Dueling Pianos duo Jim Tyrrell and Amy Thomason will lead an interactive music performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Franco Center in Lewiston. Tyrrell and Thomason will play songs from a variety of genres simultaneously on two pianos while taking requests from the audience.

Jim Tyrrell. Courtesy photo
The piano players act as “ring masters” responsible for maintaining enthusiasm and maximizing laughs. Hand-picked from only the finest regional talent, they’re experts on keeping audience members involved, happy and content.
Tyrrell has been a mainstay in the New Hampshire music scene for over 30 years. His repertoire is vast and covers all genres, but he’s a child of the 1980s at heart. The music of Billy Joel, Elton John and Steely Dan are among his favorites to perform.
Thomason has been having a blast working and traveling as a dueling pianist since 2016. Thomason also works as an actor, music director and educator in the Boston area. She is a regular at all the Dueling Piano venues around New England.

Amy Thomason. Courtesy photo
“Her ability to work the crowd into her set is something to see,” one of the show’s promoters, Rob Steen, said in a prepared release. “Whatever request comes in she does her best to play it and even look it up on the fly.”
Dueling Pianos shows are request-oriented, interactive sing-a-long shows wherein two piano players sit across from each other and trade songs. The audience is used for the dueling aspect of the show. Audience members are pitted one side against the other. Examples of rivalries include country vs. rock, men against women, etc.
“This dueling-piano, interactive concept has grown rapidly the past few years and shows no sign of letting up. Why? One very simple reason: People love to interact and have fun,” Steen said.
Dueling piano shows often take unexpected turns. Tangents may include involving wait staff members, changing song lyrics or roasting popular audience members.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door and can be purchased through the Franco Center’s box office in person from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, by calling 689-2000, or online at francocenter.org/shows. Doors and cash bar open at 6 p.m. The Franco Center is at 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. Parking is in the mill lot on Oxford Street, the Lincoln Street corner parking lot and Chestnut Street parking garage. Handicapped access is on the Lincoln Street Alley side of the building.
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