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Regional Reviews: St. Louis 2 Pianos 4 Hands Also see Richard's review of Glut
Well, not exactly. But self-deprivation and the mind-numbing rigor required to become an accomplished classical pianist become uproariously funny at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis under the direction of a former cast member of the show, Tom Frey. The highly detailed, two-hour comic concert (with intermission) delights us with Richard Todd Adams as Ted and Matthew McGloin as Richard. Separately and together they drive themselves crazy over the legacy of the 18th and 19th centuries' greatest composers, even as their teachers insist it's probably a terrible waste of their own expertise. In that sense, 2 Pianos 4 Hands resembles the cruel unmasking of the hopelessly average man, over and over, set against the impossibly high standards of their professors, who may just be mad. This is also the source of the show's highest (and most squirm-inducing) comedy. Although in the end, Mr. Adams and Mr. McGloin prove anything but average in a thrilling final duet on identical grand pianos. In fact, the whole show is duets. They can come disguised, as in a surprisingly musical argument between a father and son, or even occurring across scenes, as in a rivalry between two comical European music teachers who each insist on trying to make their Steinways seem sexy. At the outset, musical notation on sheet music becomes as inscrutable as the math of the latest super-computers when the young Ted (Mr. Adams) is pinned like a butterfly by his childhood tutor (Mr. McGloin). The teacher/student roles are reversed again and again in many of the short, often laughably horrifying scenes, as when Mr. Adams plays a jazz pianist who dresses down Mr. McGloin for the unbearable 100th time in the show. But it's funny–all these harrowing moments of cruel doubt–in the same way that jumping into an icy cold pool makes us shriek with the nakedness of creativity itself. There's a very nice sprinkling of pop music, but it's actually an awful sign that something's gone terribly wrong in each young man's career. The set is simple but effective, with scenery and projections by Steve Lucas and lighting by Katherine Stepanek. 2 Pianos 4 Hands first debuted at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in 1996, written and performed by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt. And by the time of this new staging, director Frey and his two leading men have each played these very demanding roles literally hundreds of times already in Canada and the United States. It's a humbling play when you get a glimpse of all the technical knowledge of the musicians and their instruments, and all the hidden rules. Growing up, the two students are regularly cut down to size in spite of the trials they've already endured. It's just never enough. The world of music, so reassuring and exalting, has rarely seemed more brutal, even with all their laughably grandiloquent masters and the youthful foolishness on stage. I suppose it's like a much funnier version of the drama Dust by Rob Smith, about a demanding maestro and his fallen-away musician daughter. But here, the same galling contempt is played for laughs. It's more like Hogwarts, in this case, if those students were regularly turned into toads. There are flashes of Loony Tunes comedy and even bits that seem to wink at the Ice Capades. As awkward teens, Ted and Richard first meet at a regional competition where they find they're on an artistic collision course. And under the subtle examination of their teachers, they're dispassionately scorned and dismissed, even as they gain mastery over the keyboard. Through it all, our affection for the pair builds as they grapple toward each new breakthrough. It must sound like some terrible cult, except for the fact that it produces such an ecstasy in our souls. The lowly students squabble and writhe. But, underneath it all, there's an intensely personal kind of beauty. 2 Pianos 4 Hands, produced by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, runs through October 25, 2026, at the Loretto-Hilton Center, Browning Main Stage, 130 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.repstl.org. Cast: Production Staff: * Denotes Member, Actors' Equity Association ** Denotes Member, USA-829 |
