By Kwon Mee-yoo
Office life seems to be universal across the globe. There is the foul-mouthed but warm-hearted boss, the social climber, the Star Trek geek, the man of no ability, the worker who always says “None of your business” and a temp.
Keith Varney’s musical “I Got Fired” brings this “soul-sucking” pyramid found in office cubicles onstage in a rather snappy yet sarcastic way. The production is based on his experience of getting fired. The musical was invited by the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) and staged at the Daegu Opera House from July 7 to 10.
At this time last year, Varney submitted his show for the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and “panicked till it opened.” But his work won two awards and even flew to Korea. “Having my show changed my life forever. It will never be the same,” Varney told The Korea Times in an interview after the show Sunday.
The musical premiered at the 2010 NYMF at the 99-seat TBG Theatre and won the Theater for the American Musical Prize and the DIMF Production Award.
“When I got the phone call to say I was invited to DIMF, it was overwhelming,” he said. Varney seemed to be thrilled just to stage his show at a 1,500-seat theater. “I was no one just a year ago, but now I am presenting my show at this big theater,” he said. “It’s literally a dream-come-true for me every night. The worst moment of my life created the best.”