DAVID MIRVISH PRESENTS
CREATED, PERFORMED & DIRECTED BY
June 4 – July 17, 2022
Two of the Best in the Neighbourhood is a backstage account of the creation and continued life of the smash hit play 2 Pianos 4 Hands. (This volume also includes the full script of the play.) With contributions from the principal players of this story, including many from co-creator Ted Dykstra, Greenblatt takes us from the genesis of the idea to the blockbuster cross-Canada tour and to productions in the US, England, and Japan. A highly personal and subjective tale filled with anecdotes that span almost three decades, Two of the Best in the Neighbourhood is a glimpse into a fascinating chapter of Canadian theatre history.
“Magical! Superb!”
– The Globe & Mail
“A damn fine way to treat two Steinways.”
– The Independant (UK)
“…razor-sharp insight”
– Variety (NY, USA)
“Not a sour note. Not a lost chord. Not a misplaced phrase.”
– Toronto Sun
“Hilarious…”
– Washington Post
“Hits you on the ironic funny bone of self-identification.”
– New York Post
“gleams like the polish on a grand piano”
– Los Angeles Times
“A night to savour.”
– Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
“An absolute joy.”
– CBC, Margo Kelly
“Enormously enjoyable”
– The Times of London (UK)
“Simple, charming, funny, brilliant”
– CBC ‘Here and Now’
“Wonderful beyond words.”
– Mainichi Newspaper (Japan)
“Musical Mayhem”
– CHCH News
★★★★/4
– Toronto Star
“Tour de Force”
– Alan Rickman
“Deeply touching.”
– Lang Lang
★★★★/4
– The Globe & Mail
“Fast-paced, musically accomplished and entertaining.”
– Montreal Gazette
“…will speak to anyone who’s had a dream.”
– The Georgia Straight
“Sensational”
– NEWSTALK 1010
“Optimism triumphing in the face of disappointment.”
– The Ottawa Citizen
“Brilliant, funny and moving”
– Peter Oundjian, Music Director (Toronto Symphony Orchestra)
“1 Great Show”
– Toronto Sun
“A Canadian classic”
– The Globe & Mail
“A global hit”
– Edmonton Journal
“A dramatic gem”
– The Globe & Mail
“Pure delight.”
– The Vancouver Courier
★★★★★
– Toronto Sun
“shining…for anyone with a dream”
– Los Angeles Times
“An international smash”
– The Vancouver Sun
“Hits all the high notes”
– BCBuzz
“Highly entertaining”
– Capital Critics’ Circle
“2 Pianos 4 Hands is destined to travel far, not only across Canada, but also within international cultural circles.”
– Variety (USA)
“sure to touch anyone who dreamed big as a child, and that’s pretty much all of us”
– Boston Globe
“Elegance and radiant energy combine with unobtrusive technique”
– Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
“An exhilarating piece that had the audience on its feet for several curtain calls.”
– The Citizen (Johannesburg, South Africa)
“Laugh out loud funny! Poignant! Perfection!”
– The Globe & Mail
“The ideas of this mature play resonate long after the curtain closes.”
– Daily Yomiuri (Japan)
“The real thing.”
– The Examiner (San Francisco)
“Fresh and deliciously entertaining!”
– The Toronto Star
“Don’t be surprised if between the guffaws you feel a stab of recognition.”
– The Washington Post
“mesmerizing”
– The Independent (UK)
“Vigorous & amusing”
– The Los Angeles Times
“clever, deft and dazzlingly amusing”
– The New York Post
“2 Pianos 4 Hands has 1 great big heart”
– GayVancouver
“It’s the stuff of life.”
– Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
“Funny, clever, insightful and touching, full of music, humour, story and character.”
– The Globe & Mail
“Extraordinarily entertaining”
– The Georgia Straight
“Dreamers of all description will relate to this tale”
– BrokenLegReviews
“…nothing short of astounding.”
– Travelling Islanders
“a powerful combination of nostalgia and feel-goodness”
– Capital Critics Circle
“A brilliantly crafted, deeply human piece”
– Plank Magazine
“A night of comedic genius and melodic mastery”
– arianecdesign
“Full of humor and virtuoso”
– Alex Waterhouse-Hayward, blogger
Productions
Synopsis
Amidst pushy parents, eccentric teachers, hours of repetitive practice, stage fright, the agony of competitors and exams, and the dream of greatness, Ted and Richard grow up as “piano nerds”. As they mature, they become more aware of the gap between the merely very good and the great, and come to the humbling realization that concert stardom may be out of reach. But they just might be two of the best piano players in the neighbourhood, and that in itself is worth celebrating. 2 Pianos, 4 Hands captures the humour that comes with learning to play the piano, and the sense of loss of eventually learning to let go of the dream.
Meet the Creators
Media
Mirvish Productions 2011
Performed & Directed by Ted Dykstra & Richard Greenblatt.
National Arts Centre 2019
Starring Reza Jacobs & Max Roll. Directed by Richard Greenblatt.
Cincinnati Playhouse 2019-2020
Starring Jefferson McDonald & Matthew McGloin. Directed by Tom Frey.
Where can I read the play?
The script is currently available to order through J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing Inc., included in ‘Two of the Best in the Neighbourhood‘, an anecdotal history of 2 Pianos 4 Hands written by Richard Greenblatt.
Can I watch a recording of the play?
Yes! “2 Pianos 4 Hands: The Final Performance” starring Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt is available to stream through BroadwayHD.
The DVD is currently available for purchase via Mirvish’s online shop.
How do I license the show?
The show is managed and licensed by Marquis Entertainment on behalf of Talking Fingers Inc.