Photos: First Look at Thomas Sweitzer's 20 SECONDS Off-Broadway

Thomas Sweitzer's award-winning tale of love, forgiveness, resilience and the extraordinary power of music, 20 Seconds will have its New York City opening night this Thursday, September 21.

Get a first look at photos below!

Written and performed by Sweitzer, with direction and development by Jeremy Scott Blaustein (Producing Artistic Director of Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre), 20 Seconds is now in performances at The Irene Diamond Stage at the Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street) through October 21. 

Tickets are on sale at www.20secondsplay.com

To a young Tom Sweitzer in 1970s blue-collar Pennsylvania, homemade meatballs were an Italian mom’s cure-all. Husky pants from Sears were a necessary evil. And dad’s schizophrenia and alcoholism were the fuel to a nightmarish fire. That is the life Tom knew and endured until one day, he ran out of the house and into the church across the street. There, he met a woman who gave him a gift that would alter the course of his life: music. Through song, Tom found a haven, a passion, a career, and a purpose. But above all, it gave him the language to accept loss, let in love, and forgive the demons of his past.

20 Seconds is an inspiring testimony to the uplifting power of music at all stages of life. Music provided companionship when Tom couldn’t find it in a destructive home. Years later, music shaped Tom’s career as a therapist, allowing him to augment his penchant for song with clinical, research-based practices.

In his inviting solo performance, Tom weaves storytelling with original song and nearly a dozen colorful characters. Over the 90 minutes, audiences meet the Sunday school savior, the compassionate but ailing mother, the tortured father, one foul-mouthed parrot, and many more. As you follow him through his journey, you’ll hear the music that shaped his healing, and, as the church bells chime across the street, experience the powerful 20 seconds that mended a scarred relationship between a father and son.

20 Seconds features scenic design by Lindsay Fuori, costume design by Emilee McVey-Lee, lighting design by Jamie Roderick, and sound design by Bill Toles, who also serves as production manager. Melissa Erikson is the production supervisor and Aaron Grant Theatrical is the general manager.

20 Seconds is produced by A Place to Be, Mrs. Jacqueline B. Mars, Teresa Wheeler, Milton Sender, Ben & K.C. Graham, with Barbara Schaufeld,  and Shannon & Jim Davis. Aaron Grant serves as executive producer. Associate producers include Lysa & Carl Hutton, Mark Ohrstrom, Alice Rogoff Rubenstein, Dr. Gary & Tina Mather, Greenway Manor, Drs. Rae Stone and Kent Allen, Sheila C. Johnson, The Killinger Family, and Judith Washburn.

A Place to Be is a nationally recognized, award-winning therapeutic arts organization creating inclusive communities for clients and their families that promote optimal health, a sense of belonging, and hope through the power of community, performance, and the creative arts therapies.
 

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best New Musical - Top 3

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