Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN, will replace its planned engagement of Tappin' at the Maxx in March-April with the Minnesota premiere of the Canadian hit, 2 Pianos, 4 Hands, March 5-April 14.

"We have wanted to bring 2 Pianos, 4 Hands to Ordway Center for a number of years," Ordway Center president and CEO, Kevin McCollum, said in a statement. "And, because we're able to get it now, we're moving Tappin' at the Maxx, which we hope to bring in sometime in the future."

McCollum continued, "I fell in love with 2 Pianos, 4 Hands in New York a number of years ago and have been trying to get it here ever since. If we don’t bring it to Ordway Center now, we'll have to wait a few years for its return, and we don't want to miss this opportunity."

2 Pianos, 4 Hands is billed as an "explosion of energy" as two actors perform a variety of music and portray a number of characters — piano teachers, coaches, and over anxious parents — as they string together remembrances of long- ago piano lessons, auditions, tribulations, and triumphs.

Canadian co-writer Ted Dykstra, who has performed in the show more than 700 times and directed the show to great acclaim in San Francisco and Australia, will direct 2 Pianos, 4 Hands at Ordway Center. 2 Pianos, 4 Hands tickets range $35-$45. Performances are at Ordway's McKnight Theatre, 345 Washington Street, St. Paul, MN. For information, call (651) 224-4222 or visit www.ordway.org.

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In 2000, Ordway Center served an audience of nearly 400,000 from throughout the Midwest. Its mission is "to host, present, and create performing arts that engage artists and entertain and educate diverse audiences."

— By Kenneth Jones