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The Odd Couple
By Neil Simon
Directed by Greg Kolack
At Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook, IL
Call 630-530-0111, tickets $25 - $50
Wednesdays at 1:30 pm
Thursdays at 1:30 & 8 pm
Fridays at 8:30
Saturdays at 5 & 8:30 pm
Sundays at 2 & 6 Pm
Running time is 2 hours, 40 minutes with 2 intermissions
Through October 7, 2007
Vintage comedy still hilarious after 42 years.
Neil Simon is know as “the father of modern comedy” and his classic work 1965 Tony Award winning play (Best Play), The Odd Couple is considered by many as the finest stage comedy ever. I agree. The Odd Couple set the standard for comedy that has influenced all attempts at humor on TV and stage ever since. After 42 years under Greg Kolack’s deft staging and smart casting, Simon’s classic is as funny as ever. The opening night audience laughed themselves silly. I was impressed with the terrific physical work to augment Simon’s zinging script.
In a treatment to financial backers Simon described the comedy: "Two men--one divorced and one estranged and neither quite sure why their marriages fell apart--move in together to save money for alimony and suddenly discover they're having the same conflicts and fights they had in their marriages."
A sloppy cigar smoking sports writer, Oscar Madison (Norm Boucher) is lonely after his divorce and Felix Ungar (Dan Rodden) is the fastidious hypochondriac news writer recently estranged from his wife. The two drive each other and their poker playing buddies crazy in a series of hilarious scenes of pure comedy brilliance.
This ensemble piece works nicely on Bill Bartelt’s large apartment set in 60’s Manhattan. Peopled by quirky characters from Murray the cop (Dev Kennedy), Roy the accountant (Mark Czoske), Vinnie the Henpecked Husband (Brooks Darrah), “Speed” the Curmudgeon (David Kortemeier), The Odd Couple is one timelessly funny show. In the hands of such a stellar ensemble with help from Elizabeth Ledo and Carrie Lee Patterson as the daft neighbors, director Kolack allows much physical movement from the players to add depth and laughs to the rich characters.
The players have respect for the show as they add their acting chops and excellent timing to reach new levels of humor and pathos as each struggles to deal with the idiosyncrasies of the others. Boucher’s Oscar has the machismo and the warm heart while Rodden’s Feliz has the fusspot mannerism down pat. The two play off each other brilliantly.
You’d be hard pressed to see a funnier and better performed show that Drury Lane Oakbrook’s The Odd Couple. Take the teens in your family to see this show so they’ll experience a magnificent playwright at the top of his art. They’ll laugh their hearts out as the outstanding cast delivers a good time.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007
Jeff Recommended
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