One of my favorite Neil Simon plays of all time has got to be THE ODD COUPLE.  Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Most of us think of Jack Klugman and Tony Randall when we think the odd couple.  Some even remember Walter Mathau and Jack Lemmon.  If you were really into entertainment trivia, you would tell me that on the original broadway stage in the mid-1960’s it was Walter Matthau and Art Carney.  Yeah, Norton, as Felix Unger, can you imagine

I’ve seen this sketch done so many times in so many ways.  I loved the female version with the girls playing Trivial Pursuit, instead of poker.  Or the short lived tv series of the afro-american version with Demond Wilson, Lamont from Sanford and Son, as messy Oscar and Ron Glass, from Barney Miller, as anal retentive Felix.  But, my very favorite version of this play was when I saw Tim Conway as Felix and Tom Poston, George the maintenance man from Newhart, as Oscar.  I laughed so hard my spleen was in my lap.

What would you think of another twist on this classic play? Instead of Oscar being a sports columnist, he could be a sports mascot.  And, Felix being a CBS news reporter, instead of a photographer.  Ironically, the tv series had him taking photos, but the original play found Felix, get this, as a writer for the CBS news.  I’ve always wanted to perform this play, and portraying Oscar Madison would not be a big stretch for me.  I asked a fellow Jimmy Buffett fan and CBS anchor PATRICK SCHURR if he’d like to play Felix, and he is totally for it. Have you seen Patrick in action?  He’s the morning anchor for WTAJ TV 10 Altoona.  He’s a great Felix! He looks just like him, with his pretty tie and hair combed so neatly. 

I got the scripts, and Pat and I sat in our church hall and did a read through one Sunday afternoon and we totally ON.  Now, if it was just a play with the two of us, it would have been easy to pull off.  But there are 9 people in the full cast, and it was difficult trying to get everyone together that I handpicked to be in this play. We also ran into some copyright issues about changing the script.  And, we need a director.  Anybody out there to help us?

It was suggested to me to write my own play. Good idea, thanks mom! I’ve done that before and I am actually in the rough draft and blue print stages of my own play.  Erin Cooley is helping me piece it all together.  I’d still like to perform THE ODD COUPLE at our church to raise money for our little school there.

How many of you would come to see it?    I need a pep talk to get this show on the road.  Remember the show's teaser? CAN 2 DIVORCED MEN SHARE AN APARTMENT WITHOUT DRIVING EACH OTHER CRAZY?  What do you think of my new 21st century trailer? THE ODD COUPLE; ONE HAS AN O.C.D. AND THE OTHER HAS A.D.D ( and is a bad dresser and is a real lady's man )