A Perfectly Matched Mismatch: Legacy Theatre’s "The Odd Couple"

Few shows have had me laughing out loud from beginning to end, but Legacy Theatre’s production of The Odd Couple did just that. Directed by Eric Santagata, the production makes clever use of the theater’s confined space, utilizing multiple areas of the stage to maintain focus and visual interest. The intimate venue, combined with the cozy set and lighting design (Jamie Burnett),  creates the feeling of sitting in a friend’s living room for an evening of laughter. Even the proscenium framing of Legacy Theatre's stage gives the production the feel of a classic sitcom, making the audience feel like we have been invited into Oscar and Felix’s world. I had forgotten just how much fun it is to watch great comedic timing, and this cast delivers it in abundance.

Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple follows recently divorced sportswriter Oscar Madison (Ben Pitts), whose messy, carefree lifestyle is disrupted when his recently separated friend Felix Unger (Eric Bloomquist) moves into his apartment. The central conflict stems from their opposing personalities: Oscar is relaxed, messy, and spontaneous, while Felix is meticulous, anxious, and obsessed with cleanliness and order. As their incompatible lifestyles collide, their friendship is tested through a series of comic arguments and misunderstandings, revealing the companionship and support that exist beneath their differences.

Pitts, making his Legacy Theatre debut as Oscar, brings a witty, laid-back energy to the role, perfectly complemented by Bloomquist’s precise and measured Felix. A member of Actors’ Equity and a two-time New England Emmy Award winner, Bloomquist is a returning Legacy Theatre favorite with additional credits at regional stages such as Hartford Stage, Ivoryton Playhouse, and Playhouse on Park, among others. He also works in film and television and has voiced more than 100 audiobooks. His Felix possesses a quiet strength and meticulous physicality. Every movement feels intentional, and Bloomquist transforms both vocally and physically to fully inhabit Felix’s neurotic nature. His performance is a study in comedic restraint, making the character’s increasingly unraveling composure all the more entertaining to watch.

The supporting cast adds both comic energy and a sense of community to the production. Neil Fuentes makes his Legacy Theatre debut as Murray, the no-nonsense police officer whose commanding presence brings order when the apartment’s antics get out of hand. Fuentes is co-owner of the New Haven Academy of the Performing Arts and Artistic Director of Broadway on Main Theatre Company, making his appearance at Legacy especially welcome at a time when collaboration and support among Connecticut’s theater community matter most. With a background in film, television, and broadcasting, Fuentes brings confidence and warmth to Murray and makes a memorable impression.

The poker-playing ensemble—Stephen Depasque (Speed), Max Evans (Roy), and Dominic Paolillo (Vinnie) —all make their Legacy Theatre debuts in this production as well. Together,  they create the believable camaraderie of longtime friends who have gathered around the same poker table every Friday night. Their chemistry is palpable. Depasque’s Speed is perpetually in motion, Evans’ Roy seems perpetually ready to complain, and Paolillo’s Vinnie watches the escalating chaos with the same disbelief shared by the audience.

And then there are the Pigeon sisters, Gwendolyn (Desi Amato) and Cecily (Penny Amara), who arrive with their own particular brand of exuberance. Their costumes, designed by Jimmy Johansmeyer, match their larger-than-life personalities without tipping into caricature. However, it comes as no surprise that Johansmeyer’s attention to detail is especially evident in the men’s wardrobe, with every suit tailored beautifully to its actor and every pant hem precisely considered. The result is a production that looks as carefully constructed as it feels.  However, there was a playing card left on the floor under the table from an earlier scene that was left on stage and did detract somewhat from the action on stage, because I was not sure if it was intentionally left there to be discovered as a part of the plot or not.  Near the end of the play, Evans (Roy) did pick it up as he sat at the poker table,  and returned it to the card deck, ending the mystery for me.

However, overall,  The Odd Couple succeeds because it understands what makes comedy work: strong character contrasts, impeccable timing, physicality, and an ensemble willing to fully commit to the ridiculousness unfolding before us. Legacy Theatre’s intimate setting only heightens that experience, making the laughter feel communal. It is the kind of evening that reminds us how much joy there is in simply sitting in a theater, watching talented actors make us laugh.

The Odd Couple runs at Legacy Theatre from September 10th to October 4th. There are three acts with a 15-minute intermission between Act II, Scenes 1 and 2.  Tickets can be purchased at https://www.legacytheatrect.org