The Odd Couple - Female Version At the Playhouse

Upper Canada Playhouse keeps the summer laughs roaring right into the fall with their upcoming "Odd Couple: Female Version" hitting the stage September 9th through October 3rd.

It’s an hilarious brand new take on popular comic writer Neil Simon’s legendary comedy that will treat Playhouse audiences to all the laughs of the original version, plus a heapful more! The Odd Couple was originally about the hilarious trials of two very different guys, Oscar and Felix (one, a neat freak and the other a slob) who try to share an apartment after their marriages break up. It was a smash stage show, a popular TV series and a blockbuster motion picture. Playwright Simon then came up with the idea of changing the play from a story about guys to one about women. The result is an hysterical play with a fresh, brand new perspective. In fact, it has all the hilarious wit and great story of the original, but with a whole new set of hysterical antics and one-liners, delivered by a fabulous cast of very funny women.

Playhouse director and actors agree - it’s almost a totally different play and a show that audiences are not going to want to miss. Gone are Oscar and Felix, and in their place are Olive and Florence. Gone are the supporting cast of poker players, replaced with a table full of rowdy ladies playing Trivial Pursuit. And the famous Pigeon Sisters from the original show have been changed to two hilarious Spanish brothers who barely speak a word of English.

Artistic Director Donnie Bowes has been looking forward to directing the show for three reasons. ‘It’s a classic comedy by one of the best in the business, it’s a totally new take on the show with some very funny new characters,’ says Bowes. ‘And it remains one of those shows with a great story. People like a good funny story. It’s probably one of the reasons the play has also been a TV show and a movie.’

Local Playhouse favourite Kate Veinotte plays the meticulous and neurotic Florence and Liz Gilroy, the messy and impatient Olive. Veinotte has been seen in the Playhouse hits The Affections of May and Bedtime Stories and Gilroy in The Christmas Express and Lend Me A Tenor. Coincidentally, they each played the role of Maggie in two separate productions of The Playhouse’s Maggie’s Getting Married. The Trivial Pursuit players are played by a terrific group of talented actresses. Linda Goranson, recently seen in There Goes The Bride, plays Vera; AnnaMarie Lea and Brenda Quesnel, who both appeared in the season opener, The Amorous Ambassador, play Sylvie and Renee respectively and new-comer Rose Napoli, who recently appeared at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, plays Mickey. The Spanish Costazuela Brothers are played by Brian Young, who also appeared in the recent hit There Goes The Bride and Victor Cornfoot who played the accident-prone Marine in The Amorous Ambassador. Bowes directs and John Thompson designs.

The Odd Couple: Female Version wraps up the Summer segment of the Playhouse Season and takes audiences into the Fall with the return of Rhinestone Cowgirl: A Tribute to Dolly Parton October 13th to 17th and then continues into the Winter with the popular Playhouse Holiday Family Show, A Christmas Carol November 25th to December 5th, with both Public and special School Performances scheduled.

Shows Tuesday through Saturday at 8PM, with additional 2PM matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Contact: 613-543-3713; toll free 1-877-550-3650 & www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com

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