The Empress Theatre’s The Odd Couple, written by Neil Simon, is set in a hot 1960’s summer. It’s a wonderful comedy about two great friends who become horribly mismatched roommates.
We’re introduced to the characters as they are playing their weekly poker game. This first act drags a bit as the friends squabble and the dialogue tends to feel too rehearsed. The performance by Shelby Maughan as Oscar, is the most genuine. He really brings the scenes together. The show picks up with the introduction of Felix (Paul Pugmire). His wife has just left him and he is feeling suicidal. Pugmire’s performance as the whiney and insecure Felix delights from its first moment. Together, Pugmire and Maughan bring the play together, into the whirlwind comedy it is meant to be.
In the second act, Oscar has invited Felix to be his roommate. Oscar is a sloppy divorcee, who can’t keep a cleaning lady because his mess is too much to handle. With Felix living there however, it quickly becomes immaculate and filled with the scent of cleaner. The weekly poker game becomes less of a boy’s night out and more of a dinner party. In this act, the pace picks up considerably and the performances feel more natural. The chemistry between Felix and Oscar makes for fluid and enjoyable comedy.
As the show ramps up, Felix is beginning to send Oscar over the edge with his OCD neatness. The final straw is when Felix ruins the double date Oscar has set them up on. The dynamic between Oscar and Felix as they fight it out makes for pure comic enjoyment. They bicker like a married couple and nearly come to blows. By the end, the only drawback was being able to see backstage as the “kitchen” door opened and closed, making it difficult to suspend belief.
By the time the play closes, you are in love with the main characters and wishing to see more.
Cast:
Oscar Madison: Shelby Maughan
Felix Ungar: Paul Pugmire
Speed: Gordon Dunn
Murray: Russell Merrill
Roy: Jason Cox
Vinny: Richard Coleman
Gwendolyn Pigeon: Nancy Merrill
Cecily Pigeon: Kristen Fox
“The Odd Couple”, The Empress Theatre, (9104 West 2700 South, Magna). Curtain at 7:30 PM, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 13. For tickets call (801) 347-7373.
