Photo
courtesy of Willows Theatre
Christopher Hayes as Oscar Madison and Cassidy Brown as Felix Ungar in "The Odd Couple."
There are people, perhaps even avid theatergoers, who have slipped gracefully into middle age without ever seeing "The Odd Couple."
It seems head-spinningly hard to believe, particularly since the 40-year-old Neil Simon comedy was once as ubiquitous as personal injury lawyer ads on late-night television.
Over the years, though, familiarity has bred if not contempt, at least restraint, for the Simon nugget.
So, it was kind of nice to see the still-spry show litter and tidy its way across the stage at Concord's Willows Theatre, where director Richard Elliott has proved that "The Odd Couple" is still a hugely funny show and almost a textbook example of comedy writing. Perhaps most important, it shows that in the hands of fine actors, the old dog can still show you some new tricks.
In fact, for someone who suspects he has spent more time with Felix and Oscar than he has his own family, it is the performances of Cassidy Brown as Felix and Christopher Hayes as Oscar that makes this production bright as newly tossed linguini (and if that line doesn't register with you, you haven't seen "The Odd Couple" nearly enough).
What Brown and Hayes have done is avoided re-creating the Oscars and Felixes that have gone before them, and built their own versions of the guys on their own terms. In general terms, it's a sort of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney pairing, but there is only a tiny hint of The Great One and the One Who Was Actually Greater.
Hayes brings a lovable humanity to Oscar, without dropping an ounce of the sports writer's bombast. It is a new side to the character that not only makes him more interesting, but provides clues into why this hopeless slob and boorish human being actually has enough friends to put together a poker game. Cassidy, on the other hand, brings another sort of humanity to his role. His Felix isn't the least bit prissy.
Instead, the character is a mouse that occasionally roars. Think of him as a sort of citified Barney Fife, who navigates the mean streets of New York and packs a sauce pan rather than a bullet.
Both performances are tiny masterworks. The
supporting cast is delightful, too; particularly Diana Boos and Emily Jordan
,
who play the Pigeon sisters, who show up for a sure-fire double date that Felix
extinguishes right before Oscar's eyes.
Set in 1965, the play's trappings -- from the costumes of B.J. Bandy, John Koss sound and, especially, the Tom Benson set -- all contribute to nailing the time period in a million subtle ways. While many in the Willows audience will be seeing this for the first time, for more of us, it is a reunion with old friends. And it's great to discover how much more delightfully odd they've become over the years.
Pat Craig is the Times theater critic. Reach him at 925-945-4736 or pcraig@cctimes.com.
• WHAT: Willows Theatre presents "The Odd Couple," by Neil Simon
• WHEN: Tuesdays-Sundays through Sept. 24
• WHERE: Willows Theatre, Willows Shopping Center, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord
• RUNNING TIME: 21/2 hours, with two intermissions
• HOW MUCH: $30-$35
• CONTACT: 925-798-1300, www.willowstheatre.org