By Jason and Alisha Hagey
Two performers. Two gleaming grand pianos. And an unforgettable cascade of music, laughter, and heart. Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of 2 Pianos 4 Hands (2P4H) is a dazzling theatrical experience where the stage becomes a playground of possibility; actors slip effortlessly between roles, embodying stern piano teachers, proud parents, and exacting competition judges, all while dazzling at the keys.
From the timeless beauty of Bach and Beethoven to the electrifying rhythms of Billy Joel and pop hits that make you want to hum along, the score is a colorful mosaic of sound. There are no recordings or tricks – just the virtuosity and comic genius of two extraordinary actor-musicians sharing their real-life skills. Every note is played live.
Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt (Playwrights) have crafted a work that is both exceptional and deeply personal, drawing inspiration from their own lives – hence the characters who share their names, Ted and Richard. What unfolds on stage is more than performance; it is a living, breathing story whose rhythm flows easily – like a lovely duet. Dialogue sparkles with authenticity, while each character, no matter how fleeting, arrives fully realized, vivid, and profoundly human.
With a deep understanding of the show (having performed in it himself over 600 times and directed it more than 20), Tom Frey (Director) leads this incarnation with warmth and precision, ensuring that every beat is genuine. Frey’s direction creates an experience that highlights the story’s humanity, humor, and vulnerability. Every moment of the show exudes vitality, genuineness, and a pitch-perfect performance.
Richard Todd Adams (Ted) and Matthew McGloin (Richard) are equally gifted; their conversation in word and music is truly an exalted opportunity for the audience. The two actors sparred and danced in performance (and across the keys), trading motifs like fencers exchanging thrusts and parries. One would surge forward with storming intensity only for the other to answer with crystalline delicacy. Their comedic timing is also breathtaking, accentuated by their palpable chemistry. Jointly, Adams and McGloin create a deeply harmonious back-and-forth. By the final narrative cadenza, we are no longer listening to two actor-pianists and their pianos but a single, blazing instrument stretched across two souls.
To accommodate large numbers of locations, but with minimal disruption to the acting and music, Yoon Bae (Scenic Designer) and Michael Gilliam (Lighting Designer) work in perfect harmony. Together, they unify a symphony of visual subtlety with depth. Bae creates textures that blend with the gleam of the grand pianos, but stand out on their own. The floor is a feast of shapes, perhaps a nod to piano music or papers that have been dropped. Gilliam plays with color and projections that help integrate us into the location and mood without ever fully calling attention to itself. Both pieces are flawless.
What makes 2P4H stay with you is not just the incredible musicianship or the ability to have comedic timing, but the honesty and vulnerability, the push and pull between reality and ambition. The audience is left exhilarated by the brilliant music and moved by the notes of truth, of struggle, self-discovery, and sacrifice. This production entertains and affirms the beauty of trying for your dreams, even when the outcome isn’t what was initially imagined or hoped for. Bookending 2P4H is the glorious Bach “Concerto in D minor, 1st movement.” What greater gift could one ask for than to hear those notes played with such skill and love?
CONTENT ADVISORY: 2 Pianos 4 Hands: For Which Audiences?
2 Pianos, 4 Hands is suitable for audiences ages 12 and up. Richard and Ted’s passionate quest for musical stardom includes mild language and other mature themes, which are often addressed through the characters’ angsty, teenage versions of themselves.
If 2 Pianos 4 Hands were a film, it would likely be rated PG.
Pioneer Theatre Company Presents 2 Pianos 4 Hands by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt
2 Pianos 4 Hands is produced by permission of the Playwrights and Marquis Literary (Colin Rivers) www.mqlit.ca.
Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Field House
375 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
DATES: September 12-27, 2025
TIMES:
Monday – Thursday, 7:00 PM
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 PM
Saturday, 2:00 PM
TICKETS: $44 – $57
Students K – 12 or ages 5-18 are half-price Monday – Thursday
Curtain Call for All (“name your own price”) performances: September 12-27
ASL-Interpreted performance: Monday, September 22 at 7:00 PM
Discounts are also available for University of Utah students, staff, and faculty. Visit PioneerTheatre.org/UniversityofUtah for more details.
Box Office: 801-581-6961
Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday
The PTC Box Office is located in the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre: 300 S 1400 E. Tickets are also available one hour
prior to showtime at Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Field House.
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CURTAIN CALL FOR ALL UPDATE
After launching its successful Curtain Call for All initiative, a “name your own price” ticket model set for specific performances, during the 24-25 Season, PTC announces an expansion of the program. During the 25-26 Season, a limited number of Curtain Call for All tickets will be made available for each and every performance (108 performances in total). These tickets will also start at a minimum suggested price of $15 and can be purchased by visiting or calling the PTC Box Office at 801-581-6961.
“We’re excited to share the next scene of Curtain Call for All with you. Instead of limiting this to designated nights, you can now choose your own price—$15 and above—for any performance, with a limited number of tickets available each show,” said Managing Director Adrian Budhu. “It’s our way of making sure that theatre at PTC is truly open to everyone, no matter your schedule or your budget. We look forward to continuing to welcome new audiences to PTC!”
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