BWW Reviews: THE ODD COUPLE at Nashville Dinner Theatre

If Neil Simon were creating The Odd Couple in the 21^st century, I suspect he'd write Oscar and Felix as gay men just coming out of the closet and make a lot of references about online dating, Twitter and Facebook, and the weekly poker game that is featured prominently during the onstage action would be - well, probably, it would still be a poker game (and to ensure that his characters sound hip, he would, of course, make some odd Sex and the City references, rendering it ridiculously un-hip).

That updated script might not be any funnier than the original Odd Couple, but it would probably sound and look less dated than the 1965 comedy does now in a misguided revival at Nashville Dinner Theatre. Directed by the company's co-artistic directors Kaine Riggan and Joyce Dewitt, the comedy is staged as a period piece set in the 1970s (a lot of attention is paid to music, clothes and the choice of colors used onstage), but instead of capturing a sense of the cultural zeitgeist with the production, it seems rather threadbare and down-at-heels - as if some TV reality series has happened upon a family whose apartment hasn't been touched since the mid-'70s and, well, it's not very funny.

Despite Patrick Kramer's best efforts - he makes a fine Felix Unger - and some rather engaging moments during his scenes with the actresses playing the Pigeon Sisters, he just can't save The Odd Couple from the weight of its other leading man's disappointingly unfocused and dull performance. Sitcom stalwArt Richard Moll (he played "Bull" on NBC's Night Court back in the day) mugs and scowls, stumbling through Simon's script with a series of funny voices, but never quite creating a believable Oscar Madison. And that's unfortunate since the audience really wants to embrace his performance and love him for it.

Luckily, for audiences, Kramer makes the most of his time onstage, delivering a Felix who lives up to one's expectations for the character, infusing him with a lot of energy and refusing to settle for the easy way out. More often than not, Kramer goes for the unexpected, and that gives the audience something to gleefully anticipate. The scene during which Felix pours out his heart to the Pigeon sisters - the two Brits from upstairs who Oscar hopes to get busy with (I may have thrown up a little bit in the back of my throat conjuring up that image) - is by far the best of the whole night and Kramer's charming interchanges with Jaime Dudney (as Gwendolyn) and Sandra DeNise Baxter (Cecily) makes for jolly good fun. Dudney and Baxter are colorfully costumed with a certain tongue-in-cheek Carnaby Street flair, which looks more late '60s than early '70s (but who's to quibble?), and both actresses clearly have fun with their offbeat pairing, making the most of their time onstage. Oscar and Felix's poker buddies are competently, if uncompellingly, played by Dennis Moser, Jonathan Hayes, Alex Lee and Vance Nichols.

While the overall visual design of the production mirrors Riggan and DeWitt's attention to detail (Vance Nichols and Jody Ray Johnson are credited as scenic designer and artist, respectively, and the set they produce is really terrific), there are some startling misfires on the properties side that are disconcerting; for example, Oscar reads The Tennessean during one scene. Someone really should get the man a New York Times, for goodness' sake. And some of the show's timing issues, dropped lines, missed cues, oddly chosen props, etc., could very well be ascribed to the somewhat abbreviated rehearsal period and the wacky winter weather Nashville has experienced this year, but no one ever wants the audience making excuses for what they've seen onstage.

After the enormous success of the company's debut production of A Scattered, Smothered and Covered Christmas (which featured DeWitt in a delightful turn as its star), Nashville Dinner Theatre has already shown much promise - and with the shows coming down the pike as the 2011 season continues, there's little doubt that the company will regain its footing.

- The Odd Couple. Written by Neil Simon. Directed by Kaine Riggan and Joyce Dewitt. Presented by Nashville Dinner Theatre, on Printer's Alley in downtown Nashville. Through March 5. For reservations, call (615) 889-4000. For further information about the company, visit the website at www.nashvilledinnertheatre.com.

Pictured: Richard Moll, Jaime Dudney and Sandra DeNise Baxter

To post a comment, you must register and login.