B.J. Novak, co-star in the award-winning television show “The Office” is giving students a good excuse to take a break from studying.
A&O Productions and the Center for Student Involvement are teaming up to bring the star of the NBC sitcom to campus on Feb. 16. The show recently won the Screen Actors Guild award for best ensemble comedy.
For a day, Novak will ditch the screen to perform stand-up comedy at NU, which launched his career in show business.
“I would definitely wait an hour to buy tickets,” said Weinberg freshman Hillary Epperson. “He’s probably hilarious doing stand-up.”
Novak’s performance is part of the center’s “Winter Carnival.” Scheduled in the middle of the quarter, the carnival’s goal is to cheer up students during the dreary winter, said SESP senior Alex White, chairman of A&O.
The carnival will take place from Feb. 14 to 16, culminating in Novak’s performance, said Sarah Michael, programming supervisor for the center and Music senior. Thursday, Feb. 14’s events include a Mee-Ow show in Norris University Center at 7:30 p.m. and a trip to see “Rent” in Chicago. On the day after, students can enjoy free massages as part of Fastbreak Fridays, an event called “One Ton Sundae” and a student band performance on Norris’s ground floor. At 4:30 p.m., free buses will take students to Millennium Park for ice skating.
“It’s cool because (the Novak performance is) part of a bigger event on campus,” White said.
Students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters from “The Office,” and prizes will be awarded, he said. This is supposed to be reminiscent of the episode where Novak’s co-star John Krasinski’s character, Jim Halpert, dresses up as another character Dwight Schrute, played by Rainn Wilson.
A&O wanted to get Novak to speak last spring and the center tried to bring him for this past year’s Wildcat Welcome orientation, but both attempts fell through, White said. Eventually, the timing finally worked out.
“There’s a lull because of the writer’s strike,” he said. “(Novak’s) got a unique perspective because he plays an active role in scripting the show.”
White is confident Novak will be well-received on campus. Many students are already excited about the performance.
McCormick freshman Joe Zissman said he feels loyal to Novak because he went to his high school.
“Of course I’d buy tickets,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the kind of show that you have to wait in line for on the first day. It’ll sell out, though.”
Only 600 tickets will be available for sale for $5 beginning Feb. 1.
White said he predicts the performance will sell out. He pointed to the success of the Girl Talk concert as an indication, which sold out in two-and-one-half hours.
“I encourage people to get their tickets fast,” he said. “There’s a limited number of tickets and we can’t expand the space.”
Reach Rachel Kopilow at [email protected].
