Theatre Talk: A musical journey with 2 pianos

Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal

Special to The Village News

"2 Pianos, 4 Hands" is a must see hit!

Proving first hand their unparalleled talent, Jefferson McDonald and Matthew McGloin merrily enact their intrepid dedication to the concert stage.

Showcasing the selfless commitment necessary to perform at the concert level, North Coast Repertory treated the Saturday night audience to stories of a childhood filled with solitary practice, missed sporting events, even dating, all to be replaced with insipid teachers, dictatorial instructors, and intolerant parents. It is an eye-opening peek into the life of aspiring concert pianists.

Co-written by two of Canada's cleverest actor-musicians in 1996, Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, the duo lead us through the courageous journey to become a concert-level pianist. Or in this case two.

Saturday night's audience witnessed the humor and humiliation endured by two such musicians. Starting with the first declaration of talent to the final decree of inadequacy, it is this incredible journey that humanizes the process.

Both McDonald and McGloin shine with spectacular showmanship as they exhibit youthful exasperation all the way to resignation. Theirs is a world-class performance brilliantly played.

"2 Pianos, 4 Hands" explores a musical journey through Bach, Mozart, and Chopin, continuing into Liszt, landing on Billy Joel, and culminating with Jerry Lee Lewis.

Still, it is the humor that acts as the antidote to all of the self-inflicted torturous hours of lonely practice imposed on children. Without the humor, it would be unbearable to watch.

Achieving excellence, "2 Pianos, 4 Hands" exposes the selfless commitment necessary to sit behind those 88 ivories. Bravo to NCRep for delivering this profound performance.

"2 Pianos, 4 Hands" has been performed in over 200 theaters, on five continents, and seen by 2,000,000 people. Truly a world-class event, it is now here at North Coast Repertory, 985 Lomas Santa Fe, an easy 45-minute drive from Fallbrook to Solana Beach.

You will be glad you took the entire family to see "2 Pianos, 4 Hands" playing until Jan. 1, 2023. For tickets, call 858-481-1055 or visit https://northcoastrep.org. There's plenty of free parking too. Rated 10 out of 10.

Elizabeth can be reached at [email protected].