GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — The quarterly sales goal has been met, the drinks are flowing, and the celebration is in full swing…until the boss leaves her laptop behind.
That’s the premise of Office Party, a new home-grown musical comedy making its debut with the Santa Cruz Shoestring Players at the Community Performing Arts Center (CPAC).
What begins as a night of lighthearted workplace banter quickly unravels into a whirlwind of secrets and scandal. A forbidden romance, embezzlement to pay for a pet cat’s surgery and even a shocking corporate crime come to light, all set to a soundtrack of original songs about nerdy TV shows, workplace woes and the complicated bonds between co-workers.
“It started out as just a crazy idea between two friends,” said co-creator Claire Corlett. “We became so invested that we had several songs and a rough draft before we realized what we were doing!”
Co-writer and co-director Neil Crapo calls the production “a Shoestring show in all the best ways,” noting that it was designed to do a lot on a small stage while giving actors freedom to bring their own spin to the material.
“From the beginning, we wanted to write something that would be fun to act in, with a wide range of characters, space for interpretation and fast-paced humor,” Crapo said. “And our actors have absolutely risen to the occasion.”
The project, which began in April 2023, was originally intended as a one-act play without music until Corlett sat at a piano, and inspiration struck.
“Pretty soon, I had written seven songs for the show,” she said. The musical evolved through months of table reads, rewrites and late-night creative exchanges.
Both creators credit CPAC and the Shoestring Players’ supportive community for making the production possible.
“It seemed only fitting to debut the show here as a tribute to the fantastic community and supporters of the arts in Green Valley,” Crapo said.
Office Party runs from Friday, August 8, until Sunday, August 17. Tickets can be purchased for $20 on the CPAC website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
