‘The Odd Couple’ starring Walt Willey from ‘All My Children’ fame plays at Surflight

Oct. 2, 2009 - PRLog -- Plays: October 21 to November 1

Call Box office for tickets on: 609 492 9477    

Neil Simon's classic comedy The Odd Couple is one of Broadway's funniest. Felix has just broken up with his wife. With nowhere else to go, he is urged by his good friend, Oscar, to move in with him. Oscar is a disorganized, casual, incurable slob and Felix is an uptight, neat and neurotic control freak. Slowly but surely, the pair begin to drive each other crazy with their various idiosyncrasies, and things go from bad to worse when Oscar sets up a double-date with a pair of British sisters. Still,  in this hilarious tale of mismatched buddies they'll learn that love, trust, and friendship are more important than living in different worlds.


Walt Willey (Jackson Montgomery on ABC’s All My Children) played Felix in July in a community theatre he opened in his home town.  He looks forward to performing the opposite role of Oscar in this production directed by James Alexander Bond, also starring  David Edwards as Felix.

After numerous Off-Broadway productions, including "Dust Off" with Dan Lauria, and stints on NBC's Another World as "James La Russo", and "Joe Novak" on ABC's Ryan's Hope,
Walt Willey joined the cast of ABC's All My Children in 1987, originating the role of lawyer "Jackson Montgomery".  He was a People's Choice Award nominee in 1992, and was named All My Children's 'Most Valuable Player' by Soap Opera Update's Reader's Poll. He was again awarded this honor in 1993.  Willey regularly hosts charity fundraisers, and developed the 'Willey World Endowment Fund', benefiting children's charities.  Mr. Willey co-hosted Live! with Regis and Kelly alongside his former All My Children co-star Kelly Ripa, and the Daytime Emmy Awards with Susan Lucci.


James Alexander Bond, In New York he has directed The MerryWives ofWindsor (Pearl Theatre Company), Burning Habits episodes #2-7, Rockshow, Twelfth Night, Burn This, On the Verge, Savage in Limbo and over 150 short plays and original scripts, including several world premier musicals.


David Edwards, appeared as both Max Bialystock and Roger DeBris in the First National Tour of The Producers directed by Susan Stroman. Broadway credits include By Jeeves and The Rothschilds. Off-Broadway he was the final “El Gallo” in the record-breaking run of The Fantasticks, and recently starred in the critically acclaimed revival of Room Service.


The Odd Couple, in all its forms, is truly a popular culture phenomenon. Simon's wildly successful play ran from 1965 to 1967. In the summer of 1967, the play opened at the Ivoryton Playhouse starring the controversial radio and TV comedian Henry Morgan. In 1968, the play was made into a successful film starring Walter Matthau as unkempt sports writer Oscar Madison and Jack Lemmon as anal-retentive commercial photographer Felix Unger. Today, Felix and Oscar are known to millions from the 1970-75 ABC TV series based on the play which starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman and can still be seen in syndication.

Simon was inspired to write the play when he saw his brother Danny Simon and theatrical agent Roy Gerber living together after recent divorces. Danny, also a writer, took the first crack at the play, but later handed over the idea to Neil. The original Broadway show, won several Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Surflight Theatre  is the only professional theatre in Beach Haven, Ocean County, NJ.  Surflight has been producing ‘Broadway at the Beach’ since 1950.  Full scale productions of musicals and play run from April through December.  An impressive array of headliners take the stage in an extraordinary Concert Series. .Summer Children’s Theatre rounds out the season.




http://www.surflight.org   http://www.willeyworld.com

# # #

The only professional theatre in ocean County, Surflight has been producing "Broadway at the Beach" since 1950. Full scale productions of musicals and plays run from April through December.