CLC News The news and events from Central Lakes College
Deuces Wild, the incredibly popular dueling piano show, will launch the 2021 summer season for the Central Lakes Community Performing Arts Center’s Cultural Arts Series. The 6:30 p.m. outdoor performance on Wednesday, June 9 marks a return of the duo, a crowd favorite.
Series Producer Patrick Spradlin says this is a really fun way to begin a new post-pandemic season. “We’ve had Deuces Wild here on several occasions. The audiences love these guys!”
“These guys” are Dave Eichholz and Ted Manderfeld, two vastly talented and personable musicians who’ve crafted what has become a nationally-acclaimed show of music, comedy, and intense audience engagement.
Deuces Wild Dueling Pianos is a wild mix of music and parodies ranging from country to rap to show tunes. “This show is amazingly fun,” says Spradlin. “It’s so high energy, and involves the audience in so many ways. Part music, part improv, part audience participation, it’s like going to a party where you know everyone and having the time of your life.”
The Deuces Wild guys come with impressive resumes, notes Spradlin.
Son of a miner from the northern woods of Minnesota, David Charles Eichholz is a versatile, self-taught musician who plays the piano, guitar, saxophone, harmonica, trumpet and countless other instruments.
He was featured internationally on the Swedish television show ‘Christine’. He was then recruited by Little Ditty’s, Dueling Piano Bar at the Mall of America in Minnesota where he performed four nights each week for five years. David also recorded and produced the sound track to the “Prime Target” video game (50,000+ copies sold). He was also featured in an issue of WorldTraveler Magazine, the in-flight publication of Northwest Airlines.
Ted Manderfeld got his start in Deuces Wild by walking out of his day job and demanding an audition. Although he hadn’t previously played in a dueling piano style show, his amazing showmanship and obvious ability to perform as a world class entertainer blew away the competition! Since then he has played thousands of dueling piano shows with performances all over the country. When not on the road with DWDP, Ted spends his time as a producer of sold out shows, including the Billy Joel and Elton John tribute show “Eye 2 Eye,” and the ever popular annual “Rock n Roll Xmas” show, which he co-produces with former Jonny Lang guitarist Paul Diethelm.
Eichholz and Manderfeld have performed together for fourteen years, in over 1500 shows, and traveled more than 750,000 miles with Deuces Wild.
Tickets for ‘What a Wonderful World’ and ‘Deuces Wild’ will be available on the night of the show only. The outdoor stage is on the south lawn of the Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College. Information on this show and the entire summer series of events is available on the Center’s website: www.clcperformingarts.com
