'Odd Couple' in New Castle makes for amusing evening

Felix and Oscar had the near-sellout audience laughing heartily.
By GARRY L. CLARK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The inspired pairing of a state representative and an attorney made for extra laughs at Friday's opening performance of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" at the New Castle Playhouse's Annex Theatre.
Pa. state Rep. Frank LaGrotta played the role of Felix Unger, whose recent divorce has sent his life into a tailspin. His friend, Oscar Madison, played by Atty. Phillip Clark Jr., offers to share his apartment with him.
The unlikely friendship of the fastidious Felix and the slovenly Oscar dooms the twosome from the start to some hilarious antics as the two polar-opposite lifestyles resoundingly clash.
Oscar, of course, has already been divorced for a while and has allowed his New York apartment to become little more than a pigsty. But that doesn't stop some of his loyal friends from joining him each Friday for their weekly poker game.
All of the characters made more familiar by the television series are there: Murray, Speed, Roy, Vinnie and even the Pigeon sisters, Gwendolyn and Cecily.
Cast
LaGrotta was perfectly whiny as the neurotic Felix, who just can't understand what happened to his marriage, and his incessant cleaning, cooking and self-pitying were just right.
Clark was completely at home in his role as Oscar, imbuing him with such disgusting manners that it evoked nearly constant laughter from the full house. His mannerisms were perfectly suited to the character as he blustered about the stage, becoming increasingly irritated with his childhood buddy.
Supporting the two in well-balanced hilarious characterizations were Gary W. Watkins as Speed, Bill Gallagher as Murray, Gene Duda as Roy and John Newman as Vinnie. The four were perfectly cast and made for an excellent ensemble.
Not to be outdone were Lori Broderick and Pam McNeely as Gwendolyn and Cecily, respectively. The two were delightfully funny as they became more interested in Felix while Oscar desperately, and uselessly, tried to gain their attentions.
Director Peggy Hanna has done a splendid job with her cast, and the scenic design by Jack Hanna was superbly reminiscent of the TV show. Costumes by Peggy Hanna were also excellent and evoked the era of the 1970s in which the play was originally set.
This comedy has truly passed the test of time with flying colors, and NCP can be proud of its thoroughly enjoyable rendition.