2 Pianos 4 Hands

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Jefferson McDonald and Matthew McGloin (Photo by Aaron Rumley)
Jefferson McDonald and Matthew McGloin (Photo by Aaron Rumley)

2 Pianos 4 Hands

Reviewed by G. Bruce Smith
Laguna Playhouse
Through July 23

RECOMMENDED
 
How can there be so much talent packed into two men attached to four hands? Actually, into four men attached to eight hands.
 
I’m talking about Jefferson McDonald and Matthew McGloin, the two gifted pianist/actors starring in the Laguna Playhouse production of the delightful 2 Pianos 4 Hands. They play real-life pianist/actor/writers Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, who make up the other four hands referenced above and who wrote 2 Pianos.
 
This charming and frequently funny piece spotlights the music and acting skills of McDonald and McGloin as they perform piano duos and solos interwoven with the story of the playwrights (and friends from a young age) on their paths from childhood to young adulthood. Along their path to adulthood, they face the grueling journey of becoming professional concert pianists. Director Tom Frey guides these two talents smoothly.

 

Aside from playing a repertoire that includes Mozart, Bach, Grieg — and yes, pop tunes like Bill Joel’s “The Piano Man” and Elton John’s “Benny & the Jets” — the duo play a range of characters, both male and female, brilliantly.

They fully inhabit Dykstra and Greenblatt at ages ranging from 7 to late teens — at first rebelling against the demands of practice, practice, practice to near obsession with succeeding. The cast of characters also includes parents, oft-eccentric teachers, even an aging Kiwanian introducing a piano duo competition featuring “67 pairs of children playing the exact same piece. For four hours.”

While generally light-hearted and filled with clever physical comedic bits — usually involving the two grand pianos on stage — the play also has moments of poignancy, particularly as Dykstra and Greenblatt in their late teens — no matter how talented —face their shortcomings as potential concert pianists. Their wakeup calls are painfully harsh.

Each of the pair of performers excels as versatile and highly skilled pianists — their repertoire is not always easy (though in fun they also play bars of “Heart and Soul.”) And each is a first-rate actor; watching McDonald’s contorted facial expressions when capturing the young Dykstra is a particular pleasure.

The set (scenic design by Marty Burnett) is simple and elegant — two grand pianos dominate the stage with a backdrop of columns and acoustic panels. The stage is often flooded in blue lighting, and regardless of the scene, the lighting design (Matthew Novotny) is almost “invisible” as it serves the story on stage. And the two projection “cutouts” in the rear (projections designer Ian Scott) are so well used, and so subtle, that you hardly realize the slides are giving context/location to the various scenes.

Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Wed.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 7:30 p.m; Sun., 1 & 5:30 p.m. (no perf Sun., July 23 at 5:30 p.m; through July 23. https://lagunaplayhouse.com, or (949) 497-2787. Running time 2 hours, 15 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.