Photo Flash: THE ODD COUPLE Opens 8/5 At The Ivoryton Playhouse

On August 5th, 2009, Neil Simon's classic comedy The Odd Couple rounds off the summer season at the Ivoryton Playhouse. Originally conceived by Neil Simon, who based the play on his brother Danny's true-life experience, The Odd Couple concept is best described in the one-sentence treatment Simon submitted to Paramount, who financed the stage play sight-unseen. "Two men--one divorced and one estranged and neither quite sure why their marriages fell apart--move in together to save money for alimony and suddenly discover they're having the sameconflicts and fights they had in their marriages."

The Odd Couple, in all forms, is truly a popular culture phenomenon. Simon's wildly successful play ran from 1965 to 1967. In the summer of 1967, the play opened at the Ivoryton Playhouse starring the controversial radio and TV comedian Henry Morgan. In 1968, the play was made into a successful

 film starring Walter Matthau as unkempt sports writer Oscar Madison and Jack Lemmon as anal-retentive commercial photographer Felix Unger. Today, Felix and Oscar are known to millions from the 1970-75 ABC TV series based on the play which starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman and can still be seen in syndication.

The Odd Couple is directed by Larry Thelen and stars R. Bruce Connelly as Felix and Tony Rossi as Oscar. The set design is by Dan Nischan, lighting design by Tate Burmeister and costumes by Delari Johnston

The Odd Couple opens on August 5th and runs thru August 30th for 4 weeks. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and are available by calling The Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org. (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

Tony Rossi, Al Mulvey, Brian Cunningham, Mike Souney, M. Carl Kaufman, and R. Bruce Connelly

Eleanor Handley, Tony Rossi, Lara Beth Wells, R. Bruce Connelly

Tony Rossi and R. Bruce Connelly