NEW YORK—Playwright Neil Simon, a master of comedy whose laugh-filled hits such as “The Odd Couple,” ‘’Barefoot in the Park” and his “Brighton Beach” trilogy dominated Broadway for decades, has died. In 1983, he had a Broadway theatre named after him when the Alvin was rechristened the Neil Simon Theatre. In a 1997 interview with The Washington Post, Simon reflected on his success: “I know that I have reached the pinnacle of rewards. It was to have run in repertory with Simon’s “Broadway Bound,” which was also cancelled. Simon was born Marvin Neil Simon in New York and was raised in the Bronx and Washington Heights.

Source: thestar August 26, 2018 16:18 UTC