NORTH COAST REPERTORY REPRISES MUSIC AND LAUGH-LADEN FAVORITE,
2 PIANOS 4 HANDS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Starring Richard Todd Adams & Max Roll
By Ted Dykstra & Richard Greenblatt
Performances Beginning Thursday, December 11, 2025
Running Through Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Directed by Tom Frey

Solana Beach, Calif. – By popular demand, North Coast Repertory Theatre is bringing back the joyful family pleasing 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS to brighten the holiday season. Get ready for an interlude of riotous laughter as Richard Todd Adams and Max Roll take us on a musical comedic journey about their would-be careers as concert pianists. The talented duo trade stories about piano lessons, pushy parents and eccentric teachers while playing everything from Bach to Billy Joel. This entertaining, crowd-pleasing show not only hits all the right notes, it tickles the ivories and your funny bone. Tickets will be flying out the door, so reserve yours early to avoid disappointment.

Tom Frey directs Richard Todd Adams* and Max Roll.* The design team includes Marty Burnett (Resident Scenic Designer) and Matthew Novotny (Light Design), and Ian Scot (Projection Design). Vernon Willet* is the Production Stage Manager.

*The actor or stage manager appears through the courtesy of Actors’ E*The actor or stage manager appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

2 PIANOS 4 HANDS performances begin Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 pm. Final performance is Sunday, December 31, at 2 pm. The show runs Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:30pm and there are Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Added Tuesday matinee and evening performances on Dec. 23. Added 2pm matinee on Monday, Dec. 29. There are no performances Dec. 24, & Dec 25, 2025.

 

BIOS:

TED DYKSTRA (Co-Creator/Original Co-Director) started playing piano at age six, and peaked at age twelve, when he had a particularly memorable string of firsts competing in the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival. His acting career began at a young age in St Albert, Alberta, playing the 2nd Bird in Once Upon a Clothesline, but his breakout role was Bilbo Baggins in his school’s grade 8 production of The Hobbit. Since then, he has gone on to play leading roles on every major stage in Canada, often combining his musical skills in such roles as: Mozart in Amadeus; Cale Blackwell, a character based on Jerry Lee Lewis, in Fire (seven Canadian theatres); Shostakovitch in Master Class (Manitoba Theatre Centre); Glenn Gould in An Evening with Glenn Gould (National Arts Centre); Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Crow’s Theatre); and Cousin Kevin in The Who’s Tommy (Mirvish Productions); and school children around the world know him as Bach in the film “Bach’s Fight for Freedom.” He also wrote and composed the acclaimed musical Evangeline, which was produced at The Charlottetown Festival and The Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. Other favorite acting roles include the title role in Hamlet (Theatre Calgary); For Soulpepper Theatre: Teach in American Buffalo, Daffyd Llewelyn in A Chorus of Disapproval and Yuri in his own adaptation of Tolstoy’s The Kreutzer Sonata; for Stratford: title role in Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Ariel in The Tempest; as well as three seasons of leading roles for The Shaw Festival. Most recently Ted portrayed Scrooge in The Citadel Theatre’s landmark new production of A Christmas Carol, a role he originated and has played for three seasons in a row. In 2000, he turned his attention to directing, and since has directed many award-winning shows in Toronto and across the country. He has also directed 2P4H across America and in Australia and Hong Kong. In 2014, Ted and his wife Diana Bentley founded The Coal Mine Theatre in Toronto’s East End, and it has become the most successful indie theatre in the country, garnering its artists a staggering 29 Dora nominations in 6 seasons. He regularly directs and acts there. He has appeared in dozens of films and TV shows and most recently was a regular on Season 6 of “The Expanse.” He is also the voice of Dad Tiger on “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” He is also a Founding Member of Soulpepper Theatre and in the award department he has received 6 Doras (acting, musical direction, producing), a Gemini (acting), a Sterling (musical direction), a Merritt (directing) and a Chalmers (writing). He is the proud father of Theo, Rosie and Henry. He loves playing and watching tennis. Oh, and Go Oilers!

RICHARD GREENBLATT (Co-Creator/Original Co-Director) is an actor, director, writer, and musician who has been a professional theatre artist for the last 49 years. He was born in Montréal and studied piano for 10 years with the late Professor Dorothy Morton of the McGill Conservatory of Music. He studied theatre at Dawson College before pursuing his acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England. Upon graduating, he worked at Leeds Playhouse for a season, returning to Canada in 1975. Since then, he has performed in theatres in Toronto, across Canada, and abroad, playing such diverse roles as Henry David Thoreau, Spinoza, and Sam Goldwyn, as well as in feature films, television and radio. Other favorite roles include: The Fool in King Lear, Creon in Antigone, The Concierge in The Gladstone Variations, Galbraith in Essay, Cadman in I Call Myself Princess, and touring to Galway, Ireland, as The Father in Enda Walsh’s Bedbound. He has directed well over 130 productions for theatres across the country — the vast majority being original and/or Canadian works — including: plays by George F. Walker, Judith Thompson, Jason Sherman, Adam Pettle, Diane Flacks, Shirley Cheechoo, Michael Healey, Julie Tepperman, and Rob Fothergill, amongst numerous others. Classical works he has directed include plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Shaw, Brecht and Shepard, amongst many others. As a writer, he wrote or co-wrote: Soft Pedaling, 2 Pianos 4 Hands, Sibs, The Theory of Relatives, i.d., Letters from Lehrer, Care, and Athabasca. 2 Pianos 4 Hands has played on five continents and in over 150 cities since it opened at the Tarragon Theatre in April 1996. Greenblatt himself has performed the play with co-creator Ted Dykstra over 1,000 times across Canada, and in New York City, Washington D.C., London, U.K., and Tokyo. A mentor and teacher to young talent, he has taught acting, directing and play creation at most of the theatre training institutions in Canada, including Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Alberta, George Brown College, Humber College, and the National Theatre School of Canada. He has also directed the premieres of numerous groundbreaking and award-winning plays for young audiences, including Seesaw; Mirror Game; Misha; Danny, King of the Basement; Wrecked; The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh and Kindness. Since the Covid Pandemic, he has “pivoted” to being an author. In 2021, his book was published by J.G. Shillingford Press, and his memoir, “Two of the Best in the Neighborhood, An Anecdotal History of 2 Pianos 4 Hands,” has just been released, and is on sale at J Gordon Shillingford Publishing! His third writing/performing collaboration with Diane Flacks, “Pals,” will be presented at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre in the fall of 2023. Oh, and he’s writing his first novel. He has received numerous nominations for his work and has won seven Doras and two Chalmers Awards. He lives in Toronto with partner Tanya Greve and their daughter, Amelia, and is the proud father of Natasha, Will, and the dearly missed Luke Greenblatt.

TOM FREY (Director) Tom is thrilled to return for another production of 2 Pianos 4 Hands at North Coast Rep! Tom is the US resident director of 2 Pianos 4 Hands, having directed over 20 productions of 2P4H at theatres around the country, including Pioneer Theatre Company, Portland Stage, The Cape Playhouse, Stages Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pittsburgh City Theatre, North Coast Rep, and many others. He performed in the show (in both roles) over 600 times in the United States and Canada. Tom is the former Artistic Director of the Peterborough Players, having led the theatre through the pandemic with three critically acclaimed seasons from 2021 through 2023. Tom has worked as a director, actor, and musician in the industry for over 25 years. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

RICHARD TODD ADAMS* (Ted) is thrilled to return to the North Coast Rep stage, reprising his role of Ted in 2 Pianos 4 Hands. He was last seen on Broadway in the 2016 revival of Cats, where he was the standby for Old Deuteronomy and Gus/Bustopher Jones. Richard is one of a handful of actors around the world to have portrayed both The Phantom and Raoul in Phantom of The Opera, and Jean Valjean and Javert in Les Miserables. He made his Broadway debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman In White and a year later appeared in Boublil and Schoenberg’s The Pirate Queen. Richard made his professional debut in Phantom of The Opera as Raoul, performing with the national tour as well as the Los Angeles production. Ten years later, he returned to the tour to play The Phantom. In 2008, he won the Jeff Award for his portrayal of Javert in Chicago’s Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre production of Les Miserables. He toured the country from 2011-2013 with the 25th anniversary national tour of Les Miserables. Off-Broadway, he appeared in the 2000 revival of Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill, the 2003 Second  Stage production of Michael John LaChiusa’s Little Fish, and the 2003 Studio 54 production of David Friedman’s Listen To My Heart. Regionally, he has starred in Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Ragtime, Showboat, 1776, Man Of La Mancha, and Billy Bishop Goes To War. He has appeared across the United States and Canada as both Ted and Richard in 2 Pianos, 4 Hands. Richard received his Bachelor of Music from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and his Masters in Music from The Juilliard School. Richard has sung with symphonies in Cleveland, Naples, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Raleigh. He currently resides in South Orange, NJ, with his wife, native San Diegan Maria Eberline, their 17-year- old son, native San Diegan Nate, and beloved non-native San Diegan Beagle, Sherlock. For more, please visit www.richardtoddadams.com.

MAX ROLL* (Richard) North Coast Rep debut. Broadway: The Hills of California, An Enemy of the People, Good Night, Oscar. West End: Good Night, Oscar. Off Broadway: Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Regional: Good Night, Oscar (Regional premiere), The Importance of Being Earnest. Canada: 2 Pianos 4 Hands. UK: Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Great Gatsby. Narrator of multiple audiobooks. Endless gratitude to Henderson Hogan. Proud graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Love to Mum, Dad, my soon-to-be wife Peachu, and Munchie.

VERNON WILLET* (Production Stage Manager) is returning once again to North Coast Rep with this production of 2P4H after having most recently helmed Peril In The Alps, Tartuffe, The Angel Next Door, Don’t Dress For Dinner and Murder on the Links. Actors’ Equity Association member since 1983.

TOUR-DE-FORCE PERFORMANCE
AT NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE
VIVIDLY CAPTURES THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN LEGEND
EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND
By Richard Hellesen
Directed by Peter Ellenstein
Starring Tony Award Winner John Rubinstein
Now extended to November 23, 2025

Solana Beach, Calif. – Experience the intimate, gripping portrayal of America’s esteemed World War II General and 34th President, Dwight Eisenhower, as he grapples with the most consequential decisions of his remarkable life. Tony Award winner John Rubinstein transports audiences to Gettysburg’s hallowed ground, where an elderly Eisenhower reflects on his monumental military leadership and transformative presidency. Through masterful storytelling and rich historical detail, this compelling drama unveils the private thoughts of a brilliant strategist and humble leader who shaped the 20^th century with wisdom, courage, and unwavering devotion to duty. This powerful piece of theatre will enthrall theatre lovers and history buffs alike.

Peter Ellenstein** directs John Rubinstein* in EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND. The Design Team includes Marty Burnett (Scenic Design) and Matthew Novotny (Lighting). Joe Huppert* is the Stage Manager in charge of Projection and Sound. Clarence Lightfoot II is the Production Assistant.

*The actor or stage manager appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

** SDC Union

EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND previews begins on Wednesday, October 22. Opening Night is set for Saturday, October 25, at 8 pm. The play runs Wednesday, October 22, to Sunday, November 23, with performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. Added matinee performances at 2pm on Friday, October 24, and Wednesday, November 12.  A talkback session with the director and cast is scheduled for October 31.

BIOS:

RICHARD HELLESEN (Playwright) is pleased to return to North Coast Rep, where his play Necessary Sacrifices was produced in 2020, and Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground received an essential developmental reading in 2022 on its way to off-Broadway at Theatre at St. Clement’s in 2023.  The author of numerous plays and musicals for adult and young audiences, his work has been seen nationally at the Denver Center, South Coast Repertory, Los Angeles Repertory Company, Olney Theatre Center, Barrington Stage, B Street Theatre, Florida Stage, Gretna Theatre, Sundance Children's Theatre, Imagination Stage, People's Light & Theatre, City Theatre in Miami, and Ford's Theatre in Washington DC, where he is an Associate Artist.  A member of the Dramatists Guild and the National Theatre Conference, he has received playwriting awards from NTC, the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild, the Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays, and PEN USA-West, and has twice been Playwright-in-Residence at the William Inge Center for the Arts in Kansas.

PETER ELLENSTEIN+ (Director) is Producing Artistic Director of the New Los Angeles Repertory Company.  For NCRT he previously directed, Necessary Sacrifices (also by Richard Hellesen) and The Last Five Years. He just returned from Gettysburg, where this play was seen by Susan Eisenhower.  He recently produced Ventura Live ’25 (30 shows in 30 days) for Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. From a theatrical family, he’s spent 40+ years in professional theatre, film and television.  Peter directed and produced many plays and musicals, receiving multiple nominations and awards. Peter was Artistic Director of the William Inge Center for the Arts (where Eisenhower was commissioned), and Producing Director of the Los Angeles Repertory Company, both for many years.  He served as Interim Artistic Director of the Gretna Theatre in Pennsylvania and of the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre at the University of Miami . Peter has aided the development of over fifty full-length plays and hundreds of short plays, including original plays and musicals by Theresa Rebeck, Kristoffer Diaz, Michael Lew, Jonathan Mark Sherman, Michael Silversher, Joe Iconis etc...  www.peterell.com

PS:  David Ellenstein, his amazing big brother, is part of ridiculously large and wonderful family… don’t ask.

JOHN RUBINSTEIN* (Dwight D. Eisenhower) originated the title role in the Broadway musical Pippin, directed by Bob Fosse, and won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his performance in Children of a Lesser God. Other Broadway appearances include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ragtime, Hurlyburly, M. Butterfly, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Drama Desk nomination), Getting Away with Murder, Fools, Love Letters, and the 2013 Pippin revival. He appeared off-Broadway in Counsellor-at-Law (2005 Lucille Lortel Award, Outer Critics' Circle and Drama League nominations), Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground (Outer Critics' Circle and Off-Broadway Alliance nominations), Morning's at Seven, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Urban Blight, and Cabaret Verboten. Regionally: Wicked in LA, and the international tours of the Pippin revival and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Starred in TV series, "Family" (Emmy nomination), and "Crazy Like A Fox," and over 300 episodes. Films include “Michael,” “Killing Castro,” “Being the Ricardos,” “Hello, I Must Be Going,” “21 Grams,” “Red Dragon,” “The Boys from Brazil,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Daniel, Zachariah,” and “Getting Straight.” He directed the world premiere of Gurney's The Old Boy, and Counsellor-at-Law, Company, Brigadoon, Macbeth, The Three Sisters, Phantasie, Nightingale, The Rivals, A Little Night Music, Guys and Dolls, Into The Woods, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and The Rover. He composes film and TV music (“Jeremiah Johnson,” “The Candidate,” "The Dollmaker,” "China Beach”, among others), hosted two classical music radio programs, played keyboards in the rock band Funzone, and has recorded over 200 audiobooks, most numerously Jonathan Kellerman's “Alex Delaware” series of Los Angeles crime novels. He is married to Bonnie Burgess, and their son Max is the youngest of his five children, joining Jessica, Michael, Peter, and Jacob.

JOE HUPPERT* (Stage Manager, Projection and Sound Designer) created the original designs for Ike in Los Angeles and New York.  Previous projection designs include This Wonderful Life for North Coast Rep, American Blues and other venues; The Dybbuk and The Oldest Boy (Craig Noel Award) for San Diego Repertory Theater; Lizard Boy for Diversionary Theater and The Elephant Man for Backyard Renaissance. Sound designs include Blueprints to Freedom and Peter and the Starcatchers (La Jolla Playhouse); The Fantasticks and Stop Kiss (Pasadena Playhouse), Good Boys, Extraordinary Chambers and Milvotchkee, Wisconsin (Mo’Olelo); Wisdom From Everything (Local Theater Company); Urinetown, Over the Tavern, and King O’ the Moon (Mercury Theater).