Off-Broadway's PERFECT CRIME and THE OFFICE Halt Performances Due to Theft of Pipes at the Theatre

Performances of Off-Broadway's PERFECT CRIME and THE OFFICE: A MUSICAL PARODY have come to an immediate halt due to a real-life perfect crime: theft of the theater's copper pipes, which supply water and heat to the entire Theater Center (located at 210 West 50th Street) in which both shows perform. The burglars broke into the vacant restaurant below (formerly Emmett O' Lunney's), made their way to the basement of the building (which houses the sparkling new speakeasy Nothing Really Matters), disconnected and then stole every piece of copper pipe they could find - leaving the building without any access to water for sinks and toilets, and the boiler that provides their heat. The criminals returned in the early hours today, smashing the main front doors to the theater on 50th Street. They have not yet been identified or apprehended and replacing the doors, pipes and installing new ones will take several days. Repairs are estimated to cost at least $25,000. Management at the Theater Center is hopeful performances will resume by this coming Thursday, January 27.

The Off-Broadway 'whodunit' is the longest running play in NYC history. It was the first Equity approved show to open in NYC (in April of 2020) and it has run continuously since then, having been able to avoid any covid-closures in its very small company.

Catherine Russell, who has performed in the show continuously since it first opened in 1987, is stoic about the crime. "We will be getting new and improved pipes; the owners have installed better locks and lots of extra security in the building and instead of going onstage myself this weekend, I went to see a Broadway show!"

According to CNBC, stolen copper is valuable as scrap because the metal is used for so many items-from fiber optics to plumbing to anything electrical-and the profits are tempting. Copper is a very tangible asset and hard to trace and reselling it can bring in lots of money. In 2003, copper futures traded at 80 cents a pound on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. They are currently trading at an all-time high of $4.57 a pound.

PERFECT CRIME was written by Warren Manzi and produced by Armand Hyatt.

The perfect show for CSI and Law & Order fans, PERFECT CRIME tells the story of brilliant but money hungry psychiatrist and suspected cold-blooded killer Margaret Brent (Russell), her wealthy husband, deranged patient, and the handsome detective who's falling in love with her while trying to solve the crime.

The cast of PERFECT CRIME also features Mark Campbell, David Butler, Charles Geyer, and Patrick Robustelli (a well-known Broadway restaurant owner in an on-video cameo. PERFECT CRIME was directed by Jeffrey Hyatt.

Tickets for PERFECT CRIME are available - starting on Tuesday January 25 - by calling the box office at (212) 921-7862 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com. Student rush tickets ($26) are also available by calling or visiting the box office.

The Theater Center is located at 210 West 50th Street at Broadway.

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