Christian Barill and Katie McDonald watched "The Office" for their first date. A few months later, they made "The Office" Fan Tour in Scranton their first trip as a couple. So it made perfect sense that they're now back in Scranton, making "The Office" Wrap Party an early wedding present.
The Morgantown, W.Va., couple were among a few hundred "Office" diehards in attendance at the University of Scranton's DeNaples Center Friday night for the opening VIP festivities for the wrap party, which will be held today in the city as an all-day celebration of the Scranton-set NBC show's upcoming May 16 series finale.
Several "Office" cast members attended the event, including Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), Kate Flannery (Meredith), Ellie Kemper (Erin) and Phyllis Smith (Phyllis).
Unfortunately, some of their fellow cast members, among them John Krasinski (Jim), Rainn Wilson (Dwight) and Creed Bratton (Creed), got stuck in Philadelphia when their US Airways connecting flight took off without them. Mr. Wilson took to the social media site Twitter to vent his frustration with a number of colorful tweets criticizing the airline. U.S. Airways spokesperson Liz Landau said they had been in touch with Mr. Wilson and he had been rebooked on a flight departing at 8:30 p.m.
The group ended up renting cars instead and were expected to arrive in Scranton late Friday night.
Still, fans who came to the event seemed to enjoy themselves just fine. Big lines formed around the four assembled cast members upon their arrival at the bash.
Ms. Flannery, a Philadelphia native, said she's thrilled to be back in Scranton.
"Once was not enough as a cast," said Ms. Flannery, who came to the 2007 "The Office" Convention and made a solo appearance here in 2010.
Ms. McDonald and Mr. Barill were among the finalists for the "Biggest Flan" video contest coordinated by the "Office" fan website Office Tally and the wrap party planners, which includes Times-Shamrock Communications. They got free tickets for Saturday's events, then Mr. Barill, 24, upgraded to VIP tickets as an early wedding gift for Ms. McDonald, 22. Their wedding is set for July.
"We had a blast when we were here for the Fan Tour," Ms. McDonald said.
The person who traveled the farthest to be at the wrap party very well might be Paul Rogers of Bedfordshire, England. He has also visited Scranton for "The Office" Fan Tour.
He presented Ms. Flannery with a coin, which she happily accepted.
Asked if he preferred the American "Office" to the British one, Mr. Rogers replied, "It's tricky. They're so different, but yet the same."
Michelle Shafer and her 16-year-old son, Gregg, drove 15 hours from their town outside Green Bay, Wis., to celebrate Scranton-style.
Gregg got into "The Office" a couple of years ago via Netflix.
"He just kept watching it and watching it," Ms. Shafer said. "He watches it every day. He quotes everything in it."
Asked who he was most looking forward to seeing, Gregg said, without hesitation, "Pam, Pam," meaning actress Jenna Fischer.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. attended the event with his family. He joked to the crowd that he'd have no problem picking up the missing cast members in Allentown, where they apparently stopped for dinner.
"I'll get in the car right now," he cracked.
Though admittedly not a huge fan of the show, Sen. Casey said "The Office" has been really good for a struggling city like Scranton.
"It's really a remarkable relationship between a television show and a city," he said.
Events continue today with the sold-out Bloggers' Breakfast, a gathering for fans and bloggers over breakfast at the University of Scranton.
The cast, crew and several marching bands will parade through downtown Scranton starting at 2 p.m. A street fair and performances by the Scrantones and possibly members of "The Office" cast will follow.
And the festivities will wrap up with the Farewell Celebration at PNC Field. The event starts at 7 p.m., and doors will open at 5:30.
For more information, including how to buy tickets for the Farewell Celebration, visit http://thetimes-tribune.com/lifestyles/the-office
Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com