'Odd Couple' kicks off Broadway Theater season

VISTA — Can two vastly different men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? That’s the question Neil Simon’s play answers in one of the funniest comedies of all time.

It has been almost 42 years since Simon made “The Odd Couple” a hit Broadway show, and the characters of Oscar (the slovenly, amiable sportswriter) and Felix (the fussy hypochondriac) part of popular culture. Based upon the real-life experience of Simon’s older brother Danny, the premise is simple: two men - “one divorced and one estranged and neither quite sure why their marriages fell apart” - move in together to save money for alimony. The joke is that the new roommates are as impossible with each other as they were with their spouses.

The Broadway Theater version stars Broadway Theater owners Randall Hickman as Oscar and Douglas Davis as Felix. The duo staged this production in the Avo Theater in 2000. “The show was a huge success, selling out every show during its two-week run,” states Hickman. “In fact, for several weeks after the show closed we were still taking calls about tickets, so [seven years later] we are bringing it back and ticket sales are once again through the roof. This play is a testament to Simon and his brilliant writing.”

“The Odd Couple” will have a six-week run in the Broadway Theater February 15 through March 25. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Due to high ticket sales, 12 of the 30 performances are already sold out. Calling (760) 806-7905 early for best seating is advised. Group rates are available for 10 or more people. On Saturday, March 10, the Broadway Theater will be serving cake during the 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. intermissions to commemorate the play’s 42nd birthday.

The Broadway Theater is located at 340 East Broadway in Vista (directly behind the Avo Playhouse).