Two Pianos Four Hands is a Canadian musical comedy play, written and originally performed by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt. Recent productions have used the title 2 Pianos, 4 Hands
The two-actor play's central characters are Ted and Richard, two boys who each dream of becoming a famous classical pianist. In the early scenes, each boy learns piano as a solo player, with the other actor taking on the role of the teacher or parent. In later scenes, as the two boys become older and begin competing in music festivals and auditioning for conservatories, they appear directly opposite each other as friends and competitors.
Music in the show includes classical pieces by Bach and Beethoven, jazz standards and rock numbers.
2 Pianos, 4 Hands has played on 5 continents, in over 150 cities, to over 2 million people since it opened at the Tarragon Theatre (Toronto, Ontario) in April 1996. It is arguably one of the most successful plays in the history of Canadian theatre.
The play won a Dora Award for Outstanding Production in 1996 and a Chalmers Award (Canadian National Award) for Playwriting in 1997.
American Theatre Magazine ranked 2 Pianos as one of the ten most-produced plays in the United States in 2003.
The play won the award for Outstanding Touring Productionby the Connecticut Theatre Critics Circle in 2006.
The play has been featured in many "Top 10 Productions of the Year" lists, including the New York Post (Clive Barnes, 1997).