By Marcina Zaccaria . . .
Can piano music save the soul? This is the question I kept asking myself as I watched the courageous performance in 20 Seconds, written and performed by Thomas Sweitzer, now playing on the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center.
20 Seconds chronicles the life of a young person in Pennsylvania, yearning to get past his destructive home. His mother, an overweight heart patient, and his father, a desperate alcoholic, endure a series of health failures, spiraling through life and death. Music becomes his savior, creating an uncommon ground for escape and recovery. The intake of breath before singing becomes the most refreshing force. Every time his childhood home stage seems only set for disaster, music teachers create for him an opportunity for growth. With dancing lessons, Governor’s School, and finally, acceptance into a musical theater program ahead of him, his outlook changes.
The magic of this one-person show is following the imagination of the performer, as he takes on obstacles from his past. Characters from his younger world are brought to the stage, with bits of humor. The bright yellow and orange of the ’70s provide just enough kitsch to make for an all-too-honest look-back. Though part of his musician’s journey is typical, the other part of Sweitzer’s story is presented with a wise smattering of humor, horror, and irony.
When his music teacher reveals that maybe his father never really felt love in his heart, the teacher tells him to hug his father for 20 seconds and to show him that he was loved. Scenic Designer Lindsay Fuori makes great use of the wide stage and tall ceilings, as the production team works to get this story specific and authentic, with church buildings reaching towards the clouds.
Piano music sails past effortlessly, adding polish to what might be misconstrued as an otherwise gritty open mic night. Sweitzer’s confessional truth is told, from Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia. He is more than a solo artist, though. The Co-Founder, Creative Director, and Head of Music Therapy at A Place To Be, Sweitzer has helped families seeking music therapy. While 20 Seconds almost feels like an advertisement for his non-profit organization, it’s really an affirmation of why he makes music and how one man can build a better future.
20 Seconds. Through October 21 on the Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues). 60 minutes, no intermission. www.20secondsplay.com
Photos: Jeremy Daniel
