Review: SOMEHOW WE MANAGE: THE OFFICE! A MUSICAL PARODY SINGS BROADWAY Owns the 9:45 Slot at Feinstein's/54 Below

I love the 9:45 slot. You can always find something there that goes beyond the usual cabaret fare - sometimes a rock concert, maybe a folk living room cabaret, possibly a group show filled with artists you never knew were out there, the sky's the limit. That last one is especially fun because you don't just get to be introduced to eight or ten new artists - you get to see their relationships in action, which can be quite a groovy dynamic to behold, especially if it's a troupe of actors with active relationships. That's what the audience got on Tuesday night at 54 Below in the 9:45 slot when the cast of THE OFFICE! A MUSICAL PARODY gathered together to present a concert titled SOMEHOW WE MANAGE.

To be clear: I have never seen The Office, not even one episode, because that which I know about the television program would indicate it is not my style of comedy. Consequently, I have not seen the musical parody running at The Theater Center in the Times Square vicinity of Manhattan. The production, though, was in my thoughts because of the news of a burglary at The Theater Center that closed down two productions for a few days (read the Broadway World coverage HERE), so when I saw on the 54 Below calendar that the cast of The Office! A Musical Parody would be playing some show tunes in concert at Feinstein's, I thought it was an ideal time to witness some actors I would not, otherwise, have seen. I booked in to see the cabaret and, there, I found a charming evening of musical entertainment that required no knowledge at all of the television show The Office. Well, to be fair, the actors did talk a bit about their on-stage characters, they sometimes sang "in the style of" those characters, but not being in on the joke did not detract from the enjoyment of seeing twelve singing actors perform live (not to mention one rock star of a drummer who almost, inadvertently, upstaged everyone involved, simply by being one of the most compelling musical artists ever to set foot on a stage - I will be awaiting and seeking out the Rob Romeo solo show).

Somehow We Manage was produced by Westin Hicks (who did not appear in the cabaret) and Hanna Shykind (who did) and they are, clearly, on the right track with their producing careers because the evening was extremely well put together, with little bits of dialogue, sometimes in the form of skits that led into songs like "What is This Feeling" with Caleigh Lozito and Christian Fary faux sparring, and other times by simple self-introductions detailing the performer's role at The Office! A Musical Parody. While the former was cute, the latter was valuable because each time that an actor stood on the stage and said, "My name is (insert actor's name here) and my job at The Office is..." the audience was given repeated opportunities to hear words like "swing" and "cover" - and we all know how important those words are in the theater. During the hour-long concert, several actors who are not regularly on stage at The Theater Center, actors who cover a variety of roles, actors who are the backbone of the theater business got to step into the light and show their skills - and they were impressive. Working side-by-side these swings and regular cast members of The Office! A Musical Parody performed songs from Oklahoma, Chicago, Anastasia, Into the Woods and more to provide a whimsical and professional night of musical entertainment. Everyone came to work, nobody sloughed off, phoned it in, or cut-up; everyone brought the best that they had. This was a cast of beautiful young performers on the rise who don't just belong on the theatrical stage, they belong on the nightclub stage, and they should all be encouraged to offer their services to other group cabaret concerts, and to begin ruminating over what, when the time comes, their solo show will be like.

Stand-out performances for this writer were a surprising "Pancakes For Dinner" by Hannah Spaulding that avoiding banality through the actress's sincerity and sumptuous vocal tones, a frantic "Darryl is a Boy (And He Lives In My Closet)" by Excelsa De Jesus that managed to be manic without overflowing unnecessarily, and all of the performances by Caleigh Lozito and Christian Fary, whether singing on their own or in their cute duet from Wicked. Mr. Fary brought something new to the ubiquitous "Mister Cellophane" and Ms. Lozito found something personal in "It's a Man's Man's World." It cannot go unsaid that Musical Director Rita Posillico impressed, greatly, moving from piano to guitar and, late in the program, performing a fiery rock and roll solo laced with humor. It is always a pleasure and a treat to see the musical leader of a cabaret show get a little slice of light, especially when the performance is this rewarding - it was a major boon to the production and director Hanna Shykind is to be commended for putting all the pieces of the musical comedy concert in the right place, in order to give their audience a night of cabaret that wouldn't change the world, only make people laugh. Oh, wait... laughter does change the world.

Maybe I'll go see that parody musical after all.

Find great shows to see on the Feinstein's/54 Below website HERE.

Visit the website for The Office! A Musical Parody HERE.

The SOMEHOW WE MANAGE cast gets a five out of five microphones rating for performing their entire show without the use of a lyric sheet, tablet, or music stand.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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