North Coast Rep Presents 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, 1/15-2/6

2 Pianos 4 Hands is the riotous tale of two boys in Canada, Ted and Richard, sharing the same goal: concert pianist stardom. They work fervently towards their dream amidst pushy parents, eccentric teachers, hours of repetitive practice, stage fright, the agony of competitions and the dream of greatness.

Two actors, two pianos and many, many characters grace the stage as fifteen years of learning the art of piano playing unfolds.  From classical to pops to jazz, the play provides the chance for two performers to give their all in a 120-minute virtuoso performance.   Along the journey the actors/pianists portray a dazzling range of characters embellished with a show of piano wizardry featuring the music of Bach, Beethoven and Jerry Lee Lewis.

As they mature, Ted and Richard become more aware of the gap between the very good and the great, and come to the humbling realization that greatness may be out of reach.  And there lies the universal plight of all those with an ounce of training and talent and the will to "be" a professional musician, or athlete, or actor, or dancer.

2 Pianos, 4 Hands captures the humor that comes with learning to play the piano, and the sense of loss of eventually learning to let go of the dream.
 
2 Pianos 4 Hands was originally produced in April 1996 by Tarragon Theatre (Toronto, Canada), in association with Talking Fingers Inc.,
and Produced Off-Broadway, in London and throughout North America by
Mirvish Productions, Toronto.
 
2 Pianos 4 Handsis produced by permission of Marquis Entertainment Inc.

In 1994, Ted and Richard formed Talking Fingers, and under this company name first workshopped

2 Pianos 4 Hands at the Tarragon Theatre, with generous support from the Ontario Arts Council. Tarragon Theatre subsequently programmed the show as part of its 1995-1996 season, where it garnered rave reviews, played a sold-out run, received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production (Toronto's theatre awards) and the prestigious Chalmers Award (Canada's top playwriting award). Tarragon Theatre then toured the production nationally from May 1996 to September 1997.

In the fall of 1997, 2 Pianos 4 Hands was presented Off Broadway at The Promenade Theatre by a team of producers: David and Ed Mirvish, Ben Sprecher and William P. Miller.  The production was widely acclaimed, and ran for six months before transferring to the Kennedy Centre in Washington (both productions featured Dykstra and Greenblatt). 2 Pianos 4 Hands has since played to sold-out houses at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto and at the Comedy Theatre in the West End of London.

In the fall of 2003, Ted and Richard reunited to perform in the greatly anticipated Toronto revival at the majestic Elgin Theatre, again playing to sold-out houses and spectacular reviews. And in the spring of 2004, Ted and Richard toured to Tokyo, Japan where they played for three weeks at prestigious Le Theatre Ginza, presented by Japan's largest theatre company, Shochiku.

In 2006, Marquis Entertainment's production of 2 Pianos 4 Hands, featuring Richard Carsey and Tom Frey, was awarded the 2006 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Touring Production (winning over Broadway touring productions of The Lion King and Wicked).

Since its humble Toronto premiere, 2 Pianos 4 Hands has had 5000+ performances at more 150 different theatres throughout North America, Europe, Asia (Japan and Hong Kong), Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa playing to more than 2 million people worldwide.

For more information about 2 Pianos 4 Hands, please visit the official website:    www.2pianos4hands.com

 

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