Monday, July 18, 2005
Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" opens at The New Harmony Theatre
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One of the most popular comedies of all time, Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” opens at The New Harmony Theatre Friday, July 29 – 40 years after its Broadway premiere. Neil Simon is, after William Shakespeare, the world’s most performed playwright. When “The Odd Couple” appeared on Broadway in March of 1965, Simon was already a fairly well-known playwright. But “The Odd Couple,” with its unforgettable pair of mismatched roommates, made him a cultural phenomenon, and he subsequently became the most commercially successful playwright in the history of theater. Prudish neat-freak Felix Ungar finds himself homeless and suicidal after his wife kicks him out. In despair, he seeks help from his slob friend, Oscar Madison. Oscar takes him in, and their mismatched personalities lead to endless one-liners and ridiculous confrontations. Beneath the laughter lies a deep-rooted friendship and, ultimately, Felix’s redemption. Under the direction of Artistic Director Scott LaFeber, “The Odd Couple” the Equity Company includes Matt Landers as Oscar, Jeff Talbot as Felix, Van Zeiler as Speed, Emanuel “Manny” Moreira as Vinnie, Tara Radcliffe as Gwendolyn Pigeon, and Cynthia Leigh Heim as Cecily Pigeon. All but Zeiler and Moreira, both in their second seasons, are making their New Harmony Theatre debuts. The cast also includes community actors Steve Small and Mark Atchison. Small, as Murray, is in his 14th NHT season, and Atchison, as Roy, is in his fourth. The roles of Felix and Oscar were first played on Broadway by Art Carney and Walter Matthau. (Matthau was later replaced with Jack Klugman.) In 1968, “The Odd Couple” was made into a movie starring Jack Lemmon as Felix and Matthau as Oscar. It was later the basis for a 1970-75 ABC prime-time television show of the same name, starring Tony Randall as Felix and Klugman as Oscar. In 1982, another TV show, “The New Odd Couple,” featured Evansville native Ron Glass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar. The comedy was revised by Neil Simon in 1985 for a female cast. It was based on the same story line with characters called Florence Ungar and Olive Madison. Felix and Oscar remain one of the most memorable pairs of characters in the history of commercial theatre. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane will star in a Broadway revival opening in October 2005. “The Odd Couple” runs July 29-August 14 at The New Harmony Theatre, Murphy Auditorium, 419 Tavern Street, in New Harmony, Indiana. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays. There will be an additional matinee at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 13. Tickets are $22, with discounts for seniors, students, and groups. For tickets, call 877/NHT-SHOW or go to www.newharmonytheatre.com. “The Odd Couple” is sponsored by Vectren Corporation, Thomas J. and Marita Dieter, Susan Enlow and Isabella Fine, Alice G. May, Old National Bank, and Betty J. Worthington. |
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