Laguna Playhouse Stages THE ODD COUPLE, Now thru 3/29

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to present one of the most beloved comedies of all time, Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Kip Gilman and directed by Andrew Barnicle.

"We are delighted to bring our audience an evening which is going to provide timeless laughs and hilarity," comments Wood. "We could not be more excited to have Maxwell Caulfield as Felix and Kip Gilman as Oscar, and with Andrew Barnicle directing, this is going to be one of the funniest "Odd Couples' ever," adds Wareham. THE ODD COUPLE will begin previews on Wednesday, March 4; will open on Saturday, March 7 and runs through Sunday, March 29, 2015 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

This is Neil Simon's Tony Award-winning classic comedy of two famously mismatched roommates: when recently failed marriages force fastidious Felix to cohabitate with the slovenly Oscar, the duo must determine whether their differences are irreconcilable. This peculiar pair, with decidedly different approaches to life, love and... housework, has been entertaining audiences with side-splitting laughter and classic comedy for nearly 50 years.

ANDREW BARNICLE (Director) served as artistic director of The Laguna Play­house from 1991 through 2010. In that time he produced over 100 Playhouse shows and directed over 40 of them, including many World, U.S., West Coast and Southern California premieres. Recent directing projects at the Playhouse include Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine, Noel Coward's Private Lives, and Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight and Magnolias, which also played the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts as a co-production with McCoy/Rigby Entertainment, and Burbank's Colony Theatre. In the past few years, Andy directed Coward's Present Laughter at Chapman University, Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, The Lion In Winter, Who Am I This Time? and Gunmetal Blues at North Coast Rep in San Diego, Shirley Valentine, the world premiere of Ken Levine's A or B? at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, The Irish Curse at the Odyssey Theatre in LA, Blame It On Beckett and Lissa Levin's Sex and Education, starring Stephanie Zimbalist, and Charles Evered's Celadine at the Colony, and Private Lives at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. Andrew previously served as Head of Theatre at United States International University's School of Performing and Visual Arts in San Diego, and was the Associate Artistic Director at North Coast Repertory Theatre. He has also directed at San Diego's Theatre at Old Town, Michigan's Meadow Brook Theatre, the Colony Theatre, and The Foreigner at the San Jose Repertory Theatre.

MAXWELL CAULFIELD (Felix) recently completed the UK/Japan tour of Singin' in the Rain. He played Billy Flynn inChicago in the West End and on Broadway he co-starred in An Inspector Calls. Having won a Theatre World award with his debut in Class Enemy his Off B'way credits include work for Manhattan Theatre Club, New Group and the Public. Locally he has performed at the Ahmanson, the Geffen and the Mark Taper. And following this production he joins his wife Juliet Mills in the Australian tour of Legends. Film work of note Grease 2, Empire Records, The Real Blonde and The Boys Next Door. On US television he is best remembered for his portrayal of Miles in The Colbys and of late has appeared in Modern Family, NCIS and Castle.

KIP GILMAN (Oscar) Recent films: Parker with Nick Nolte and Jennifer Lopez, Atlas Shrugged 2, and soon to be released Painless and Big Baby. Among his extensive theater credits are acclaimed performances in World Premieres of Catskill Sonata, Adam Baum and the Jew Movie, both directed by Paul Mazursky, L.A. Premieres of Stuff Happens(Mark Taper Forum) What the Night is For (Laguna Playhouse) Moonlight and Magnolias and Mutually Assured Destruction (Odyssey Theater.) Series regular: Studio-5B with Jeffrey Tambor, Nurses, Love's Me, Love's Me Not, Trapper John M.D., Foot in the Door and Relativity. Recent guest appearances: CSI Miami and Bones. Mr. Gilman has also created two one-man musicals: Mister Moody...82 minutes with Christ, and Men Women and Assassins.

The cast of THE ODD COUPLE will also feature (in alphabetical order): Brian Abraham as Murray, Eddie Kehler as Speed, Alyson Lindsay as Gwendolyn Pigeon, John Massey as Roy, David Nevell as Vinnie and Erika Schindele as Cecily Pigeon.

THE ODD COUPLE has assembled an award-winning design team. The Set Design is by Bruce Goodrich. The Lighting Design is by Don Guy. The Costume Design is by Julie Keen. The Sound Design is by Juan Sanson. The Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet.

THE ODD COUPLE will begin previews tonight, March 4; will open on Saturday, March 7 and runs through Sunday, March 29, 2015 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Performances will be Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1pm & 5:30pm. There will be additional performances on Thursday, March 5; Thursday, March 19 & Thursday, March 26 at 2:00pm. There will be no performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2pm.

Tickets range from $41 - $61 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-ARTS (2787). Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext. 229.
The box office is open Mondays - Sundays: 12p.m. to 5 p.m. (open until 7:30pm on performance days).

For more information on all shows and programming visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com. LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is located at 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

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