The two actors who have taken on Oscar Madison in the past year for the Arts Club Theatre's The Odd Couple have given the audience plenty of nuances of the character, director John Murphy says.
While Andrew McNee's version of the sports writer last year offered a more gentle portrayal, Mike Wasko's Oscar for the touring production - which hits Coquitlam later this month - shows more connection to his rage.
"They're both great in different ways," Murphy said of McNee and Wasko. "What's nice in this production and what Mike brings out is the darker moments of the show. Andrew just wasn't that kind of actor so it's bringing some tonal variations."
Wasko is no stranger to the role. While the Arts Club was mounting the famous Neil Simon play last year at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Wasko was playing Oscar Madison for Main Street Theatre at the same time.
Still, the rest of the Arts Club cast is the same for the tour - with Robert Moloney playing the neat-freak Felix Unger - which launched last Friday at Capilano University.
Seeing the other actors adjust to Wasko's rhythms has been interesting, Murphy said.
Other than Wasko, the touring production is "pretty much what people saw in Vancouver" last year, he said, though the sets had to change slightly for the narrower stages in Burnaby and Coquitlam.
And Coquitlam has the second longest run of the tour, happening Jan. 27 to 31 at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (an extra performance was added for Friday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m.).
Murphy said he's tried to keep his production as a 1960s "period piece" and, while not modern, it stays true to the timeless themes of friendship and lost love.
Tickets for The Odd Couple at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) are $39/$30/$15 and available at 604-927-6555 or visiting evergreenculturalcentre.ca. A pre-show chat will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 7:15 p.m. while a Talk Back is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29.
