Update, 6 p.m. Thursday:

Eliza Helm, A&O’s director of speakers, said the organization set out at the beginning of the year to refocus on stand-up comedy for their speaker series.

“We usually do (bring stand-up comedians) but sometimes we veer from that,” the Communication senior said. “B.J. really interested us because he started his career as a stand-up comedian and still obviously is one and that’s how he was discovered. He’s a really strong stand-up comedian but he also has the popular appeal from being on ‘The Office’ so we thought those two things coupled together would really make a good sellout show.”

Helm added Novak did “really, really well” in A&O’s poll of the student body’s entertainment interests.

Original story:

Comedian B.J. Novak will come to Northwestern next week as A&O Productions’ Winter speaker, the organization announced today.

Novak, who plays Ryan Howard on the NBC show “The Office” and writes and produces for the show, will speak at 8 p.m March 2 at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

Novak has won awards from the Screen Actors Guild, the Writers Guild of America and the Emmys for his work on “The Office.”

Novak has also appeared in feature films, including “Inglourious Basterds” and “Knocked Up.”

Tickets for the show go on sale Monday at 10:30 a.m on the Norris Box Office website. A&O is partnering with the Josie Nordman Fund for their sales, as buyers will have the option of donating $2 of their ticket purchase to the fund, which is raising money for Nordman, the Communication sophomore who needs a life-saving double lung transplant for cystic fibrosis.

— Joseph Diebold