With its 25th anniversary looming, ‘Friends’ is ripe for a musical ribbing

Whether you love it or hate it, NBC’s “Friends” remains a pop-culture phenomenon 15 years after its finale. That’s partly why the creators of “Bayside! The Musical!” (a “Saved By the Bell” parody), “Showgirls! The Musical!,” and most recently, “The Office! A Musical Parody” were compelled to send up the Central Perk crew in song.

“It’s the biggest show we’ve done,” says Tobly McSmith, who co-created “Friends! The Musical Parody” with writing partner Bob McSmith (no relation).

Unlike their other shows, which have played exclusively in New York, their “Friends” musical is the first to hit the road nationally and to log a Vegas residency.

The national tour kicks off a five-day stay at The Comedy Zone next Wednesday night.

Although neither had studied theater, the McSmiths began staging TV parodies in small bars in New York shortly after both moved to the city 15 years ago.

“We were two guys that had ideas about moving to New York and what it was like from watching shows like ‘Friends,’” McSmith says. “We have a song in the ‘Friends’ musical about, ‘How can she afford this apartment?’ That’s part of the parody: They don’t live in the real New York.”

They launched six successful musical send-ups — including lovingly skewered versions of of “Full House,” “90210” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” — but waited to unleash a “Friends” musical until the time was right.

“When the inauguration happened, we thought, people need news and jokes that aren’t political. We want to escape and laugh at things we grew up on, where we feel safe,” McSmith says. “Nostalgia is so needed right now.”

“Friends” was both a safe and easy target, although covering 10 seasons in under two hours isn’t an easy feat.

“It’s important to keep the storylines intact,” he says.

That means there’s plenty of Ross and Rachel; the magnifying of individual neuroses; a revolving door of jobs, family members and significant others (including Janis, Dr. Burke, Ross’s monkey, and Chandler’s pet chick and duck); as well as Easter eggs and in-jokes about real-life trends; and reminders of which cast members made headlines during the show’s initial run in the mid-’90s.

Like Monica’s apartment, “Friends! The Musical Parody” benefits from not really being in New York.

“In New York, we do 200-seat theaters, so it’s harder to get a big set in there. The touring set is bigger and has projections,” McSmith says. “It’s a bigger, better show.”