The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to note SPOILERS?) :)
The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to note SPOILERS?) :)
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to note SPOILERS?) :)#0
Posted: 10/8/05 at 3:23pm
I saw the show last night and wanted to share a more lengthy review for those of you who'd like to know what you can expect. If you haven't seen the Odd Couple, there may be spoilers here, so read with caution.
Whenever I see or perform a Simon play I am struck by his wonderfully crackling dialogue and comedic timing. When his plays are done in regional or community theater, the sharp edge he has honed is often lost in poor direction and in the inability of the actors to do justice to the words.
At this early stage of previews for THIS revival, some jokes are being swallowed, lost or buried in over talk and mistimed lines. But that will work itself out. The actors are still getting their sea legs so I'm not all that concerned.
As a revival, the show is true to its roots and yet has some new spin, primarily in some of the direction and in the take on some of the characters. My overall thought is that the show will only get better as everyone settles in. Right now, there are a few jokes that aren't landing and a few people that are still trying to find their characters.
The sisters are great and I think their cackling interaction and ditsy balancing act will only improve. Their scene alone with Felix (while Oscar is in the kitchen) is silly and fun, and their double entendre scene with Oscar on the sofa is hysterical, giggly and lame all at the same time. It works!
Bartlett's Speed is great with his cigar puffing, leg jiggling, double takes and slow burns. Though the leg thing in the opening scene made me want to run up on stage and hold him down. He did tone it down a bit thereafter. His reactions to Murray and to the other action on the stage are priceless. It takes me back to the old days of Imogene and Syd.
Wilkof's Vinnie is a great blend of underplayed routine and fussiness, tempered with a timid and quirky love of fun and adventure.
Frechette seems lost as Roy the accountant and doesn't make much of an impact. His lines are mostly thrown away or lost in the shuffle and you don't get a clear sense of his character at any point.
Garrett is adequate as Murray but there is none of the hang dog charm mixed with a show of 'I'm a cop and I know these things' strained self-esteem, or the melancholy "My life is OK but I wish I had someone else's" kind of resignation that you'd like to see. Too often he tries to come up to Lane's energy level when things get frantic and he ends up in a shouting match with Madison instead of playing to Oscar's edginess. While a few people have said that Garrett will get there, and I hope they are right, I'm not so sure. He seems a little lost up there and I'm not sure he's just settling into the role. He's good but not great, and that's ashame.
Broderick is trying to find his lines and his Felix...but he will definitely get there. A few line readings are delivered in a Leo Bloom kind of way and while there are some similarities between the characters, you don't want to see Bloom on the stage. But, Broderick does get to his Felix after he settles down, and I think will get better as time passes. He flubbed a few lines last night but for the most part, he is getting there. There are a few places (like when Oscar throws water in his face) where you expect to hear him say 'I'm hysterical...I'm wet and I'm hysterical' but that's not HIS fault. It's just a weird coincidence between The Producers and The Odd Couple.
As in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Lane has proven that he can interpret Simon with perfect comedic timing and yet not lose the character in technical line readings and punch lines. His is a different take on Oscar. More dynamic and energetic and more sensitive in spots. He is very physical and intense in his delivery - a loud, brash 'I am what I am' kind of Oscar. Not the dinner theater version that is typically only schlubby, messy and kind of dumb. Instead he appears smart, flawed, and genuinely invested in his friend. While he may not always be able to admit what his friend has done in organizing his life, he left-handedly tries to offer thanks. The food throwing, beer guzzling Oscar is still there, but he's not the sterotypical sportswriter cookie cutter version.
I think the physical comedy between Lane and Broderick will improve as they get their timing down but for now, all the 'bits' are still there to enjoy and these can only improve. You believe that these two guys do like each other and when Felix delivers his 'ok you asked for it...now I'm going to tell you what I hate about you' speech, it is priceless!
All the favorite lines are still there and Simon has changed little. Perhaps one or two little tweaks.
The set is wonderful. Though I'd hate to think what an apartment like that would cost in today's market. Unger is getting a great deal, paying $120 a month in rent to Madison! It is a large, well appointed set and it is used well by Mantello and the actors, though it is tough to see the action on the poker table and a bit hard to see all of the actors when they are seated on the sofa -- but this probably only an issue if you are in the first 10 rows of the orchestra.
Shaiman's incidental music between scenes is serviceable and it works well to cover the scene changes, though it is a bit too
cartoonish in spots, and in some places it reminds me of 'walk on' talk show music.
The costumes are fine and Madison is asked to put it all out there with sloppy madras shorts, underwear, tank t-shirts and Keds. Lots of SKIN. And Lane is a trouper. He's put on the uniform and let it all hang out, where other actors might have balked at the exposure! And I truly hope we don't have to endure a bunch of message board barfing over the fact that he's not built like Cheyenne Jackson. It works for this character and Lane handles it well. Besides, I happen to like normal looking guys, so I didn't mind the skin! One thing about Madison's costumes that did bother me: Oscar's suit pants and shirt are a little TOO nice for the sports writer, slobby persona, and because he is dressed appropriately throughout the rest of the play, the pants and dress shirt seem especially out of place, in that they are too expensive and too well-pressed.
Broderick is uptight and groomed in suits and ties, but was a bit wrinkled in one shirt. His dresser should watch this to be sure he is meticulously pressed at all times. Wilkof gets to wear some great costumes and 60s garish colors with melon, yellow and nipple high belt levels! And he plays it for all he's worth. Roy is appropriately greased and suited and Murray is in the old PAL uniform. The sisters have a great pair of dresses in their introductory scene but seem a bit off in their dress for the closing scene. I can't quite put my finger on what is 'not sixties' about these clothes...they just don't look right.
There's not much you can do to screw up the lighting for this show since the set and action don't change all that much, but the lighting is fine.
Madison's hair is suitably mussed at all times (the baseball cap helps) but Felix's could be a little more 'in place' for my taste. It is greased down but doesn't quite have the meticulous look I would expect.
Some of the sound gets lost when the actors are upstage running around, but the set is pretty deep, and since this happens mainly during the more chaotic scenes, with lots of over talking I am not sure what you can do about that.
Mantello has done a great job of honoring Simon's writing and managing to bring a bit of contemporary sensibility to the show without denying that it is a period piece. His direction of the more chaotic scenes is appropriately neurotic for the group but some of the actors are losing their balance. Perhaps he'll improve that during previews. He lets the best actors do what they do best but keeps them true to their roles. Though I hope he can bring some the cast up to the level of the rest of the troupe so that all cylinders are firing!
I think they'll work on some small things during previews. Some of the timing, and maybe even some of the blocking, can be changed to make things tighter, but as the show stands now it is probably a more entertaining evening than most of the shows on Broadway. The show runs about 2 and 10 with one 10 min intermission and several curtain-in scene changes. But these are very fast.
For a Friday night audience, I thought there would have been more response but there were lots of belly laughs and an adequate, (if not stellar) audience response at the curtain call given the hard work being done on stage.
I am going back in November to see the show again and I am anxious to see how they tighten and tweak it. In the meantime, for those of you attending the remaining previews: ENJOY!!!
Broadway Star Joined: 6/26/05
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to note SPOILERS?) :)#1
Posted: 10/8/05 at 3:41pmCould the slightly muted audience response have been due to the fact that that nobody can live up to the stratospheric expectations?
Joined: 12/31/69
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to note SPOILERS?) :)#2
Posted: 10/8/05 at 3:50pmBased on your review it sounds like it needs a lot of work. I for one don't care to see it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to note SPOILERS?) :)#3
Posted: 10/8/05 at 4:39pmAs I said in the review, it doesn't need A LOT of work...it needs tweaking and there are a few people who haven't found their characters yet...but it is in PREVIEWS. It will improve and even in its current state is better than most shows. If you don't care to see it...for whatever reason...that's your perogative, but don't mistake my review. This is a good show. By the time it opens I'm sure they will be fine. I have my concerns about Garrett, but we'll see whether he can come up to speed. In any case he is NOT BAD. He is fine...just not great.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#4
Posted: 10/8/05 at 4:44pmThe word is correctly spelled--and pronounced--"prerogative".
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#5
Posted: 10/8/05 at 5:26pmYes, I know Dolly. I mistyped it. Sorry. I wasn't aware the spelling police were on duty. I will say that spelling mistakes and grammatical mistakes make me nuts but I try not to be picky and correct them.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#6
Posted: 10/8/05 at 5:41pmOne problem with Broderick's appearance - is he constantly soaked with sweat as he was in THE PRODUCERS? That would certainly be out of character for Felix.
Leading Actor Joined: 1/25/05
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#7
Posted: 10/9/05 at 12:07am
Am I wrong in saying Lane is brilliant in this at present, I was amazed at his take on Oscar, such new insight, yet never straying from the basic skeleton.
I only wish he had a better cast supporting him. That's all I'll say for now.
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#8
Posted: 10/9/05 at 1:37amI must say having seen the final dress rehearsal before previews I was not at all impressed with this show.I feel that the producers of this show saw it as an easy sell by casting Nathan and Matthew in it. Nathan basically is playing Nathan while Matthew is stuck in his How to Succeed In Business performance and Ferris Bueller. The supporting cast is okay but lack a certain something. I will say that the two performers playing the peguin sisters do a wonderful job with what they have. Fortunately for me I did not have to pay for my ticket. But had I, I would have been a little disappointed in spending $100.00 for it. Like I said the producers of this show were no fools and saw a good thing. I would like tos ee the day when we see two unknowns go into a show and make it their own.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/18/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#9
Posted: 10/9/05 at 1:45amI would love that too, but that isn't the way Broadway works today.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/12/03
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#10
Posted: 10/9/05 at 6:10am
I have a confession to make. This was my first ODD COUPLE. I had never seen it before on stage. I've never seen the film, either. And yes, there are SPOILERS here for those in the same boat.
Nathan was excellent, Matthew fine after being possessed by the ghost of Leo Bloom in Act 1, scene 1. Remarkably, Nathan avoids adding Max-like tics to Oscar, and I'm sure that is a very deliberate choice. A segment of the audience is very much hoping for Max&Leo redux, and a splash of water elicits the warm applause of remembrance. Thankfully, the moment passes and by Act 2 any resemblance to previous roles alive or dead are totally coincidental.
The supporting cast OK, if not as seamless as I would like.
It's still a solid, fun time at the theater -- but it's more wryly amusing than the nonstop laugh riot I was lead to believe it is.
There are several reasons for this: THE ODD COUPLE has served as a petrii dish for dozens of mismatched-one gets on the others nerves-buddy films and sitcoms over the past forty years. It's become TOO familiar a plot device. And our culture of pain, neuroses and "getting in touch with ones inner child," has made the fussy, sensitive, gourmet Felix Ungar to be not nearly as intrinsically oddball and a figure of amusement as he must have appeared in 1965. To a Martha Stewart-worshipping culture, Felix seems practically normal. Is it any surprise he charms the Pidgeon sisters so? To Simon's credit, he never pokes fun AT Felix or Oscar, and all of the characters are ultimately revealed to be surprisingly caring, well-rounded beings with hearts and not just stock caricatures.
One disappointment: As anyone who has ever had a roommate, spouse or live in lover can attest, sometimes the "other one" does little habits that ever so slowly creep up on you and make you want to throttle them. I fully expected a scene like this in THE ODD COUPLE, but Simon doesn't provide one. Act one instantly shifts in scene 2 from Oscar's hometown Slobovia to Felix's cover of Better Homes & Gardens. I was hoping for a scene where Felix slowly drives Oscar to fury as he tidies thing up JUST so and reveals a battalion of maddening personal tics, but except for the blocked sinus honking and back spasms, there wasn't much of that.
Without a doubt, the funniest part of the play (for me at least) was the dinner party with the Pidgeon sisters. A rebuke those who thinks he can only play gay or sexless men, Lane totally nailed the personification of heterosexual mid-60s bachelor over-the-top horniness -- d'Abo and Stone were perfect foils for his hysterically aggressive seduction technique. And Broderick totally captured the discomfort and awkwardness of anyone who has ever felt out of place at a party or social situation -- and his controlled fury over the roast and Oscars tardiness showed him at his funniest best and made one realize that Felix may be sensitive, but he's not a wuss.
When the curtain rose, did anyone else instantly think "Ohmygod, what a FABULOUS apartment!!! $2.5 million at least!"
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#11
Posted: 10/9/05 at 10:52amMasterLcZ has nailed it. I saw the second preview Wednesday matinee and agree totally. This show will be an easy hit for those who can't get or feel they over paid for tickets. I was happy they left this as a period piece and not an updated version. Rob Bartlett was very good Speed, I enjoyed him as Mushnik in Little Shop also. Brad Garrett will find his Broadway legs eventually, right now he’s feeling his way around. Quite a change from stand up comic to sitcom star to Broadway player. I give him all the credit in the world for challenging himself and not immediately stepping into a staring role on Broadway.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#12
Posted: 10/9/05 at 3:59pm
I would disagree that Lane is playing Lane (though I'm not sure what that means). I think his Oscar is NOT Max, nor is it any other character he has played. If you are saying he has the some of the same facial expressions and mannerisms...well he has the same instrument with which to play the role. While I DO agree that the supporting cast is not up to speed (though Bartlett and Wilkof are doing fine) it IS in previews. If you saw the dress, did you expect that it would fully baked and DONE?
When all is said and done I think Mantello has done a good job and after they work out the kinks, the show will be fine.
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#13
Posted: 10/10/05 at 1:52amI must say that i feel that this show is not worth the high ticket price. And yes I feel that even though it was the final dress they were performing in front of a sold out house. And yes even though it was a final dress rehearsal performers should give it their all. I am not the only one in my party who felt that way my one friend fell aslepp during the second act and another said that she felt the show was lacking something. I will say that the set and lighting was very impressive.
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#14
Posted: 10/10/05 at 8:26amI guess it doesn't really matter if some want to see this show or not anymore since I believe the entire run is already sold out!
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#15
Posted: 10/10/05 at 11:01amI have enjoyed the reviews (I'm not seeing the show until February), and read (with much amusement) the "Not worth any price" vs. "Great show" comments. I've been a Nathan Lane fan for quite a while, and even if half the cast forgets their lines on the night I attend, I will enjoy it immensely. If you already know it's not your cup of tea, thanks for leaving tickets for those of us that do find it to be our type of show!
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#16
Posted: 10/10/05 at 11:08am
JoJo...been to a dress before? It is a REHEARSAL...not a performance...meant to work out kinks, as are the previews. If you go in with that understanding, you will be much happier. The cast is working...focusing...trying to fix...
This is what I hate about audience invited dress and previews in NY...people have forgotten what the words dress and previews mean. Out of town openings have become prohibitively expensive, but geez...they were much more effective than trying to tap dance in front of a New York crowd that, sophisticated as they may feel, always seem to forget what the theatrical process is.
Sorry, just venting.
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#17
Posted: 10/10/05 at 12:07pmVent away!
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#18
Posted: 10/10/05 at 4:45pm
You know Mag, if there are any problems with audience reaction to this show after it gets up on its legs, it will be that, in this day and age of technopopshortattentionspanentertainment, people don't want to hear intelligently written dialogue and they don't want to wait for a story to unfold or see a character study. They want glitzy, fast paced stuff and against that backtdrop, this period piece, so well-crafted by Simon and directed by Mantello, is likely to see lame. My suggestion...find out what you are seeing before you see it so you don't have to complain about how BORING it was. For $100 to $250 a pop for a seat, you could find a cheaper place to sleep.
And don't go see dress rehearsals or previews if you want done, finito, finished, crossed the finish line performances and a seamless production. Wait until after the show opens.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/25/04
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#19
Posted: 10/10/05 at 5:06pm
Since there are many elaborately written reviews of the show already, I'll just post a few quick thoughts.
I'm a big fan of the show and greatly enjoyed what I saw at yesterday's matinee. I had been waiting to see the show since it was only just a rumor but was not let down at all. Very impressed with the state of the performances, especially Nathan who gave Oscar's character a lot of depth. A couple flubbed lines, but they worked in the moment of the action, so no worries. The set was incredible and the lighting had fantastic subtlety. Totally worth the money, I thought - although I don't know if my dad feels the same way. 
Nathan and Matthew were incredibly sweet, although very tired, at the stage door.
~Jessica
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#20
Posted: 10/10/05 at 6:17pmDo you think Nathan Lane would sign and returned my Producers playbill that's already autographed by Matthew Broderick?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#21
Posted: 10/11/05 at 6:33am
The play is not dated as some people might fear - the dialog and the comic timing still work. But I was disappointed by the performances of Nathan and Matthew. Nathan was too excitable and no match to Walter Matthau's gruff portrayal of a sports journalist of that era. Neither is Matthew's rather inanimate portrayal nowhere near Jack Lemmon's classic portrayal of the eccentric Felix. There was not much chemistry between Oscar and Felix and I couldn't appreciate how they became very good friends at the start.
I am a fan of this Neil Simon classic and hoped it could have been better staged. Maybe they will grow into the roles. I bought tickets from a ticket broker ( first row center, front mezz) and it looks like they are getting the same feedback from their clients - the show is somewhat overhyped.
Updated On: 10/11/05 at 06:33 AM
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#22
Posted: 10/11/05 at 11:05amYou shouldn't go to a show because it's hyped, you should go to a show becasue you a: love the material or b: love the star(s). Hype is nothing but enthusiasm on speed (it has very little relation to reality!)
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/03
re: The Odd Couple - Friday Night 10/7 (for a play this old, do I need to n#23
Posted: 10/11/05 at 12:31pm
This is one of those shows that's gone full circle in the hype/expectation syndrome. The expectation was so high when it was announced, it couldn't live up; they the naysaying grumbles began about Producers Redux, and the expectations began to fall. Reaching a nadir at the point of sell-out. I talked to two people over the weekend who voiced this, saying, "...at this point, I wasn't expecting much but a sort of summer stock production with stars who wanted to work together -- but it actually has a few surprises..."
I think the "few surprises" part is what's at work. By opening, the cycle will have gone back to high expectations. Who knows? Fair or not, this is show biz, with big bucks on the table. A lot of people resent the sure thing on broadway, and this clearly was the closest you can get to a sure thing.
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