Review: 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS at Pioneer Theatre Company is a Two-Hander in Good Hands

Pioneer Theatre Company’s professional production of 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS, playing in the new Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse, is part smart comedy, part coming of age drama, and part classical piano concert.

2 PIANOS 4 HANDS by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt is an autobiographical play that was originally performed by its authors and has toured around the world, including more than one off Broadway run. We see them studying piano from a young age and follow their journeys of self-discovery as they grow and reflect on their futures.

The two-hander is in good hands with veteran actors Richard Todd Adams as Ted and Matthew McGloin as Richard.  They both play multiple roles aside from their main personas, including the many piano instructors who impacted them over the years.  They are quite skilled at differentiating the different personalities while also endearing the audience to Ted and Richard, and all this while playing difficult pieces on the piano with finesse.    

Director Tom Frey is the U.S. resident director of the show and has himself performed in it over 600 times, so needless to say he understands and serves the story and character beats well. 

Lighting designer Michael Gilliam successfully utilizes subtle lighting shifts throughout the piece to separate time, space, and character. The lights settles nicely on scenic designer Yoon Bae’s simple unit set, which centers around two grand pianos with black and white flooring laid across the thrust stage and a moveable back wall with complementary shaped openings for simple projections on the cyclorama.  

Sound designer Matt Mitchell’s crystal-clear sound is thankfully amplified enough for all patrons to comfortably hear, understand and appreciate every word of the dialogue and each note of the world-class piano music.

2 PIANOS 4 HANDS plays through September 27, 2025. For tickets, call the box office at 801-581-6961 or visit www.pioneertheatre.org.

Photo Credit: BW Productions