Two Pianos Four Hands

For the piano performance of two players (four hands) on two pianos, see Piano duet.

Two Pianos Four Hands (1995) is a Canadian musical comedy play, written and originally performed by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt. Recent productions have used the title 2 Pianos, 4 Hands

The two-actor play's central characters are Ted and Richard, two boys who each dream of becoming a famous classical pianist. In the early scenes, each boy learns piano as a solo player, with the other actor taking on the role of the teacher or parent. In later scenes, as the two boys become older and begin competing in music festivals and auditioning for conservatories, they appear directly opposite each other as friends and competitors. In the end they cope with the realization that neither has the musical career they dreamed about.

Music in the show includes classical pieces by Bach and Beethoven, as well as jazz standards and rock numbers.

2 Pianos, 4 Hands has played on five continents, in over 150 cities, to over 2 million people since it opened at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in April 1996.

Awards

The play won a Dora Award for Outstanding Production in 1996 and a Chalmers Award (Canadian National Award) for Playwriting in 1997.

American Theatre Magazine ranked 2 Pianos as one of the ten most-produced plays in the United States in 2003.

The play won the award for Outstanding Touring Production by the Connecticut Theatre Critics Circle in 2006.

The play has been featured in many "Top 10 Productions of the Year" lists, including the New York Post (Clive Barnes, 1997).

External links

• 2 Pianos, 4 Hands
• Two Pianos Four Hands at the IOBDb: Promenade Theatre, Broadway and 76th Street, New York City; 231 performances (30 October 1997 – 10 May 1998).