LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE PRODUCES
THE ORANGE COUNTY PREMIERE OF 2 PIANOS, 4 HANDS
Created by Ted Dykstra & Richard Greenblatt
Starring Richard Carsey and Tom Frey
Limited Engagement opens Saturday, January 7 at The Laguna Playhouse!
"Routines in the style of Liberace and Victor Borge abound as do hilarious one-liners. A razor sharp insight into the world of training and competition". -- Variety
The Laguna Playhouse presents the fourth production of its 2005-2006 season, the hilarious musical comedy, 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, created by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt and starring Richard Carsey and Tom Frey. 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, opens on Saturday, January 7, 2006 and continues through Sunday, February 5 (Previews: January 3 – 6) at The Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.
In 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, two actors, two pianos and many, many characters grace the stage as fifteen years of learning the art of piano playing unfolds in an hour and a half. This riotous musical begins with young Richard – "Richy" - being told he is too young to play the pedal. So begins the journey of these two boys – “Richard and Ted” – in search of their dream of concert pianist stardom.
In the beginning each actor plays a younger version of himself while the other becomes the teacher, the adjudicator, the parent. No costume changes are needed; posture, voice and mannerisms are all that is required to indicate a new character has entered the scene.
As "friendly" competitors they face off at various festivals – experiencing stage fright and eight year old prodigies who have thankfully moved away.
Seamlessly, as the boys mature so does their piano playing. From Little Birch Canoe they move to auditioning for the Conservatory, playing Jazz and, well, thinking about the opposite sex. One key turning point is a scene between Ted and his father when his dad points out that his son really doesn't have a life outside of music. Ted responds with "I'm not going to ‘try’ to be anything okay, I’m going to be a professional musician".
And there lies the universal plight of all those with an ounce of training and talent – the will and the dream to "be" a professional musician, athlete, actor or dancer. Through two strong characters – “Ted and Richard” – 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 one’s dream.
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
Ted Dykstra (Creator) has received Dora Mavor Moore nominations (the "Canadian Tony") as an actor, director, writer, producer and composer, and was awarded Doras for Fire (Acting) and 2 Pianos 4 Hands (producing) as well as a Chalmers Award for writing (2P4H). Co-writer of 2P4H, he has performed it in 11 Canadian cities (including 4 Toronto runs) as well as in New York, Washington DC, London’s West End and Tokyo, Japan. He has also directed productions of 2P4H across the US, as well as in Australia and Hong Kong. He has played leading roles on every major stage in Canada, including 3 years of lead roles at the Shaw Festival and 3 years of leading roles at the Stratford Festival. Some of his favourite memories are the title roles in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hamlet and Amadeus, Cousin Kevin in The Who’s Tommy (Dora nomination), Daffyd Llewellen in A Chorus of Disapproval (Dora Nomination), Bottom in Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Ariel in The Tempest. He has acted in dozens of movies and television shows, and just received a Gemini Award (the "Canadian Emmy"!) for his performance in Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion. He has composed music for theatres across the country. He is a founding member of Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre. He has directed numerous productions in Toronto including Fool for Love, Aladdin (Dora nomination), The Dumb Waiter, Tequila Vampire Matinee (Dora Nomination), Science Fiction, Scott Thompson’s Lowest Show on Earth, BULLY and The Beggar’s Opera. Last year he directed Anne Frank and To Kill a Mockingbird for the Neptune Theatre in Halifax. He wrote and directed Mordecai Richler: A Celebration for the CBC. Currently he is writing a musical commissioned by David Mirvish. He is the proud husband of Juno Award (the “Canadian Grammy”!) winning singer Melanie Doane, and ecstatic father of their two children, Theo and Rosie.
Richard Greenblatt (Co-Creator/Director) was born in Montreal and started taking piano lessons with Dorothy Morton at the age of seven. He studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. Since his return to Canada in 1975, he has been acting, directing, writing and composing music for theatre, radio, television and film across the country and abroad. He has played leading roles in regional theatres (The Fool in King Lear, the title role in Spinoza, amongst many others) and in Toronto (George in Possible Worlds, Creon in Antigone, Sam Baum in Adam Baum and the Jew Movie, etc.). He has appeared in feature films (Stardom, Shadow Dancing, etc.) and has played numerous roles on television. He has performed 2 Pianos 4 Hands with Ted Dykstra over 750 times, including 6 months at The Promenade in New York City, ten weeks on the West End in London, and three weeks in Tokyo.
He has directed over 80 productions for the stage, the vast majority being original works, and has been a co-writer on some of the most successful new plays in recent Canadian theatre history (2 Pianos 4 Hands; The Theory of Relatives; i.d.; and Sibs). Most recently, he directed David Craig's Danny - King of the Basement for Roseneath Theatre which has toured extensively throughout the U.S., and John Gay's The Beggar’s Opera at The National Theatre School. Sibs, co-written with Diane Flacks, was filmed and shown on the CBC in the fall of ‘03.
Upcoming, his one person show entitled Letters from Lehrer, featuring the work of song satirist Tom Lehrer, will be mounted in January '06 at Canstage. A new collaboration with Diane Flacks entitled Care will be presented in April '06 at Tarragon. He has won four Dora Awards and two Chalmers Awards as well as receiving numerous other nominations. He has taught both acting and directing at most of the theatre training institutions in Canada.
2 PIANOS 4 HANDS is produced by Marquis Entertainment. The set and lighting have been designed by Steve Lucas. Honorary Producers are Haskell & White, CPA’s.
Tickets are now on sale. Subscription packages including this play are available for purchase now.
2 PIANOS 4 HANDSPerformance & Ticket Information:
Ticket Prices: $20 to $59
Previews:
Tuesday & Wednesday, Jan. 3 & 4,
8 pm, $32, $20
Thursday, Jan. 5, 2 pm & 8 pm, $32, $20
Friday, Jan. 6, 8 pm, $36, $20
Opening Night Gala:
Saturday, January 7, 7:30 pm
By invitation only
Regular Performances
January 8 – February 5:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 8 pm, $49, $30, $20
Saturdays, Sundays, 2 pm, $49, $30, $20
Fridays, 8 pm, $55, $30, $20
Saturdays, 8 pm, $59
Also, Thursday, January 19, 2 pm,
$49, $30, $20
FOR INFORMATION & TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
CALL: 949.497-ARTS (2787) - GROUP SALES CALL 949.460-8676
VISIT: www.LagunaPlayhouse.com
THEATRE: 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California
For further information, press photos or to schedule an interview, please contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at 818-508-1754 or at ElzerD@aol.com.
