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The Classics

The Odd Couple(1965) Best.

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The Sunshine Boys(1972) Pure affection for the rhythm of Yiddish-inflected English.

Lost in Yonkers(1991) Won him a Pulitzer finally.

And has real, substantial female characters, a Simon rarity.

Pretty Damn Good

Little Me(1962) One actor, eight characters.

A showcase for the right star, hopeless otherwise.

Barefoot in the Park(1963) Dated but fun.

take a stab at find the 1982 TV film version with Richard Thomas and Bess Armstrong.

Sweet Charity(1966) Simons book is the weak link; the scores super.

Plaza Suite/ California Suite/ London Suite(1968/1976/1995) Uneven but interesting tales of midcentury marriage.

Promises, Promises(1968) Smash musical based onThe Apartment .

Chapter Two(1977) Autobiographical play about life after a spouse dies.

Last of the Red Hot Lovers(1969) Beloved back then, but didnt age well.

The Gingerbread Lady(1970) Simon called it faulty but also one of his favorites.

Prisoner of Second Avenue(1971) Draggy period piece about an executive driven to a breakdown.

The Good Doctor(1973) Simon cribs from Chekhov.

Theyre Playing Our Song(1979) Cute-to-a-fault musical.

I Ought to Be in Pictures(1979) Too sentimental by half.

Proposals(1997) Props for introducing a major black character.

45 Seconds From Broadway(2001) Sincere but paper-thin, said Ben Brantley.

Roses Dilemma(2003) After casting turmoil, it closed in six weeks.

Best Off Forgotten

The Star-Spangled Girl(1966) Didnt work, then or now.

Gods Favorite(1974) Based on the book of Job; Simon admits it was a clunker.

Fools(1981) Closed after four weeks.

Jakes Women(1992) Alotof onstage therapy.

The Goodbye Girl(1993) Musical adapted from the charmingly winning 1977 film.

Generally held to be a debacle.

The Dinner Party(2000) Experimental Simon still has a lot of glib jokes.

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