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 humour that comes with learning to play the piano, and the sense of loss of eventually learning to let go of the dream.

Please visit the official website at www.2pianos4hands.com

October 29, 2011 - December 4, 2011:Mirvish Productions at Panasonic Theatre 651 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z9 Canada Box Office: (416) 872-1212 or (800) 461-3333

January 10, 2012 - January 28, 2012:National Arts Centre English Theatre 53 Elgin Street at Confederation Square, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1 Canada Box Office: (888) 991-2787

June 1, 2012 - July 1, 2012:Portland Stage, Portland Performing Arts Center 25A Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101 USA Box Office: (207) 774-0465

In 1994, Ted and Richard formed Talking Fingers, and under this company name first workshopped 2 Pianos 4 Hands at the Tarragon, 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 and the prestigious Chalmers 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 6 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 2 Pianos 4 Hands ran for one month at Le Theatre Ginza, presented by one of Japan's largest theatre companies, Shochiku Co. Ltd..

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

Since its humble Toronto premiere, 2 Pianos 4 Hands has had 4000+ performances at more than 150 different theatres throughout Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Austria, New Zealand, Continental Europe and South Africa, playing to more than 2 million people worldwide.

For information regarding Licensing and/or Production availability for 2 Pianos 4 Hands please use our contact page.

"A shining '2 Pianos 4 Hands' is about the rigors of mastering the instrument, but it's for anyone with a dream." - The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, USA)

"Anyone who has ever taken a piano lesson, or, much more significant, ever simply encountered some kind of career or life disappointment and moved on, can identify with their story, chuckle and have a great time.  The show delights on two levels - you might empathize on both or merely on one. It doesn't matter. It should hit you on the ironic funny bone of self-identification." - The New York Post (New York, USA)

"Not a sour note.  Not a lost chord.  Not a misplaced phrase." - The Toronto Star (Toronto, Canada)

"2 Pianos 4 Hands is staged with wit and a pleasing clarity...A damn fine way to treat two Steinways." - The Independent (London, UK)

"While many of the pieces are played seriously, the show is anything but; take-offs, pastiches and routines in the style of Liberace and Borge abound, as do hilarious one-liners. After all, this is primarily a piece of theatre, and what it offers is a razor-sharp insight into the world of training and competition." - Variety (New York, USA)

"This joyful, playful and invigorating piece is precisely what our summer audiences love -- great music, great performances. It draws in audiences from all walks of life; from people of 8 to 84.  It was such a crowd-pleaser last year, that we were thrilled to welcome it back to Hartford Stage this summer." - Michael Wilson (on Marquis Entertainment's production of 2 Pianos 4 Hands), Artistic Director, Hartford Stage (Hartford, CT, USA)

"It's hard to believe that anyone involved in theatre hasn't already heard of 2 Pianos 4 Hands, as it's already been a hit from coast to coast.  Like our peers, we had great success with this show, from the professionalism and thoroughness of Marquis Entertainment to the tour-de-force performances, enthusiastic audiences and strong box office.  It's a must for any community that hasn't already experienced it." - Richard Stein (on Marquis Entertainment's production 2 Pianos 4 Hands), Executive Director (up to 2007), Laguna Playhouse (Laguna Beach, CA, USA)

"Be glad Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt suffered tormented childhoods. Be thankful, in fact. Because if they hadn't, odds are 2 Pianos 4 Hands their hilarious show that just opened at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater, might never have happened." - The Washington Post (Washington DC, USA)

"Their show is more than a routine, it's a dramatic gem.  2 Pianos 4 Hands is funny, clever, insightful and touching, full of music, humour, story and character." - The Globe and Mail (Toronto/National, Canada)

"Vigorous and amusing, the show [2 Pianos 4 Hands] has been performed around the world, in dozens upon dozens of cities, but it's been surprisingly little-seen in the Los Angeles area. How gratifying, then, to see it programmed into the Laguna Playhouse season, in a ready-made Marquis Entertainment production that gleams like the polish on a grand piano." - The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, USA)

"2 Pianos 4 Hands is a splendid example of how elegance and radiant energy combine with unobtrusive technique to create rewarding entertainment... a night to savour." - The Sidney Morning Herald (Sidney, Australia)

"Wonderful beyond words.  I can write anything, but it will never express what they do on stage.  I just wish and pray that everyone will be able to get a ticket." - The Mainichi Newspaper (Tokyo, Japan)

"The ideas of this mature play resonate long after the curtain closes." - The Daily Yomuiri (Tokyo, Japan)

"2 Pianos 4 Hands is anything but a dull piano recital - this classical blast from the past is a hoot!" - The Citizen (Johannesburg, South Africa)