Review: A brilliant pair of performances shine in Teatro's The Odd Couple
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It's both the final Teatro Live! production of the year, and the smash Broadway hit turned 1968 Hollywood classic starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Thankfully, the new show navigates around the dated jokes, steers clear of cliches and comes through with a fresh and hilarious look at the lives of a pair of divorcees.
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The setting is New York in 1965, a time when a pair of grown men living together would have been seen as odd. Oscar, living on his own while his ex-wife has decamped to California with their children, hosts the Friday night poker game in his empty eight-bedroom apartment.
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Felix is late, uncharacteristic for their normally punctual and uptight friend. It turns out he has separated from his wife of 12 years, and after consoling him and calming him down, Oscar agrees to give him a place to stay.
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It doesn't take long for the friction between the neat and tidy Felix to grate against the carefree and slovenly Oscar. Felix is constantly cleaning, picking up, tidying and generally making a nuisance of himself. Oscar doesn't care about the little details, about bills, about alimony payments to his wife, about how dinner is made. 'Spoon? You ignoramus, it's a ladle!' Felix shouts at him after a disagreement about dinner and cooking utensils.
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Alexander Ariate has incredible stage presence as Felix Unger, a thousand-watt smile lighting up the stage when he's happy and his frustration bursting out when things go south. He takes on a slight accent for the role, mild enough that it remains charming throughout. Think Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.
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Andrew MacDonald-Smith plays his opposite, the ever tidy and uptight Felix Unger. He puts on a veritable clinic of slapstick comedy, nailing comedic timings and able to pull a laugh with just an expression.
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The entire cast is great, from Kristin Johnston and Jenny McKillop as the sultry Pigeon sisters to the great group of supporting poker buddies of Mat Busby, Oscar Derkx, Bernardo Pacheco and Garrett Ross. But Ariate and MacDonald-Smith have done such an incredible job with their roles that they challenge even the greats of Lemmon and Matthau. I'd love to see this pair remake Grumpy Old Men.
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Review: A brilliant pair of performances shine in Teatro's The Odd Couple
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SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. 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So 'CODA' really elevated that conversation about how much we wanted to be part of the industry. But for some reason it didn't really break open the door as wide as I would have thought. Yet we just don't give up. We are persistent. Because it is what it is. We are working on our own levels to make changes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. STERN: Marlee said something really brave when we were at Sundance. She said, 'It won't last.' The moment, yes, in the moment. But I don't know if we have movement. MATLIN: There's so many stories that we can tell, so many stories that you can put up on screen, so many stories that we can put on stage. I'd like to see action because I've been hearing that, 'Yes, we have to do this' or 'I will do this,' but it's been 40 years. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. I just want to make sure that we put our money where our mouth is. I go back to that comment about Rex Reed. I wonder if he would ever see this film. I'd love to see if he has the balls to make a comment and say, 'Oh look, I realize I might have said something wrong.' That's just one example of the things I'd like to see happen. And maybe the people who interviewed me over the years. I don't want you to misunderstand me, I have a great deal of respect for them. But specifically, I am calling out Rex Reed. So, you know, sorry but not sorry. (Reed did not immediately return a request for comment.)
