"The Odd Couple" Theatre Review

"The Odd Couple" by Neil Simon was a successful Broadway play in 1965 and continues to bring in much revenue many years later. This play is the perfect example of two completely opposite bachelors who have recently been left by their wives. The macho, newly divorced New Yorker man, Oscar Madison(played by Fred Sullivan, Jr.) meshes well with sensitive, newly single Felix Ungar (played by Brian McEleney).

The play starts off with a group of guys sitting at a poker table in Oscar's apartment contemplating where their friend Felix is who never happens to miss a game. The stage has clothes thrown all over the floor and left over plates with food stuck to them. The poker players are typical beer drinking, smoking men who you would find at a bar.

Felix makes his entrance to the stage beside himself giving the guys the impression that he can't be left alone. Oscar feels guilty and very alone not having his ex wife and kids there, so he invites Felix to stay with him for a bit until Felix becomes mentally stable.

Once Felix moves in, Oscar's home is turned upside down. Since Oscar lives in a chaotic mess with disorganization everywhere in site, Felix can't help but not want to clean. Felix and Oscar's friendship turns into an old married couple's relationship. Felix acts as the complaining wife and Oscar as the careless, loveless husband who is just staying in the marriage because there's nowhere else to turn to at this point in age.

Brian McEleney does an outstanding job portraying this uptight character and makes the play much more comedic. Although his character is overly sensitive and annoying, you can't help but feel bad for him.

Fred Sullivan Jr. does great playing the role of Oscar. The character reminded me of "Archie Bunker" minus having Edith as his wife from "All in the Family" which made the play all more enjoyable for me.

Oscar eventually gets fed up with not going out on the town that he arranges a date for Felix and himself with two sisters, Gwendolyn Pigeon (played by Phyllis Kay) and Cecily Pigeon (played by Nance Williamson)from another room in the apartment building. These women act obnoxious and stupid with loud laughter and seem to cry about every issue. They become intrigued by Felix's vulnerable side and begin to favor him over Oscar.

The disastrous date starts and ends quickly when Felix starts reminiscing about Frances. The combination of serious/sensitive emotions mixed with dry humor is great! The acting by Brian McEleney combines great with the acting of Fred Sullivan Jr. whose sarcasm never seems to fail throughout the play.

The play as a whole did a great job keeping the audience laughing and made each person in the theater feel like they were in Oscar's living room with the gang. Although I was hoping to see Felix reconcile with his wife, the play ended on an odd note with Felix simply leaving Oscar's apartment and the rest of the guys playing poker as they did at the beginning of the play.

"The Odd Couple" is a play that I would certainly recommend to anyone. It's just as good as going to see a comedy at the cinema, maybe even better because it's done live. The play was a great experience and changed my outlook that I had before hand of going to see a play at a theater.