2 Pianos, 4 Hands, Many Yamahas
BUENA PARK, Calif. 2 Pianos, 4 Hands is an award-winning stage production that tells the riotous tale of two Canadian boys with the same dream: concert pianist stardom. They work fervently, contending with pushy parents, eccentric teachers, repetitive practice, stage fright and agonizing competition, before finally arriving at the humbling realization that greatness may be out of reach. Two writer/actors, Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, co-created the play based on their own experiences, and have frequently played the starring roles themselves. 2 Pianos, 4 Hands features a simple set two actors playing many characters and two grand pianos and the vast majority of productions staged since 1996 have featured Yamaha grand pianos.
"We're lucky to have the Yamaha piano in the show," says Tom Frey, who currently plays "Ted" with Richard Carsey in the role of "Richard." "We've gotten pretty spoiled."
In the past eight years, Frey has played both "Ted" and "Richard" in Marquis Entertainment's U.S. production of 2 Pianos, 4 Hands. "I actually did the same thing as the actors in the play," he says. "They quit playing when they were 17 and had a difficult time getting back to it; I quit playing the piano for ten years and got my degree in acting. A couple of years before the show was on the horizon for me, I started playing piano again because I missed it. I took lessons and started trying to get my chops back so the play really resonates for me." The play, framed by the Bach D minor concerto, features familiar pieces played by aspiring concert pianists, including works of Mozart, Chopin preludes, Beethoven sonatas, and even tunes by Vince Guaraldi and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Frey's father, a musician and professor of music, bought Tom a Yamaha C5 conservatory grand piano when he first got serious about piano 30 years ago. "The son of the man who sold my dad my C5 is still my piano tuner. My dad played the Yamaha right off the truck, it hadn't even been tuned yet and he bought it. It still plays great."
"Yamaha pianos are responsive over a wide dynamic range; they're gutsy and expressive," says Frey. "On top of that, they seem to be indestructible. In 2 Pianos, 4 Hands, three times the amount of lighting used in a concert setting is focused on the piano to illuminate and define the actions onstage. There are no set changes, no costume changes, so you create a space through lighting design with 150 lighting cues on stage. With a lighting grid right above the piano, the harp was hot at the end of the show. Also, the two pianos need to be 'friends' with each other, a tuner's worst nightmare. Not only do they have to be in tune; they have to be in tune with each other. No one else tortures a piano the way we do," he laughs.
Since its humble Toronto premier, 2 Pianos 4 Hands has enjoyed spectacular reviews and attracted 2 million people to over 5,000 performances at more than 150 theaters throughout the world. In July, Frey accepted its first U.S. award from the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards; the Marquis 2005 production at Hartford Stage won the Outstanding Touring Production award, beating out Broadway Touring Productions of The Lion King, Wicked and Rose (with Olympia Dukakis). James Naughton and Joanne Woodward presented the Award at Westport Playhouse (where Woodward and Paul Newman are the main benefactors) and Yamaha was acknowledged during the ceremony.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
 Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra (L to R) in 2 Pianos, 4 Hands
Photo: Robert Bodrog |
In the past eight years, Frey has played both "Ted" and "Richard" in Marquis Entertainment's U.S. production of 2 Pianos, 4 Hands. "I actually did the same thing as the actors in the play," he says. "They quit playing when they were 17 and had a difficult time getting back to it; I quit playing the piano for ten years and got my degree in acting. A couple of years before the show was on the horizon for me, I started playing piano again because I missed it. I took lessons and started trying to get my chops back so the play really resonates for me." The play, framed by the Bach D minor concerto, features familiar pieces played by aspiring concert pianists, including works of Mozart, Chopin preludes, Beethoven sonatas, and even tunes by Vince Guaraldi and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Frey's father, a musician and professor of music, bought Tom a Yamaha C5 conservatory grand piano when he first got serious about piano 30 years ago. "The son of the man who sold my dad my C5 is still my piano tuner. My dad played the Yamaha right off the truck, it hadn't even been tuned yet and he bought it. It still plays great."
"Yamaha pianos are responsive over a wide dynamic range; they're gutsy and expressive," says Frey. "On top of that, they seem to be indestructible. In 2 Pianos, 4 Hands, three times the amount of lighting used in a concert setting is focused on the piano to illuminate and define the actions onstage. There are no set changes, no costume changes, so you create a space through lighting design with 150 lighting cues on stage. With a lighting grid right above the piano, the harp was hot at the end of the show. Also, the two pianos need to be 'friends' with each other, a tuner's worst nightmare. Not only do they have to be in tune; they have to be in tune with each other. No one else tortures a piano the way we do," he laughs.
Since its humble Toronto premier, 2 Pianos 4 Hands has enjoyed spectacular reviews and attracted 2 million people to over 5,000 performances at more than 150 theaters throughout the world. In July, Frey accepted its first U.S. award from the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards; the Marquis 2005 production at Hartford Stage won the Outstanding Touring Production award, beating out Broadway Touring Productions of The Lion King, Wicked and Rose (with Olympia Dukakis). James Naughton and Joanne Woodward presented the Award at Westport Playhouse (where Woodward and Paul Newman are the main benefactors) and Yamaha was acknowledged during the ceremony.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.