Nick Offerman performed at Miami University for Family Weekend.
On Oct. 16, comedian Nick Offerman took the stage at Millett Hall for an evening of comedy, music and lots of talk about his wife.
Offerman is known for his work in “Parks and Recreation,” “The <a href="https://cinemamix360.com/2026/10/27/the-last-trailer-for-the-final-dune-film-is-here/” title=”The Last Trailer for the Final 'Dune' Film Is Here”>Last of Us” and more, however, his career started out in theater. He’s not just an actor, though. Offerman has released multiple books and owns his own wood shop.
His performance was the latest addition to Miami’s Family Weekend entertainment, following previous years’ guests Colin Jost, Sal Vulcano and Seth Meyers. He opened his set with a song about how he was going to make his show more PG-13 for the family and college student audience, and proceeded to do the exact opposite. Nothing about his show seemed censored.
He also mentioned that he went to school with Elizabeth Mullenix, professor of theater and former provost, saying that he was starstruck to see one of his old classmates in an administrative position. Offerman also joked that he had to look up what a provost was.
As a fan of “Parks and Recreation,” what I would consider to be one of the best sitcoms ever made, I was excited to see what Offerman would talk about in his performance. I never thought of him as a typical stand-up, and that tended to be the theme of the previous Family Weekend shows I went to, so I was intrigued.
He played guitar, sang a lot of original (and not) songs, talked about his career and brought up his wife, Megan Mullally, every chance he could. Many of the songs he performed were actually written for or about his wife.
I adore Mullally and her work, and genuinely think she’s one of the greats. Her performances on “Will & Grace” and “Parks and Recreation” are nothing short of comedic genius, so I loved the shoutouts to her.
When he talked about his work as an actor, he noted that he likes to entirely transform for roles. If his character has a distinct look, he wants it to be as authentic as possible. Because of this, he’ll often grow his facial hair to match the roles he plays, which he said bothers his wife.
He also talked a lot about his sexual experience and made a lot of jokes about and references to sex, which a lot of audience members found to be inappropriate. Business Manager Austin Smith and I sat toward the back of the venue, and throughout the performance, I noticed multiple families and groups leave. One patron remarked on Facebook that they wouldn’t have paid for the experience again.
As a longtime fan of Offerman and his work, I had a blast. I loved hearing about his career, stories about projects he has worked on and his thoughts on making things. I love to craft and make things myself, so him expressing the importance of using our hands to create really stood out to me.
He ended the show with his rendition of “5000 Candles in the Wind,” or “Bye Bye L’il Sebastian,” from “Parks and Recreation,” and the stadium filled with phone flashlights in memoriam of the fictional tiny horse. It was arguably one of the most impactful and memorable moments of the performance, and something I’ll never forget.
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Stella Powers is a senior journalism and media and communication major from Wooster, Ohio. Powers is the Culture Editor for The Student and former Editor-in-Chief of The Miami Student Magazine. Outside of TMS, she enjoys film, television and theater.
