“Buenas Tardes, Boys!” says newly divorced Olive (played by Joy Roberts), as she practises her smooth moves on her Spanish neighbours, Manolo (Trevor Kozak) and Jesus (Tim Hawryluk), in Opening Nite Theatre’s up-coming production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Female Version).
The play opens with slovenly Olive Madison hosting her weekly Trivial Pursuit game in her sweltering New York apartment.
Joining her are high-school buddies Mickey the cop (Tracey Anderton), Up-Town Girl Renee (Mahara Sinclaire), the overly-helpful Vera (Shannon Pedder) and wise-cracking Sylvie (Iris Schaloske).
Missing is their obsessive friend Florence Unger (Camille Knight), who shows up with her marriage ended and contemplating a one-way walk into the East River.
Olive feels sorry for Florence and asks her to move in for a while, just until she gets herself sorted.
Complete opposites, the two roommates soon butt heads with predictable, but hilarious results. Tensions heat up further when the frustrated Olive arranges a dinner date with two local Spaniards.
The Odd Couple by Neil Simon runs April 27 through May 13 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Opening Nite Theatre 33223 N. Railway Ave. across from the West Coast Express Station.
Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at Murdoch’s Book Shoppe, 33078 First Ave., or at the theatre (7:15 p.m. before Friday and Saturday show nights and 1:15 p.m. before Sunday matinees).
