Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Special Event

“The Odd Couple”
by Neil Simon
A staged reading starring

Martin Short Jason Alexander

Two Performances Only!
Friday, January 25 and Saturday, January 26
Wadsworth Theatre

Martin Short and Jason Alexander will star in a staged reading of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” for two performances only, January 25 and 26, at the Wadsworth Theatre. Short and Alexander are reunited for the first time since they appeared in the Los Angeles production of the hit musical “The Producers” and their appearance in what is perhaps Broadway’s best known comedy, marks one of the few times that two well known stars have appeared on a Los Angeles stage in the show.

Short and Alexander both have great experience playing Neil Simon - Short starred the Broadway musical of "The Goodbye Girl" and the Roundabout Theatre revival of "Little Me" while Alexander appeared on Broadway in Simon's "Broadway Bound," and in the very first Reprise! show "Promises, Promises."

“The Odd Couple” is a special event of the 2007-2008 season from Reprise! Broadway’s Best, which is headed by Mr. Alexander who is its artistic director.

“The Odd Couple” originally opened on March 10, 1965. While that season began with “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Odd Couple” seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to other plays of the time. Otis Guernsey in Best Plays wrote, “…. there are no dark, twisting emotional meanings … in a season of sick jokes and sick problem plays, ‘The Odd Couple’ brought a rosy flush of laughter to Broadway … [the play is] about the male animal torn between his urge for freedom and his need for domestic conformity.” This is the show that introduced the very neat and tidy news writer Felix Ungar, who thrown out by his wife, has become roommates with his poker buddy, the very slovenly, messy and also divorced sports writer Oscar Madison.

It was always thought that Neil Simon, who had previously scored a Broadway triumph the season before with “Barefoot in the Park,” took his inspiration from his comedy-writer brother Danny Simon, who became roommates with theatrical agent Roy Gerber after recent divorces.

James Robert Parish in his Mel Brooks biography “It’s Good to Be the King” noted that Simon also could have also observed at close range the three months that writer Speed Vogel lived as roommates with Mel Brooks, who was separated from his first wife. Later of course Simon took his brother Danny and his own family as the inspiration for “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Broadway Bound.”

During its original Broadway run of 966 performances, “The Odd Couple” won the Tony Awards for Best Play (1965), Best Director Mike Nichols and Best Actor Walter Matthau, who playing opposite Art Carney, fully established his career as a major American actor. The very successful film was made with Matthau repeating his stage triumph opposite Jack Lemmon, followed by an even more successful television series with Jack Klugman, who had originally replaced Matthau on Broadway, and Tony Randall. Immediately following the last season of the primetime series, two animated dogs – Spiffy, voiced by Frank Nelson and Fleabag, voiced by Paul Winchell -- were “The Oddball Couple,” seen on Saturday mornings for two years. Later a second TV series that paired Ron Glass and Desmond Wilson ran for 13 episodes.

In the mid-eighties and two seasons ago “The Odd Couple” went back to Broadway - first with Sally Struthers and Rita Moreno in the leads, and more recently with Nathan Lane and his “The Producers” co-star Matthew Broderick for eight completely sold out months.

The next to the last opening of the 1964-1965 season was “Flora, the Red Menace,” producer-director Harold Prince’s third Broadway musical of the season (he also produced “Fiddler on the Roof” and directed “Baker Street,” a short lived musical about Sherlock Holmes). “Flora” is the final attraction of the 2007-2007 Reprise! Broadway’s Best season May 6 to 18 (press opening May 7), which also includes “Li’l Abner” February 5 to 17, 2008 (press opening February 5).

“The Odd Couple” will have two readings Friday, January 25 at 8 pm and Saturday, January 26 at 8 pm at the Wadsworth Theatre, 11301 Wilshire Blvd. on the Veterans Administration Grounds. Prices are $40 to $95; premium seats are also available. Tickets may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878, or by visiting a Ticketmaster outlets, and at the Wadsworth Box Office, Located on Wilshire Blvd, just west of the 405 freeway on the Veterans Administration grounds in West L.A.

About The Cast

Martin Short, born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is a veteran of theatre in Canada and on Broadway. Short appeared in the Broadway productions of Neil Simon and Cy Coleman’s Little Me (Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl (Tony Award nomination, Theater World Award, Outer Critics Circle

Award), in the Encores! Series in Neil Simon’s Promises, Promises and in Fame Becomes Me. In Los Angeles, he appeared in Lawrence Kasdan’s production of John Patrick Shanley’s Four Dogs and a Bone and Mel Brooks’ The Producers. Short began his theatrical career in the Toronto production of Godspell.

In 1982, he joined the “SCTV Comedy Network” where his work garnered an Emmy Award. Short's ability as a comedic chameleon brought him to "Saturday Night Live,” where his standout performances included Ed Grimley, Jackie Rogers Jr., legendary songwriter Irving Cohen and lawyer Nathan Thurm. He co-wrote, produced and starred in three highly acclaimed television comedy specials: "Martin Short's Concert for the North Americas" (Ace Award); "I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood" (Ace Award); and "The Show Formerly Known As The Martin Short Show” (Emmy Award). He co-starred in the miniseries “Merlin” (Emmy nomination) and “Alice in Wonderland” as the Mad Hatter. In the fall of 1999 he hosted the daily “The Martin Short Show” (nine Emmy nominations). From 2001-2003, Short co-wrote, produced and starred as star-interviewer extraordinaire Jiminy Glick in “Primetime Glick” (Emmy nomination).

Short made the jump to the big screen in 1986 with Three Amigos and Innerspace. Among his other films are Three Fugitives, The Big Picture, Clifford, Father of the Bride (1 & 2), Mars Attacks and Jiminy Glick in La La Wood. In 1994, Short was awarded Canada’s highest civilian honor, The Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian culture and was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame in June 2000. Mr. Short worships and adores his wife Nancy and their children Katherine, Oliver and Henry.

Jason Alexander is probably best known for his 9 year, award–winning stint as George Costanza on the hit TV series, “Seinfeld”. However, those who know him only as George will be surprised to learn of his extensive background as an actor, director, producer and writer. Besides “Seinfeld” his television credits include: Bob Patterson (prod./co-creator); Listen Up (prod.); the TV films of Bye Bye Birdie, The Man Who Saved Christmas, Cinderella, and A Christmas Carol; guest appearances on “Newhart,” “Friends,” “Monk,” “Star Trek-Voyager,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and multiple episodes of the animated series “Duckman,” “Aladdin,” “Dilbert” and “Dinosaurs.”

His film credits include: Pretty Woman; White Palace; North; Dunston Checks In; Love, Valor, Compassion; Rocky and Bullwinkle and Ira and Abby. Jason has starred on Broadway in the original companies of Merrily We Roll Along; The Rink; Broadway Bound; Accomplice; and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway for which he won the Tony, Outer Critics, and Drama Desk Awards as Best Actor in a Musical. He also authored the libretto of the show which received the Tony Award for Best Musical.

On the L.A. stage, Jason has starred in Give ‘Em Hell; Harry; Defiled; the long-running hit of The Producers with Martin Short and the very first Reprise! production, Promises, Promises. Jason has directed in every medium: Television (“Seinfeld,” “Remember WENN,” “Campus Ladies,” “Everybody Hates Chris”); Film (For Better or Worse and Just Looking) and Stage (The God of Hell at the Geffen; Sunday In the Park With George at Reprise! and countless benefits). Jason produced the films, Agent Cody Banks and its sequel as well as the TV special “Ultimate Trek.” Recently, Jason took over the role of Artistic Director of Reprise! He has also authored the children’s book, Dad, Are You the Tooth Fairy? He has won the title of Parlour Magician of the Year at the prestigious Magic Castle and he is a noted player in the celebrity poker circuit. Jason resides in L.A. with his wife Daena and their children, Gabriel and Noah.

For further information on Reprise! Broadway’s Best, please visit www.reprise.org

Tickets go on sale November 26 and may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878, or by visiting a Ticketmaster outlets, and at the Wadsworth Box Office, Located on Wilshire Blvd, just west of the 405 freeway on the Veterans Administration grounds in West L.A. For more information visit reprise.org.