Among the classics of Broadway, Motion Picture and Television comedy one of the all-time greats of the 20th Century has to be Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple.” On Broadway in 1965 it starred Walter Matthau as Oscar and the legendary Art Carney of Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners” fame as Felix Unger. On the silver screen it delighted millions as Jack Lemmon took over as Felix and Walter Matthau continued as Oscar. When the Odd Couple was made for television the characters of Oscar and Felix were portrayed by Jack Klugman and Tony Randall who brought even still another generation of humor into homes around the world. This weekend the local talents of Ian McEwan and Jamie Nelson will bring Felix and Oscar back to life once again the way Neil Simon originally wrote it for live Broadway audiences at the Triumvirate Theatre in Soldotna. Supported by Dan Pascucci, Rob Ernst, Gary Hondel, Chris Jenness, Jenny Neyman and Amy Pascucci, The Odd Couple will not only provide a trip down memory lane for many, but a fresh comic experience for humor of a half century ago.
“We have not updated it, it’s the original script,” director Angie Nelson told the Dispatch, “I wanted to bring a classic to the Triumvirate in Soldotna that people are familiar with but put our twist on it with Ian and Jamie who have worked together in the past and have great chemistry on stage so I put them together for you to see the wackiness ensue,” she said. “The original is a bit sexist and puts women down quite a bit but that’s the way it was in the sixties, it’s humor and we can be grateful things have come a long way since then and lol at the way it was,” said Nelson. “The Odd Couple” will run this weekend only at the Triumvirate in Soldotna’s Peninsula Center Mall. Tickets are only $15.00 with shows Thursday and Friday at 7:00pm and two shows on Saturday with a matinee at 2:00pm. Advance tickets available at River City Books.
