was writing a young adult novel about a transgender boy falling in love and finding himself, but also — as many trans people like myself have done — saving up for his top surgery,” Tobly said at the time.
“As a result of that awful ban,” he continued, “I found important purpose for myself and my book: helping to provide financial assistance for gender-affirming surgeries and striving to remove the stigma around this important step in the transition journey.”
To date, fundraising efforts have brought in nearly $37,000. That’s just shy of 75% of the funds needed to begin the process of distributing grants, which the fund’s website notes is needed more than ever because of COVID-19.
“Transgender and gender nonconforming people are suffering from the effects of the coronavirus,” it reads. “Many save for years for their surgery, and in the face of high unemployment and economic downturn, those savings are now being depleted for daily needs. This fund works to ensure that trans people are able to get the surgery they need as soon as it is safe to do so.”
“I didn’t know this was going to be launched during a pandemic, when so many other resources need funds,” Tobly says. “My goal was to raise the $50,000 in 2020 and it’s taking a little longer, but I still can’t believe where we are. I’ve put in a good amount from my book and I’ll continue to do so — the next step is getting to that goal.”
Once it’s reached, Tobly says a board will be elected to review applicants. Additional fundraising will then launch both in person and online.
“We want to really grow this,” he says. “We want to provide grants but also help remove the stigma around this type of care. We want to show people how positive this kind of health care is for transgender people.”
While the pandemic has impacted every facet of Tobly’s comedic and philanthropic efforts, the author and activist remains hopeful. COVID-19 vaccines have begun making their way across the country, paving a pathway for future parodies — and on Jan. 25, the transgender military ban was repealed by President Joe Biden.
“To have that day, when it was lifted with the signing of his pen, it just feels empowering,” Tobly says. “I feel safer to be who I am — which is so important right now.”
“The Office! A Murder Mystery Parody: Who is the Scranton Strangler?” will hold outdoor, walking productions Feb. 25-March 14 originating at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, located at 405 Cleveland St. in downtown Clearwater and March 23-April 11 originating at The Abbey Orlando, located at 100 S. Eola Dr. in Orlando.
All ticket holders are required to follow all COVID-19 safety precautions, with single tickets beginning at $44. To read more or purchase yours, visit RuthEckerdHall.com or AbbeyOrlando.com.
“Stay Gold” is available wherever books are sold. To learn more about it, purchase a copy and to support the Stay Gold Fund, visit StayGoldFund.org.
