2 Pianos 4 Hands at Park Square Theatre

For every Vladimir Horowitz, for every Herbie Hancock – indeed, for every musical master you can name – there are thousand upon thousands of players who dedicate their lives to their instruments, who spend many many lonely hours practicing, only to discover, at the end of this long road, that they don’t quite have the stuff, that required extra measure of brilliance.  Then what?  Do they quit, and spend the rest of their lives ruing the might-have-been?  Do they keep playing, soldiering on into mediocrity?

This tragic conundrum is at the heart of Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra‘s nifty and knowing 2 Pianos 4 Hands (playing at Park Square Theatre through Jan 2).

2P4H tells the story of two pianists, Richard and Ted (the play is completely autobiographical).  We see their early days as kids who would rather be playing hockey.  They grow into teen-agers increasingly serious (and in one case obsessive) about their instrument.  We meet bizarre, semi-psychotic teachers (I adored Mr. Scarlatti – “You must be a man!  Play the arpeggio with one hand only!”).  The play is a delightful coming-of-age story of two refreshingly nerdy players.

But then comes the reckoning, for both, when a professional tells them with brutal honesty: you don’t have what it takes, and you never will.  It’s painful, and inspiring, to watch these young players confront and, finally, accept this.  Lovely.

The play boasts some excellent piano music.  The performers, Peter Vitale and Michael Pearce Donley play Mozart, Beethoven, even some modern atonal stuff with aplomb.  The play ends with a duet – Bach, I think.  Whatever it was, it was wonderful and I was sorry to see it end.  Can these two expect a call from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra?  Probably not, but they do provide us with a terrific evening of music.

As actors they’re even better. 2 Pianos 4 Hands is a two-hander, and Vitale and Donley effortlessly make the necessary swift character transformations.  Their stage presence is charismatic without being off-putting and their clear love for the instrument nicely counter-balances the play’s tragedy.

Much of this is no doubt due to Tom Frey‘s understated direction.  The designers, working with a limited budget, also do well; they are Erik E. Paulson, Jason Lee Resler, Michael Kittel, Abee Warmboe and Katharine Horowitz.

The designers don’t, however, stint on the two grand pianos: these richly and thrillingly fill the theater.

To end on a crass note: Park Square has recently redone the theater’s seats.  My ageing butt was happy.

For more info on John, see his website.