Press Roundup: THE WIZARD OF OZ and another 2 PIANOS
Alabama shakespeare festival
the wizard of oz
summer 2025
"… Every artist involved in The Wizard of Oz is at the top of their craft…As the Scarecrow, Matthew McGloin infuses his performance with physicality from the classical clowning tradition. Costumed differently, he would fit comfortably in a 19th century circus or an Italian commedia dell'arte troupe. The rubbery limbs and tumbling were playful elements in the performance, and I was impressed at McGloin's discipline for maintaining the Scarecrow's unique movement style for over two hours…”
Broadway World
Pioneer theatre company
2 pianos 4 hands
fall 2025
“…Richard Todd Adams (Ted) and Matthew McGloin (Richard) are the rare double threat the piece demands: precise pianists and nimble character actors. Their duet passages carry the adrenaline of a fencing match—parry, riposte, pedal—while solos bloom with comic specificity. Adams carries the weather of expectation in his shoulders; McGloin toggles from wide-eyed student to acid-tongued adjudicator with a tilt of the head and a shift of touch. The comedy lands because the music does…McGloin, returning to PTC after Murder on the Orient Express and Prayer for the French Republic, folds TV (Law & Order) and a deep Off-Broadway/regional bench into a performance that reads truthful first, virtuosic second…If you’ve ever auditioned, practiced until the room blurred, or measured your worth in quarter-notes, this show feels like home. But it also speaks to audiences who’ve never touched a keyboard. The comedy is generous, not cruel; the critique is aimed at systems…more than at people. And tucked beneath the laughter is a radical tenderness: most of us won’t be great. We can still be artists. We can still make a life…2 Pianos 4 Hands is as entertaining as a summer Pops concert and as honest as a practice log at 1 a.m. It’s also the rare show I’d prescribe: performers will see themselves; everyone else will understand them a little better.”
The Rhetorical Review
“…[Adams and McGloin] switch between a variety of characters…The subtle shifts in body language, speech patterns, and accents are done so smoothly that not once is the flow of the play halted…every character feels distinct…Make no mistake, there are some truly riveting comedic moments in the play, layered well between scenes of drama…”
Daily Utah Chronicle
“…There are no recordings or tricks – just the virtuosity and comic genius of two extraordinary actor-musicians sharing their real-life skills…Richard Todd Adams (Ted) and Matthew McGloin (Richard) are equally gifted; their conversation in word and music is truly an exalted opportunity for the audience…Their comedic timing is also breathtaking, accentuated by their palpable chemistry. Jointly, Adams and McGloin create a deeply harmonious back-and-forth. By the final narrative cadenza, we are no longer listening to two actor-pianists and their pianos but a single, blazing instrument stretched across two souls…The audience is left exhilarated by the brilliant music and moved by the notes of truth, of struggle, self-discovery, and sacrifice. This production entertains and affirms the beauty of trying for your dreams…Bookending 2P4H is the glorious Bach ‘Concerto in D minor, 1st movement.’ What greater gift could one ask for than to hear those notes played with such skill and love?”
Front Row Reviewers
“…The Epitome of Virtuosic Timing: Actor-pianists Richard Todd Adams and Matthew McGloin romp, run, rhapsodize and enchant on the Meldrum Theatre stage…2P4H requires extraordinary multitasking demands of landing the rapid-fire impact of the comedy, the occasional moments of emotional pathos, and the seamless segues in the tour de force musical counterpoint with exacting standards of timing. And, all of this occurs while both actors switch up in an instant’s notice to one of a total of some two dozen characters…”
The Utah Review
“…PTC’s production stars veteran actors and pianists Richard Todd Adams as Ted and Matthew McGloin as Richard, with each also playing a multitude of supporting characters in each others’ journeys…Adams and McGloin have performed ‘2 Pianos 4 Hands’ in multiple productions, and their performances are seamless…”
Gephardt Daily