Felix and Oscar still at odds and still just as funny

Despite its age, the play's theme and its characters still manage to remain relevant in a world that has vastly changed since Simon first introduced audiences to anal-retentive Felix Unger and perpetual slob, Oscar Madison.

There's no question that those of us (and that was probably the overwhelming majority of the people in the audience last Thursday night) who've seen legendary actors Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau bring Unger and Madison to life on screen will inevitably compare performances.

It's almost impossible not to do so, since John Evans' performance as Oscar seems to borrow liberally from Matthau's over-the-top, crotchety, easily-irritable persona he made famous on the big screen. Rod Beattie as Felix on the other hand is eerily reminiscent of Tony Randall, who brought the character to life for the small screen.

The Odd Couple stands as a classic. Its funny, quick-tempoed, slightly self-deprecating banter is vintage Neil Simon. Sure, it's dated and there's no doubt that some of the dialogue no longer rings true almost half a century later, but none of that seemed to put a damper on the crowd's mood during opening night, who were visibly entertained through Diane Leblanc's fast-paced three scene-two intermission production.

The reason The Odd Couple still stands up after all these years is because, while our world has undeniably changed, the people who inhabit it, in many ways, haven't. Forty years later and guys are still getting divorced or separated, they still get together and play poker to temporarily get away from the women in their lives, divorced men and women still awkwardly step into the dating world all over again, and opposites can and still will be friends, setting the stage for hilarious zingers and the back and forth banter that makes for great comedy.

Rod Beattie and John Evans are a director's dream duo, playing off each other delightfully. Glen Bowser, Marcel Jeanin, Howard Rosenstein and Mike Patterson are solid as the four poker buddies, while Jennifer Morehouse, as one half of the Pigeon sisters, is absolutely hysterical in my books, despite what The Gazette's Pat Donnelly had to say.

"Simon's plays are nuanced; layered with levels of humanity that we all relate to," explains the Segal's artistic director, Bryna Wasserman. She's right. There's a little bit of timid and allergic-to-everything Felix and slovenly teenager Oscar in all of us, but watching starkly opposing personality traits duke it out on stage is what makes comedy come alive.

The Odd Couple runs until May 25 at the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre Segal Centre for Performing Arts at the Saidye (5170 Cote St. Catherine Rd.). For tickets and/or information, you can call 514-739-7944 or 514-790-1245 or log on to: www.segalcentre.org