Burglary at the Theater Center Shuts Down Perfect Crime and The Office Parody

The Office! A Musical Parody and the long-running off-Broadway whodunit Perfect Crime, both running in the Theater Center at 210 West 50th Street, have come to an abrupt halt following a theft at the performance space.

According to press representatives for both productions, burglars broke into the vacant restaurant below the Theater Center in order to access the basement of the building, which houses the speakeasy Nothing Really Matters. They then disconnected and stole copper pipes that direct water to the sinks and toilets, as well as the boiler that provides the building's heat. The front doors to the theater on 50th Street were also smashed early this morning.

The culprits have not yet been identified or apprehended. Repairs for the doors and the installation of new pipes are estimated to cost a minimum of $25,000 and will take several days to complete. The management team at the Theater Center hopes to be able to resume performances by this coming Thursday, January 27.

Catherine Russell, who has performed in Perfect Crime continuously since it first opened in 1987, expressed an optimistic attitude in a statement responding to the break-in: "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!"