By Jeanette Knight
The Indio Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the return of Palm Desert Stage Company to open their season. Neil Simon’s classic comedy, “The Odd Couple,” will run November 14-23 for six performances only on Fridays and Saturdays at 7PM, and Sundays at 2PM.
IPAC Artistic Coordinator Jeanette Knight is directing a stellar cast consisting of local favorites Lou Galvan as Oscar, Matthew Shaker as Felix, Ron Young as Murray, Alan Berry as Speed, Peter Mins as Roy, Charles William Gaines as Vinnie, Debbie Apple as Cecily, and 2014 recipient of the Desert Theatre League’s Joan Woodbury Mitchell award, Colleen Kelly as Gwendolyn.
The Tony Award-winning comedy classic revolves around the famously mismatched roommates Oscar and Felix. When recently failed marriages force slovenly Oscar to share an apartment with fastidious Felix, the pair must determine whether their differences are irreconcilable. The New York Daily News described the script as “fresh, richly hilarious and remarkably original–wildly, irresistibly, incredibly and continuously funny.”
According to Knight, the Palm Desert Stage Company’s production lives up to this description, thanks to the talented cast, who deftly handles Simon’s witty dialogue.
“The Odd Couple” premiered on Broadway in 1965 with Walter Matthau as Oscar and Art Carney as Felix. The characters were revived in a highly successful 1968 film starring Matthau and Jack Lemmon, and a long-running 1970’s television series featuring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick played Oscar and Felix, respectively, in a 2005 Broadway revival. Simon even penned a female version of the play, which played over 300 performances on Broadway in 1985-1986.
“Whether audiences know the story or not, they can be assured of a fun time watching the story unfold. The universal foibles of human relationships will be recognized by everyone,” says Knight.
Tickets, which range from $17 for students to $28 for general admission, are available now at pdstage.com or by calling (760) 636.9682. The Indio Performing Arts Center is located at 45-175 Fargo Street in downtown Indio.
