March 10 marks the 55th anniversary of the Broadway debut of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, which opened at the Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) in 1955. The production, directed by Mike Nichols, starred Walter Matthau and Art Carney as its titular pair.
In the play, two suddenly single pals — a sloppy sportswriter and a fastidious news writer — strain their friendship by turning roommates and unconsciously repeating the same mistakes they made in the marriages they just left.
After earning Tony Awards for Matthau (Best Actor, Play), Simon (Best Author, Play), Nichols (Best Direction of a Play), and scenic designer Oliver Smith, as well as a nomination for Best Play, The Odd Couple went on to inspire a 1968 film, a television series which ran from 1970 to 1975, a gender-swapped adaptation by Simon himself, and three Broadway revivals.
