Two pianos, four hands and two incredible actors — who are not only gifted musicians but also remarkable performers — demonstrated their extraordinary ability to successfully portray a large number of characters of all ages in an entertaining and family-friendly musical comedy.
Mark Anders and Michael Kary delivered a magical performance of “2 Pianos 4 Hands” on Friday night at Phoenix Theatre, making the audience forget that they were the only two men (and sometimes women) you ever saw in a show full of eccentric characters.
Directed by Bruce Sevy, “2 Pianos 4 Hands” is a look into the competitive world of classical piano. It’s the story of the lives and struggles of two Canadian pianists named Ted and Richard, beginning in childhood and ending in their middle-aged years. It takes you through the triumphs, failures, highs and lows of the two musicians. It’s a story about their friendship and their love-hate relationship with the piano.
Anders and Kary are really quite amazing. Using only diction, tone of voice, accents and body language, they effectively conveyed the age and gender of each of the many characters seen in the show.
They took turns playing each other’s strict parents, outlandish instructors and mentors and any other character brought into the show, as the lives of Ted and Richard unfolded onstage before the audience. At times it was slightly peculiar, but the majority of the time it was utterly charming.
And while there wasn’t really ever a change in set or scenery — just two grand pianos facing each other in a sparse room — the emotions, characters and musical performances were enough to carry the show and keep the audience intrigued. The show features music from Mozart and Bach to Billy Joel and Elton John — all played live on two grand pianos. My only complaint is that there should have been a full performance of “Bennie and the Jets.”
Watching the show is a bit like watching two boys grow up on time-lapse. While there was some occasional confusion about which man was which boy in the beginning and how old they were supposed to be at each point in the play, that can probably be attributed to the way the script was written without costume changes or additional actors and not to any fault of Anders or Kary.
Some of the best parts, however, can be attributed to the clever writing in the script. Despite some unavoidable confusion that comes with having two men play every character without so much as a costume change, the writing is extremely witty. I doubt anyone in the audience expected there to be so many music-related jokes. Anders and Kary are expert performers, able to deliver those jokes with perfect timing. And it showed — both in the frequent laughter of the audience and in the standing ovation at the end of the performance.
Never would I have imagined that a grown man in a suit would convincingly portray a 9-year-old child or an elderly woman, but they managed to do both. Once you get swept away in the show and focus on the story being told, it’s surprisingly easy to overlook the outward appearances of the two actors.
Both men have extensive backgrounds in music and theater. Mark Anders has been performing “2 Pianos 4 Hands” on and off for nearly 15 years across the United States. His credits also include Stu Rasmussen in “Stu for Silverton” and Higgins in “Pygmalion.” Michael Kary was in the original New York cast of “Fame on 42nd Street” and his other credits include “Taming of the Shrew” and “Twelfth Night.”
The ambiguous ending gives the audience members the opportunity to take from the story what they choose. The show can either be a lesson in coming to terms with your mistakes or a cautionary tale of what happens when you don’t work hard enough in life and lose sight of your dreams. Or perhaps it’s a story of letting go of what others wanted for you and finding your own happiness. It’s really for the viewer to decide what they will make of it, but it’s a show worth going to.
“2 Pianos 4 Hands” will be performed through Feb. 1. Tickets start at $30, but students are eligible for a discount. Any unsold tickets 15 minutes before the show starts are $15 with a student ID.
Contact the author at jasmine.barta@asu.edu. Contact the columnist at mbilker@asu.edu.
